May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the first week of May is Well-Being Week in Law. To complement PLI’s catalog of mental health and well-being programs, on this episode Chris and Kurt step away from the world of securities regulation to talk about some of the challenges many attorneys and accountants face, and how they can set out on a path to wellness.
First, Chris and Kurt chat with Denise Perme, Associate Director of the D.C. Bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program, to talk about drivers of substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, and stress, and to highlight resources available for professionals who need help on their path to wellness.
Next, Chris and Kurt talk with Gretchen Pisano, CEO and co-founder of pLink Leadership, and an executive coach and consultant who leans on her background in behavioral science and positive psychology to fundamentally change the way people work and lead.
There’s much to learn from this essential episode of the inSecurities podcast. Most importantly, if you are grappling with any of the issues we address in this issue, please remember that you are not alone. Reach out to an LAP Support Group, talk to your employer about resources available at or through work, or phone a friend.
Learn more about the D.C. Bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program here, and tune in to the D.C. Bar’s wellness podcast, Toward Well-Being, here.
Learn more about the ABA’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs or resources in your state here.
Learn more about pLink Leadership here.
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Featured in this Episode
Denise Perme
Denise Perme is the D.C. Bar Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) Associate Director/Manager. In that role, she has supervised clinical staff and managed the LAP since 2006. Denise has over 25 years of experience in counseling and mental health, with a focus on mental health and substance use disorders.
She regularly writes on attorney mental health and well-being for the DC Bar, and has presented a wide variety of trainings and educational seminars to folks in both the public and private sectors, while working in the D.C. Bar LAP and for two national employee assistance program (EAP) providers.
Gretchen Pisano
Gretchen Pisano is passionate about fundamentally changing the way people work and lead. Her warmth, generosity, and expertise help clients transform themselves and their businesses. In addition to her role as CEO and co-founder of pLink Leadership®, Gretchen keeps her “ear to the ground,” maintaining a small practice of individual c-suite coaching clients and delivering select pLink Leadership programs around the world.
As a trusted executive coach and consultant, positivity catalyzer, brainy synthesizer, and systems architect, she transcends traditional executive development to inspire, guide, and drive the adaptation of leaders and business in their changing environments. Her clients report shifts in awareness (of self, others, and environment), increased confidence in their character, and bolstered competency, all the while improving team and organizational strength and achieving better business outcomes.
With over 25 years of experience in business and strategic development, Gretchen has worked with senior teams across economic sectors and around the globe, including finance, technology, consumer packaged goods, military, and social benefit organizations, to improve their effectiveness as leaders and to scale impact, revenue, potential, and engagement.
Today, Gretchen combines her business acumen with her education in behavioral science and positive psychology to serve as the foundation for pLink Leadership. To shape her perspective, she is intentional about working with individuals as well as teams, and with small startups as well as multinational global giants, all of whom are wrestling with the challenges of doing business globally, managing complexity, and keeping leaders aligned. She’s a principal contributor to the signature, best-in-business approaches developed at pLink for the next generation of leadership challenges.
Gretchen holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania (MAPP) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation, a certified practitioner of the Leadership Circle System of leadership development, and a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator.
Gretchen is the mother of three (one grown and twins still in the nest) and makes her home with her husband, Michael, in Maryland. The former wrangler turned leadership consultant and executive coach likes to spend time with her goldendoodles, Hoover and Charlotte, in the garden, woods, or water.
