PSA: Don't do therapy on lawyers.
- Matt Plavnick
- Dec 16, 2025
- 1 min read
Business development conversations can veer into career counseling or even quasi-therapy as lawyers air their frustrations. When that happens, interactions can be uncomfortable for legal marketing and BD pros. Three steps will help you add value while steering the conversation back to BD and stable ground.
Name what you see happening. "This sounds like career coaching or a discussion for therapy." Naming it alerts the lawyer that they've drifted and reminds them of professional boundaries, while being respectful.
Suggest they seek professional mental health resources. You will never go wrong encouraging a lawyer to seek qualified help. This also marks a clear line where you know your BD role ends and professional counseling begins.
Affirm what you heard, and tie it back to relevant BD actions a lawyer can take to address pressures they feel. For example, "I hear that you don't want to do med mal work anymore, and that's creating stress elsewhere in your life. Let's explore BD and marketing steps to position you for other work you do want to do."
That last piece establishes you as a BD authority and helper while protecting both you and the lawyer from the gray areas that emerge when you start talking about heavy life stuff. It also shows the lawyer that you hear them and are on their side.
When you are prepared ahead of time for slippery conversations, you can show up as an expert, steer clear of potential trouble spots, and lead lawyers back into productive BD and marketing territory.
