Jennifer Kupferman, LMSW, MA, JD, is a former lawyer turned therapist who specializes in treating lawyers with a variety of mental health conditions, including depression. She earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her undergraduate degree from Yale. In addition to being a therapist, she gives CLE presentations on mental health in the legal profession throughout the U.S. Call or Email Jennifer now for a free 15-minute consultation – (929) 202-4159.

Introduction

The legal profession is known for its prestige, intellectual challenge, and social impact. Yet, behind the polished courtroom arguments and carefully constructed contracts lies a more troubling reality: lawyers experience disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout. A 2016 study by the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation revealed that 28% of lawyers struggle with depression, a rate much higher than in the general population.

While traditional treatments such as talk therapy and medication have helped many, a growing number of lawyers are turning to an alternative, neuroscience-based therapy known as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Originally developed to treat trauma, EMDR is gaining attention as a powerful tool for those suffering from depression, especially when that depression is rooted in unresolved emotional stress, perfectionism, or adverse life experiences.

In this post, I’ll explore why depression is so prevalent in the legal field and how EMDR can provide real, lasting relief for lawyers who are silently suffering.

The Unique Psychological Toll of the Legal Profession

Lawyers are trained to anticipate problems, minimize risk, and argue from multiple perspectives–all under extreme pressure and scrutiny. While these skills are vital to the profession, they can also become psychological liabilities:

• Perfectionism: The fear of making mistakes can become paralyzing, leading to chronic self-criticism and low self-worth.
• Adversarial thinking: Constantly viewing others as opponents can erode empathy and deepen isolation.
• Emotional suppression: Lawyers are often expected to remain detached, which can result in emotional numbing and internalized distress.
• Work-life imbalance: Long hours, demanding clients, and billable-hour pressures leave little time for self-care or social connection.

These factors don’t just cause stress; over time, they can lead to clinical depression, especially when compounded by unresolved personal trauma, grief, or chronic negative beliefs about oneself.

What Is EMDR and How Does It Work?

EMDR is a structured psychotherapy method developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It was first proven helpful in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but research has shown that EMDR is also highly effective for depression, especially when traditional talk therapy alone hasn’t resolved the core issues.

The basic premise of EMDR is that psychological distress often arises from unprocessed experiences, memories, or learned beliefs. These become “stuck” in the brain and continue to trigger negative emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations long after the initial event has passed.

During EMDR sessions, clients recall distressing experiences or beliefs while simultaneously doing bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, taps, or tones. This process helps the brain reprocess the memory or belief, so it is no longer psychologically disruptive.

Rather than simply talking about problems, EMDR facilitates deep neural rewiring, allowing the brain to re-catalogue unresolved material and integrate it in a more adaptive way.

How EMDR Can Help Lawyers With Depression

1.   Addressing Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms

While talk therapy can help clients understand their depression, EMDR goes further by helping to resolve the actual sources of distress–whether it’s a harsh criticism from a partner, a traumatic courtroom experience, or early-life messages about never being “good enough.” Lawyers often carry hidden wounds that contribute to their drive for success but also feed perfectionism and emotional fatigue.

EMDR helps uncover and reprocess these wounds, reducing their emotional charge and allowing for greater emotional freedom.

2.  Reducing Shame and Self-Criticism

Many lawyers experience a loud inner critic: “I’m not smart enough.” “I should have done better.” “If I show weakness, I’ll fail.” These internal messages are often rooted in early experiences of criticism, rejection, or unrealistic expectations. EMDR targets the negative core beliefs that fuel depression and replaces them with more adaptive, compassionate beliefs.

After a successful EMDR session, a lawyer who once believed “I’m a failure” may genuinely feel, “I did my best, and that’s enough.”

3. Calming the Nervous System

Chronic depression often coexists with a dysregulated nervous system–one that is either in a state of fight-or-flight (anxiety, irritability) or shutdown (fatigue, numbness). EMDR helps the brain and body complete the stress response cycle, restoring a sense of safety and calm.

This regulation can be life-changing for lawyers who are constantly “on edge” but don’t know how to turn down the dial.

4.  Breaking the Cycle of Overwork and Avoidance

Depression can create a feedback loop of procrastination, guilt, and shame, which many lawyers try to outrun by overworking or emotionally checking out. EMDR helps individuals process the deeper fears behind this pattern–such as fear of failure, abandonment, or humiliation–so they can make healthier choices about how they work and live.

5.  Creating Long-Term Change Without Reliving the Pain

One of EMDR’s strengths is that clients do not have to talk in detail about painful experiences. For high-achieving professionals who value privacy, this can make therapy feel safer and more accessible. EMDR also tends to yield results faster than traditional therapy alone, which is appealing to busy lawyers seeking efficient solutions.

Real-World Success Stories

Many of my own clients who have tried EMDR report transformative changes:

• A trial attorney who struggled with panic attacks found that EMDR helped reprocess a humiliating cross-examination experience, after which their anxiety significantly decreased.
• A mid-level associate dealing with imposter syndrome traced their feelings back to a critical parent. EMDR helped neutralize the impact of those experiences, resulting in improved self-confidence and professional satisfaction.
• A senior partner experiencing burnout used EMDR to work through the grief of losing a friend, which had gone unprocessed for years. This allowed them to reconnect emotionally with their work and colleagues.

While results vary, studies consistently show that EMDR can be as effective–or more effective–than cognitive-based therapies for depression, especially when past trauma or emotional injuries are involved.

We All Deserve Support in Healing  

Lawyers are often celebrated for their intellect, diligence, and resilience. But too often, they suffer silently with depression, internalizing their pain even as they advocate on behalf of others. EMDR offers a scientifically validated, compassionate approach to healing the inner wounds that contribute to depression, allowing lawyers not just to survive their profession, but to thrive within it.

If you’re a lawyer struggling with depression, consider exploring EMDR with a licensed therapist trained in the method. You don’t have to carry the weight alone–and with the right help, lasting positive change is possible.