Prisoners of liberation: A psychoanalytic perspective on disenchantment and burnout among career women lawyers

Using a psychoanalytic perspective, this article addresses the roots and treatment of disillusionment and incipient burnout in female corporate lawyers. It suggests that one of the primary issues that needs to be addressed in therapy with this group is the tendency to be self-punishing. a characteristic that of ten may be traced back to insensitive parenting. This formulation. combined with the penchant of law firms to regard as "good and expected" the inclination of their workers (especially women) to work without respite and with little regard for their own needs. places individuals at high risk for burnout. A case example is used to illustrate this phenomenon. It is concluded that whereas psychoanalytic treatment greatly may help overstressed professionals, society at large must address the values that foster the attitude of high career achievement at any cost. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.