Dr. Tracey Meyers, Psy.D. joined the LCL MA team as our new staff clinician on August 31, 2020. To introduce her, we have a quick Q & A to share along with her bio.
Dr. Tracey Meyers joined LCL in August of 2020 following her work for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services where she spent over 15 years working as a clinical neuropsychologist and most recently as the director of behavioral intervention services for inpatient services. Prior to that, Tracey worked in inpatient and outpatient programs for traumatic brain injury and stroke rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Connecticut and Easter Seals Greater Hartford Rehabilitation Center. In addition to her neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy experience, Tracey has a strong commitment to integrative medicine for mental health and wellness and leads mindfulness and yoga programs for groups, individuals, and professionals in the work place.
Tracey graduated from Skidmore College in 1992 and completed her doctorate in clinical psychology from Florida Tech in 1997. She completed her internship and post-doctoral training in neuropsychology at the Miami VA and University of Miami. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Neuropsychology, the International Neuropsychological Society, and the National Register of Healthcare Providers in Psychology. Tracey is a licensed clinical psychologist in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. In addition, she is an advanced yoga teacher, certified C-IAYT yoga therapist, MBSR, Breath-Body-Mind, and iRest teacher.
Tracey has authored several publications including articles and book chapters around integrative medicine, positive behavioral support treatment for different mental health conditions, and developing collaborative relationships in healthcare settings. Tracey is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University Department of Psychiatry, adjunct faculty member at University of Hartford Graduate School of Professional Psychology in Hartford, CT and Maryland University of Integrative Health Master’s of Science Yoga Therapy program in Laurel, Maryland.
Introductory Interview
Question 1: Among all the places you’ve lived and traveled, what is one place you’d wish to return to most frequently?
I had always had a longing to see the Himalayan mountains. I finally went to Nepal in 2018 and fell in love with the country including the bustling city of Kathmandu and the trekking along the Annapurna circuit with its breathtaking landscapes that were around every corner. During the morning of our first day of trekking, I woke up and was quietly drinking coffee outside as the sun came up. As the sky lightened, the mountains revealed themselves and I had never seen something so awe-inspiring in my life. I would love to go back and hike to Everest base camp someday.
Question 2: What is your favorite season or time of year?
I love summer in New England with its warm days and cool nights. I live in the country in Northern Connecticut and we have wonderful shady trees that make even the warmest of days feel tolerable. After our long cold winters, summer feels like such a wonderful reprieve that brings me ease and relaxation. My three children love going to the beach and we make sure to visit the coast line in New England every year.
Question 3: What is your favorite way to relax and reenergize?
One of my favorite way to relax is to watch sunrises and sunsets. It is such a quiet and meditative time of day and I find that pausing and taking time to imagine the possibilities of a new day or reflecting on what happened during the day is a way to connect back to myself. In terms of reenergizing, I love to run. I started running in my early 40’s as a casual activity with my friends. Over time, I have grown to love longer distance running and have done 5 marathons over the past 5 years. I was injured last year and I am beginning again with short runs and am grateful for every step I can run now without pain! My two older children have become runners as well and it is so much fun to have family runs together.
Question 4: As a yoga and mindfulness teacher, what are your favorite practices that you use to stay calm and centered?
In terms of yoga and meditation, I love to practice a form of yoga called yin yoga. Yin yoga is a quiet, meditative practice that involves holding simple poses for up to 5 minutes. The benefits of this type of practice for me including flexibility, more fluidity in my daily movements, and feeling more connected to my body. I try to use each pose as a “mini-meditation” opportunity as well, using mindfulness practices such as mindfulness of the breath while in the pose.
Question 5: What are you looking forward to most about joining LCL MA?
I am thrilled to be part of the fantastic team at LCL who have such a wealth of knowledge and experience in serving the legal community in Massachusetts. LCL helps lawyers in holistic way, addressing both personal and professional development.
I am excited to work with the diverse legal community in Massachusetts and support the well-being of individuals and groups. I love doing presentations and trainings on mental health and wellness and look forward to meeting lawyers across the state.
Question 6: From your years of experience working with different clinical modalities across diverse populations, what is the best piece of advice — personal, professional, or both — you can think of on how to thrive amid the challenges in the legal profession?
The best piece of advice in terms of thriving amid the challenges in the legal profession is finding balance in work, home-life, health, and self-care. Many clients I have worked over the years find that being out of balance is responsible for creating or exacerbating stress. Whether it is working long hours, trying to juggle family responsibilities, or health issues, when we feel out of balance, we usually don’t have enough resources to manage daily stress. When we can develop balance in more areas of our daily life, we find greater ease and happiness. This requires honest evaluation of what is working and not working in our lives at the present moment, a willingness to modify and change what is not working, and flexibility to consider new options. We often need the support of friends, family, and sometimes a mental health professional or coach to guide us through this re-balancing.
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Related Updates:
LCL | Mass LOMAP Welcomes Laura Keeler as New Law Practice Advisor (June 8, 2020, Mass LOMAP Blog)
