Sammy Catone, a former litigator and current professional coach in Buffalo, spoke at a New York State Bar Association seminar on May 19 about recognizing the causes of burnout and strategies for recovery. Catone described her personal experience with severe burnout after eight years practicing law, which led to significant health issues.
The topic is relevant as legal professionals often face high levels of stress that can impact their well-being and effectiveness. The program was part of the association’s Attorney Well-Being Program and received support from the New York Bar Foundation.
“I struggled with my mental and physical health for the duration of my career. I had persistent gut issues and anxiety and depression,” said Catone. “And I became obsessed with personal growth. My second job, outside of practicing, was improving and bettering myself, and learning the wellness hacks, and building better habits.”
Catone explained that her recovery involved studying neuroscience to change thought patterns through neuroplasticity. “This work is really about the reprogramming, not just rehashing things from the past,” said Catone. “I am not a licensed therapist or a certified mental health professional. I want to make that very clear to everybody. That is not my credentials. This is about identifying the things that are keeping you stuck and rewiring the brain.” She emphasized that negative beliefs can create self-fulfilling cycles but can be changed by consciously adopting new beliefs such as “rest is productive” or “saying no protects my energy.” When she applied these practices, she experienced her most financially successful year as an attorney despite working less.
Catone also discussed forgiveness as part of recovery: “When we can’t forgive other people, we’re implicitly telling ourselves that we can do something that is unforgivable, and that affects our own self-worth,” said Catone. “And holding on to resentment, or guilt – the research shows how much of a negative impact that has on our health. So it’s really important to let that go, whatever that is for you.”
She noted positive changes in her relationships after focusing on self-care: “It completely transformed my relationships with my spouse and my family members. I had much more richer and more meaningful relationships,” said Catone.
The New York State Bar Association supports cultural well-being initiatives promoting equal access to justice for its members across all 50 states and over 100 countries worldwide; it uses its Albany-based Bar Center for operations according to its official website.
