Module 4: Therapeutic Alliance with Lawyers
Learn how to establish trust with clients who may be skeptical, guarded, or emotionally restricted.
Navigating resistance and intellectual defenses
Building rapport through respect for autonomy and competence
Balancing empathy with structure
This module explores the unique dynamics involved in establishing and sustaining a strong therapeutic alliance with attorney clients, a population often marked by skepticism, perfectionism, emotional restraint, and a deep identification with competence and control. Clinicians will gain insight into how the adversarial nature of legal training and professional culture can contribute to a guarded stance toward vulnerability and emotional disclosure, often impeding early rapport and trust-building. The training will introduce practical strategies rooted in attachment theory, motivational interviewing, and psychodynamic approaches to meet attorneys where they are—emphasizing pacing, validation of professional identity, and careful attunement to power dynamics in the room. Clinicians will also learn techniques to help lawyers begin tolerating ambiguity, exploring emotional experience, and navigating the therapeutic frame without feeling pathologized or professionally diminished.
