National Public Defense Virtual Conference 2021

Working in the criminal legal field, we often see people on their worst days. The stress, anxiety, worry, and frustration over their legal case and underlying life circumstances pours out and often onto us. These chance meetings with clients can be challenging at best, sometimes effecting how we interact with and engage clients seeking assistance. The goal of this presentation is to understand the psychology and physiology of what happened to our clients prior to their criminal legal involvement, effecting their reactivity, impulsivity, and anxiety. We will then learn how to use client-centered therapy techniques of unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding, and perspective-taking to engage distressed clients with care and without judgment while minimizing our reactions during challenging interactions.