Therapy for Lawyers
in Washington D.C.
Virtual therapy for attorneys in D.C. — from a former lawyer who understands the culture, the stakes, and what it takes to keep performing when you're running on empty.
Schedule a Consultation Meet Yael
You don't have to explain why you can't just leave
I'm Yael Eiserike, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and former attorney. Before becoming a therapist, I passed the California Bar and practiced employment defense litigation. That experience is the reason D.C. lawyers find working with me different — you don't have to translate firm culture, explain what billable pressure actually feels like, or defend why quitting isn't a simple answer.
I work with attorneys across Washington D.C. and Virginia via telehealth — government lawyers, BigLaw associates, policy counsel, public interest attorneys, and lawyers in every corner of the D.C. legal world. The work is practical, direct, and built around your actual schedule and life.
You need a D.C. or Virginia address to work with me. All sessions are conducted via secure video. I offer early morning and evening availability for attorneys with demanding schedules.
Schedule a ConsultationD.C. law has its own particular pressure
Washington D.C. is unlike any other legal market in the country. The proximity to power, the policy stakes, the interplay between government work and private practice, the culture of people who came here to matter — it creates a specific kind of professional pressure that doesn't map neatly onto generic career advice.
Government attorneys navigate political cycles, resource constraints, and the particular exhaustion of caring deeply about public work while watching that work get complicated by forces outside their control. BigLaw attorneys in D.C. face the same pressure as their counterparts in New York and Los Angeles with the added layer of constant proximity to national stakes. Policy lawyers and in-house counsel carry a version of everything being urgent all the time.
Whatever corner of the D.C. legal world you're in, the work we do in therapy is grounded in the reality of your environment — not a generic framework that assumes you can simply set limits or step back when it gets to be too much.
What brings D.C. attorneys to therapy
Most of the lawyers I work with aren't in crisis when they reach out. They're managing well by every external measure and privately noticing that something isn't quite right. The ambition is still there. The capability is still there. But the cost keeps going up.
Burnout
Still meeting every expectation. Still showing up. But the energy that used to come naturally now requires significant effort and the margin keeps shrinking.
Anxiety
The high-stakes environment of D.C. legal work can keep a nervous system perpetually activated. Anxiety that looks like thoroughness from the outside but feels relentless from the inside.
Career Transitions
Moving between government and private practice, considering leaving law, navigating political transitions, figuring out what the next chapter actually looks like.
Identity & Meaning
Lawyers who came to D.C. to do work that mattered and are now quietly wondering whether they still believe that — or whether they've lost themselves in the process of getting here.
Perfectionism
In a city where the margin for error feels impossibly small, perfectionism often becomes the default operating mode. It works until the cost becomes unsustainable.
Insomnia
A brain that won't stop running cases, policy implications, and tomorrow's hearings at 2am. Yael is certified in CBT-I, the evidence-based treatment for insomnia.
What therapy with me actually looks like
My primary approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — structured, evidence-based, and focused on the connection between how you think, what you do, and how you feel. For lawyers, this tends to work well. It's logical, it's systematic, and it produces results you can track.
Sessions are direct. I don't believe in sitting back and reflecting indefinitely. I ask questions, challenge patterns that aren't working, offer perspective you might not be getting anywhere else, and help you build strategies for what happens between sessions. The goal is that you leave each appointment with something concrete.
I'm also certified in CBT-I for insomnia, Trauma-Focused CBT, and Seeking Safety. If sleep, past experiences, or substance use are part of what's happening, those are things we can address directly rather than working around them.
Sessions are 50 minutes, conducted via secure video. I offer early morning and evening slots for attorneys who cannot make midday appointments work.
Therapy for attorneys at every stage
The legal career in D.C. has its own distinct arc — the young attorney who came here with a specific vision, the mid-career lawyer navigating government versus private decisions, the senior attorney who has achieved what they came for and is now asking harder questions. I work with lawyers across all of these stages.
Pre-Law & Law Students
Many D.C.-bound law students are already carrying the weight of where they're headed. Therapy is a place to figure out what you actually want before the momentum takes over.
Early Career Attorneys
The first years in D.C. law are intense in a particular way. Managing performance anxiety, perfectionism, and the gap between the career you imagined and the one you're in.
Senior & Partner Track
The higher the stakes, the less room there seems to be for honest conversation. Therapy is often the only space where D.C. lawyers at this level can think without performing.
Frequently asked questions
Are you licensed to practice in Washington D.C.?
Yes. I hold a D.C. LICSW license (LC#200001661) and am also licensed in Virginia (LCSW #0904019801) and California (LCSW #75053).
Can I work with you if I'm in Virginia?
Yes. I am licensed in Virginia and work with attorneys in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and throughout the state via telehealth.
Do you work with government lawyers?
Yes. I work with attorneys across the D.C. legal landscape — government counsel, agency lawyers, BigLaw associates, in-house counsel, policy attorneys, and public interest lawyers. The challenges are different depending on where you practice and the work reflects that.
Do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider. Many clients use out-of-network benefits for partial reimbursement. I can provide a superbill. Reach out directly for current fee information.
What does a first consultation look like?
It's a straightforward conversation — no pressure, no commitment. We talk about what's going on, what you're looking for, and whether working together makes sense. Most people leave with more clarity than they came in with regardless of what they decide.
Is everything confidential?
Yes, with the standard legal exceptions that apply to all licensed therapists. Nothing about your work, your cases, or your career goes anywhere.
Do you also work with lawyers in California?
Yes. I am licensed in California and work with attorneys across the state. Visit the California page for more information.
Ready to talk? No pressure.
A consultation is a direct conversation to see if this is the right fit. You don't need to have it figured out before you reach out.
Schedule a Consultation