In support of Mental Health Awareness Day on October 10, 2019, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP hosted two special presentations on the importance of stress and anxiety management and suicide prevention. Our firm values mental health and believes in promoting self-care so that our attorneys and staff can continue to provide the highest level of client service in the family law industry.As part of the “Cost of Caring” presentation, guest speaker Tara Thomason, JD, LCSW of Psychology Today, discussed the impact working with clients who are experiencing extreme emotional distress can have on an attorney’s own wellbeing. Key insights focused on the latest research in the wellness field relating to secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue which can sometimes mimic symptoms of PTSD. Attendees learned what signs to look for as well as the various methods to coping with stress through mindfulness and meditation.In conjunction with the "Cost of Caring" presentation, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck hosted an internal lunch and learn program last week where guest speaker Katie Rowe Mitchell, the co-founder of Unfold Yoga + Wellness at Work, shared insights on how the negative effects of stress in the workplace can unconsciously damage us physically as well as mentally leaving us depleted and limiting our ability to help our clients and families.Having a solid support system at work can help buffer us from the negative effects of job stress. Through meditation and a focus on diaphragmatic breathing, it is possible to reverse the deterioration in the brain’s plasticity and improve overall mental health. Attorneys and staff who attended the event learned new techniques to help alleviate chronic stress and anxiety at work.At Schiller DuCanto & Fleck, our people first culture fosters the advancement, development and personal well-being of our clients as well as of our team members. We encourage individuals to be their best, we support people who are experiencing difficult circumstances and we celebrate their victories. To learn more about our firm’s values, visit here.