Judges, Magistrates, Scrutiny and Mental Health with Lawyer and Psychologist Carly Schrever

Have you imagined what it's like to be a judge presiding over a court? To maintain calm in the court room, absorb and synthesise complex information, listen to sometimes deeply difficult stories and make decisions that affect the lives of others- and at times our society - in critical ways?
These are just some of the tasks facing our judicial officers - our judges and magistrates. They are tasks that can have a significant impact on their stress and well being.
My guest for this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast is Carly Schrever. Carly is the Judicial Wellbeing Advisor for the Judicial College of Victoria, a current PhD Candidate and researcher at the University of Melbourne, a lawyer, a psychologist and mum to three year old twin boys. She's a busy woman.
Carly had worked with the Courts for sometime as a Judicial Educator when she commenced her Masters of Clinical Psychology. She had a conversation with the then Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria - Michael Rozenes - who had identified the need for robust research into judicial stress and wellbeing. He encouraged Carly to take up the challenge and this became her PhD project, which then led to her Judicial Wellbeing Advisor role and the opportunity to work with judges in Victoria, around Australia, and overseas. Carly is passionate about facilitating meaningful and enriching conversations with our judges and magistrates about judicial stress and ways in which we can work towards possible interventions and solutions.
In this insightful conversation Carly and I explore:The Court system in Australia - all the things you didn't know about how it works.
The finding's of Carly's research. How stressed are our judiciary? And why?
Why the mental health and well being of our judges and magistrates is important to our community
Keeping a lid on your emotions at work - the task and the impact.
Secondary Traumatic Stress. What is it and how does it affect judicial officers, lawyers and other professionals?
Work-related satisfaction and how a sense of meaning in our work buffers us against stress and burnout.

A word of cautionCarly and I touch on content in this episode that some listeners may find distressing. If traumatic content is difficult for you right now, perhaps sit this one out.
For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter