Conference Information
Counselor at Law, Not Counselor at All: Boundaries and Collaboration with Mental-Health Providers
Friday, March 27, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | In-Person only | Cost is $150
Location: 1 South Park Circle (South Park Plaza), Charleston, SC 29407, Bldg 1, Conference Room JB101
Presented by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences' Office of Continuing Education
Dr. Nicole Sussman, MD, and Dr. Anna Feinman, PhD, co-chairs of MUSC Youth & Family Forensic Program, along with Alexia Pittas, owner of Lawyer Rescue, will discuss how high-conflict cases often involve clients in emotional or psychological crisis. This CLE explores how lawyers can ethically counsel distressed clients, recognize when mental-health intervention is needed, and collaborate effectively with clinicians—without crossing professional boundaries or jeopardizing the case.
The presentation will focus on:
- Clients in family law, probate, criminal matters, and high-stress civil cases frequently present with acute distress that distorts legal decision-making.
- Lawyers are pulled toward emotional caregiving roles they are not trained or licensed to handle.
- Clinicians can support the client, but only if the lawyer knows when and how to involve them, what records matter, and how to communicate without blurring roles or contaminating the therapeutic process including when and which evaluations are indicated
- Ethical boundaries keep the client safe, keep the lawyer out of trouble, and keep the case moving.
