New 'talking therapies' rolled out in barristers' wellbeing drive

New 'talking therapies' rolled out in barristers' wellbeing drive 

The Bar Council's Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group has today announced its new wellbeing podcasts; the latest in a series of online resources aimed at supporting the wellbeing and mental health of barristers, chambers staff and those aspiring to join the profession.

The podcasts, which can be found on the Wellbeing at the Bar website here, cover three topics: 'Recovering from Addiction', 'Recovering from Trauma' and 'Overcoming Anxiety', and range in length from roughly 10-20 minutes each. The free podcasts are designed to provide both information and practical tools to help members of the barristers' profession to explore and overcome any negative thoughts or feelings they are having.

Rachel Spearing, Chair of the Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group, said:

"Many barristers deal with stressful situations and potentially traumatic trials in the course of their work, and it is therefore important that they process the resulting impact on them in a healthy way. We are constantly looking for ways to enable professionals across the Bar to safeguard their wellbeing in ways that are most convenient to their busy working schedules and build it in as part of their daily lives. We hope the new talking therapy podcasts will help to make this a reality for more barristers and chambers' staff.

"Everyone finds different types of resources useful, so we aim to cater for as many preferences as possible - if the podcasts don't work for some, we encourage them to explore the range of alternative resources available at Wellbeing at the Bar.

"We are particularly grateful to Sarah Wiesendanger for her expertise and invaluable efforts in the creation of these podcasts."

Sarah Wiesendanger, psychotherapist and mindfulness practitioner, also commented:

"These kinds of issues arise in all walks of life, and barristers are not immune to being affected by emotionally demanding work. The talking therapies can provide an easily accessible, much-needed mechanism for self-help amidst the hustle and bustle of life at the Bar."

Ends

Notes to Editors

The Wellbeing Working Group consists of representatives from the Bar Council, the Inns of Court, Specialist Bar Associations, the Circuits, the Institute of Barristers' Clerks (IBC) and the Legal Practice Management Association (LPMA).

Wellbeing at the Bar (WATB) aims to:

• Provide barristers and chambers' personnel with the information and skills they need to stay well

• Support members of the profession through difficulties that affect their professional life

• Help those responsible for or who are supporting those in difficulty or crisis 

Wellbeing at the Bar has had over 150,000 hits since launch.

Further information is available from the Bar Council Press Office on 020 7222 2525 and by email Shiryn Sayani [email protected] or Steve Rudaini [email protected].

The Bar Council represents barristers in England and Wales. It promotes: 

• The Bar's high quality specialist advocacy and advisory services

• Fair access to justice for all

• The highest standards of ethics, equality and diversity across the profession, and

• The development of business opportunities for barristers at home and abroad. 

The General Council of the Bar is the Approved Regulator of the Bar of England and Wales. It discharges its regulatory functions through the independent Bar Standards Board.