Lawyer training is lacking in the development of emotional and social intelligence, which instead the holistic lawyer knows how to use to resolve legal cases, aiming for personal improvement in the client’s life. Holistic legal counselling involves the integration of body, soul and mind in the resolution of legal disputes. The client as a person is placed in the foreground.
The deficits in a lawyer’s training
Legal counselling is based on a lawyer’s training approach, which reduces the person to his or her rational capacities, whereas a holistic lawyer has expanded his or her intuitive and personal knowledge through introspective practices. To better understand the difference, I share my personal story:
The sacrifices of days, months and years to become a successful lawyer are truly countless. I remember all too well all those hours sacrificed in front of a desk studying, while a voice in me said enough I don’t want to be here reading books any more! My skilful mind was good at suppressing that voice, which even during the first years of my career as a lawyer I no longer even heard. However, I do remember one morning, on my way to my office on Löwenstrasse in Zurich and coming out of the station I asked myself: is this all there is to life?
The background of the suppression of emotions
Already during the study of law, the preparation for bar examinations as well as in the early stages of a legal career, the lawyer is nevertheless forced to suppress emotions and desires in order to reach the goal of the title of lawyer, which the mind has set for itself. Without wishing to generalise, but as a rule this path leads to deficiencies in emotional and social intelligence, as lawyer training does not include the development of these intelligences. The lawyer in training and then during his career is left to the barrage of experiences in his private and working life, with clashes with work colleagues and finally with clients. This, however, is not professional training!
So much so that lawyers show off their rational skills in court, in mediations, during attempts at conciliation, as well as in out-of-court settlements and stipulations of agreements and contracts. This work is based on the rational capacities of the lawyer’s brain, which has been formed by studying law and then specialising in certain subjects. Of course, his experience over the years with different types of clients and cases also contribute to how a lawyer sees himself, his work and the legal case. If you know lawyers privately, you most likely know how they compensate for not being able to live their life to the full. There are darker parts of the lawyer’s personality, which can lead, for example, to excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse.
How I became a holistic lawyer
It was one of my clients who told me that I needed more serenity, and eventually I decided to start on a path of introspection and personality development, which has led me, through the attainment of eclectic training, to become a holistic lawyer. What does that mean? That I allow myself to officially use my other intelligences to help a client solve a problem in his or her life.
Inheritance law and property matters
Holistic legal counselling brings attention to the client’s needs on an emotional and corporal level. This counselling applies to certain cases such as inheritance, purchase of real estate and negotiations as the client has a legal problem, which in truth is related to other issues in his or her life. As a lawyer, I resolve cases using the methods laid down in the articles of law. Of course, a good lawyer is also a good psychologist because he is able to persuade his client and counterparty to find a solution that makes economic and practical sense. With the holistic method, on the other hand, I enable the client to recognise what his or her true needs are on a cognitive and bodily level and find other solutions outside those prescribed by law.
Who is the holistic method suitable for?
This method is especially suitable for women, who have a spiritual streak, succumbing to patriarchy, but also for men, who feel the call of their soul, which leads them to explore innovative ways on a human level for their success on a private and professional level.
What are the limits of holistic legal counselling?
If a client of mine chooses to follow a holistic path to solve his legal problems, I limit myself to out-of-court activities up to the conciliation attempt. If the case requires a court procedure, I remain as a holistic legal counsellor together with the lawyer conducting the procedure.
Avv. Dipl.-Jur. Dominique Calcò Labbruzzo
Call me for your counseling 00 41 78 876 82 43