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From Burnout to Balance - Katie McKenna
Do you ever take a moment to think about how far you’ve come or who helped you get there?
Ten years ago, I was super stressed working as a Solicitor in Scotland within a large firm. When I think back, I was actively running myself into the ground. My self-care and boundaries were non-existent; I said yes to everything at personal cost, and I lived in constant worry and fear of the proverbial bubble bursting. I was terrified that everything I was working so hard towards would crumble around me.
At my lowest point, my husband noted that I practised my smile in the mirror before leaving for work. Looking back, I was affixing the mask that I wore each day at the office and was making sure that it looked believable. I wasn’t just getting ready for my role as a Solicitor; I was getting ready to perform. That smile wasn’t just for clients and coworkers, it was armour. On the inside, I felt like no one would understand how I was feeling and that I couldn’t ask for help. On the few times I hinted at my inner pain, it never resulted in any tangible change or support. It was a really isolating time for me. What I would have loved was for a sense of community and support around me spurring me on and catching me when I fell.
Luckily, I have that community now and I am now so much healthier in every way conceivable.
One of the big changes was prioritising myself and my health. I started exercising and made it a non-negotiable part of my daily routine. I reached out and asked for professional guidance with weightlifting and it provided me with a huge sense of achievement and challenged my view of what I could achieve.
When I was fully out of my fitness comfort zone, I took it to the next level and challenged myself with aerial arts. This has done wonders for my confidence and self-concept providing me with an environment to be creative and artistic as well as challenge my mind and body.
I followed a passion ignited by my volunteer role with LawCare and my work creating and promoting LawScot Wellbeing. Subsequently, I requalified as a psychotherapist.
This course of action introduced me to the power of therapy; being truly heard and understood. This safe and confidential space provided me with the opportunity to really explore my depths, fears and values and, ultimately, helped me cultivate a more compassionate approach towards myself. I would be lying If I never thought about whether I would still be working in law if I had accessed therapy and took control of my life a little earlier.
Anxiety still pops its head up from time to time (Spoiler warning: There is no way to live a life free of anxiety!) but I am now better equipped to handle it when it does. I am unbelievably relaxed about my life and confident about my value and worth regardless of my productivity levels.
Whilst undertaking my Masters programme in Counselling and Psychotherapy, I dedicated my research dissertation to exploring the perceptions experienced by Solicitors around therapy and put it into action by working with the Carvalho Consultancy, a bespoke consultancy offering therapeutic services and coaching to legal professionals.
Therapy is for everyone. Whether you are at your lowest low or are curious about improving your response to stress. The introduction of the topic naturally cultivates a lot of questions, concerns and fear. This was one of the main themes identified in my research; fear around asking for help or that someone within the firm or legal world discovered that you “needed” therapy which would contribute to perceived negative consequences.
This was a pretty understandable response; It’s drummed into us by society that we shouldn’t ask for help. We should be self-sufficient and not burden others. The legal world adds a whole other layer of pressure to appear to succeed regardless of the personal cost and to not show emotion or weakness. However, to quote Brene Brown, “vulnerability is not weakness; it is our most accurate measure of courage.”
This year’s focus for Mental Health Awareness Week is “Community”. How does what I have shared fit in with that? I needed to ask for help, and I reached out for support across various disciplines to create the community I needed to thrive and to also support others:
● A trainer who listened and supported my goals
● Trusted friends and family who held a safe space for me
● A therapist who helped me rediscover myself
● Volunteering, which gave me purpose and connection
● A new role which allowed me to help others.
This support network allowed me to show up as myself. It opened up honest conversations about what I needed and how those around me could support me. That’s the power of community. I didn’t overcome anxiety alone.
There are communities around you (even if you don’t know who they are yet!) that will be your safe space. They can listen without judgment, offer wise counsel when you need direction, or give you the nudge (or kick up the ass!) to finally do the thing you’ve been putting off.
The message is simple: you are not alone.
● Feel like you’ve got no one? Call LawCare- LawCare is the mental health charity for the legal sector.
● Curious about how counselling could help? There are plenty of qualified and regulated therapists (myself included!) who’ll guide you through it.
● Want to improve your health? Your GP can point you toward the next steps.
● Feel like things could improve in your workplace? Lawscot Wellbeing Lawscot Wellbeing | Law Society of Scotland has a wealth of resources about how to look after your own mental health and how law firms can support their staff.
We heal in community.
We grow through connection.
And we’re all stronger when we’re seen, supported, and heard.
If you're struggling, reach out. Start the conversation. Be part of someone else's safety net or let someone be yours.
Katie McKenna
Psychotherapist
The Carvalho Consultancy
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiemckenna1
https://carvalhotherapy.com/people/katie-mckenna/
May 2025