Therapy and Psychiatry for Attorneys and Legal Professionals in Los Angeles

Blackburn Clinical Services provides one-on-one therapy and psychiatric care for attorneys, law students, paralegals and other legal professionals in Los Angeles. We help with chronic stress, burnout, anxiety, depression and alcohol or other substance use, with care that is private and scheduled flexibly around trials and filing deadlines within our weekday hours. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.

At a glance

  • Who we see: attorneys at firms of every size, in house counsel, government lawyers, judges, law students, bar applicants, paralegals and legal staff.
  • What we help with: stress and burnout, anxiety, depression, alcohol use and other substance use, sleep problems and ADHD.
  • Where: Therapy takes place in our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, in Mar Vista near Culver City, Venice and Santa Monica, or by secure video for clients located in California.
  • Psychiatry: Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are provided by our board certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. When you call, we explain how psychiatry appointments are arranged.
  • Fees: We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills. See Fees and Insurance.
  • First step: call (888) 870 7405 to schedule an assessment.

What the research says about lawyers

A 2016 study of nearly 13,000 licensed, employed lawyers and judges, published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, found that 20.6 percent screened positive for problematic drinking, 28 percent reported symptoms of depression, 19 percent symptoms of anxiety and 23 percent symptoms of stress. Lawyers early in their careers were among those most at risk.

The reasons are familiar to anyone in the profession: adversarial work, long hours, client crises, the pressure to never make a mistake, and a culture where drinking is part of networking and where asking for help can feel like a risk to your reputation.

What we help with

  • Stress and burnout. Exhaustion, cynicism and the sense of never being off the clock.
  • Anxiety. Constant worry about errors, deadlines and outcomes, panic before hearings or depositions, and trouble sleeping.
  • Depression. Low mood, loss of interest and the feeling that the work has taken over your life.
  • Alcohol and substance use. Drinking to decompress, stimulants to keep up, or use that has started to worry you or the people close to you. We treat substance use and mental health together through addiction psychiatry and dual diagnosis treatment.
  • Career transitions. Leaving a firm, changing practice areas or rethinking a legal career. Blackburn also offers career coaching. Law students and new lawyers who want structure and follow-through support can also look at mentoring for law students and new lawyers from Blackburn Mentoring, a sister organization.

How care at Blackburn works for legal professionals

  • Individual, not group. Therapy is one-on-one with your therapist, using approaches such as CBT, DBT, ACT and EMDR. See therapy at Blackburn.
  • Medication when it helps. See psychiatric medication management.
  • More structure without leaving work. The Concierge Outpatient Program offers 3 to 5 hours a week of one-on-one care, with no groups and no hour requirements, scheduled around work and family.
  • Medically supported withdrawal at home. For people who qualify medically, outpatient detox begins with an assessment by a board certified addiction psychiatrist.
  • Privacy. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission. Your firm, colleagues and clients do not hear from us.

The State Bar Lawyer Assistance Program

California attorneys also have the State Bar of California Lawyer Assistance Program. According to the State Bar, it serves current, former and disbarred attorneys, law students and State Bar applicants dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, mental health or substance use issues, offers a free assessment, short-term counseling and support groups, and does not release information about participation without your knowledge or consent. Some people use it alongside private care. Blackburn Clinical Services is a private practice and is not affiliated with the State Bar.

Law students and bar applicants can also see therapy for law students and bar exam stress.

For attorneys referring a client

If you are an estate planning or family law attorney looking for care for a client or a client’s family member, see for estate planning and family law attorneys, or visit for professionals.

Questions

Do you see attorneys and law students?

Yes. We see attorneys, judges, law students, bar applicants, paralegals and legal staff for stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, substance use and other concerns.

Will my firm find out I am in therapy?

Not from us. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission.

Is the State Bar Lawyer Assistance Program the same as Blackburn?

No. The Lawyer Assistance Program is run by the State Bar of California. Blackburn Clinical Services is a private outpatient practice and is not affiliated with it. Some attorneys use both.

Can I get help for drinking without going to a residential program?

Often, yes. After an assessment, many people are treated as outpatients with therapy, addiction psychiatry and, when needed, the Concierge Outpatient Program. People who qualify medically may be able to withdraw safely at home through outpatient detox.

Do you take insurance?

We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement.

Get started

Call (888) 870 7405 (Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM), email info@blackburnclinical.com or contact us. Blackburn Clinical Services is at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.

Sources

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