In an industry built on precision, pressure, and perfectionism, conversations about mental health often feel like forbidden territory. Yet on a recent episode of Mind Matters, Breaking the Silence in Legal Spaces, hosts Mike Quartararo and Jeff Hirvela welcomed two guests who are challenging that silence in a bold and transformative way.
Alicia Hawley, a seasoned litigator, and Adam Wehler, an industry veteran in legal technology, joined the show to share their deeply personal journeys with anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness, and suicidal ideation. More importantly, they introduced Sustained, a new mentalhealthfocused wellness summit designed specifically for professionals across industries.
What unfolds in this conversation is a powerful testament to the strength of vulnerability, the danger of isolation, and the profound impact of community.
A Summer of “Lifey” Moments
Hirvela opens the conversation with an honesty that sets the tone for the entire episode. “It has been a lifey summer,” he confesses. Between work, parenting, and the pressures of day-to-day life, he woke up feeling overwhelmed. Yet he reframed his stress with a mantra that helps him stay grounded: “I get to do this,” and he is filled with gratitude,” he says.
Quartararo, dealing with lingering health challenges and the recent death of his wife of 37 years, echoes the sentiment. Even amidst stress, the work they’re doing with Mind Matters feels purposeful. And with that, the conversation turns to the guests.
Two Journeys, One Mission
Despite coming from different corners of the legal world, Alicia and Adam share a common thread: both struggled silently for years before finding community and each other.
Alicia has spent nearly 25 years in big law, but her struggles began long before her legal career. As a child, she experienced anxiety and depression. Later, as a young attorney, alcohol became a coping mechanism.
She knew from the moment she began drinking that her relationship with alcohol was different. “There was never a moment that I didn’t know I was an alcoholic,” she says. Despite her self awareness and the desire for help, it would take 13 years before she found sobriety. Shame, stigma, and fear kept her trapped.
What ultimately drove her to begin speaking publicly about her experience was the pervasive sense of isolation she felt while struggling. “I want people to know they are not alone,” she explains. That sense of connection (of making someone else feel seen) is what fuels her commitment to mental health advocacy.
Adam’s story begins at Penn State, freshman year, in a stadium packed with 100,000 fans. Despite the noise and excitement, he felt alone. A high achieving student who excelled in sports, he had tied his identity to success and performance. When he hit an academic wall and began struggling in his major, everything began to unravel.
He pushed people away. Grades slipped. Loneliness deepened. Suicidal thoughts surfaced.
His turning point came when he stumbled into an unexpected community: a group focused on international policy, far removed from his astrophysics program. They understood him. They listened. They encouraged him to seek help, and that support became lifesaving.
A Chance Meeting, A Shared Purpose
It would be years before Alicia and Adam crossed paths, at a Chris Stapleton concert, of all places. They’d been introduced virtually beforehand, but it wasn’t until they found themselves sitting sidebyside at the show that they realized how aligned their passions were.
From that conversation, the seed for Sustained was planted.
Introducing Sustained: A Wellness Summit for Every Professional
Sustained is more than a conference; it’s a movement. The inaugural event was held in Chicago in late 2025, with plans to expand to four more cities.
But what makes Sustained different?
For Alicia and Adam, the goal is simple: people should walk away saying, “That was a great f*ing day.” Not just informative, genuinely uplifting.
Unlike traditional conferences where speakers talk at attendees, Sustained is structured around conversation, authenticity, and lived experience. Expect TEDstyle talks, roundtables, guided discussions, and even some unexpected fun throughout the day.
Topics will span far beyond the typical wellness buzzwords. Bullying. Sexual harassment. Crisis support. Workplace culture. Emotional resilience. Addiction. Loneliness. Trauma.
If it affects mental health, it’s on the table.
And importantly, Sustained isn’t just for lawyers. “This is for any and everyone,” Alicia emphasizes. Teachers, marketers, police officers, doctors, technologists, any professional seeking community and wellbeing is welcome.
Tools, Resources, and the Courage to Ask for Help
As the conversation shifts to actionable resources, Alicia highlights an important point: anonymous support programs, especially those provided through workplaces or legal assistance organizations, are truly confidential. Fear of repercussions keeps many professionals from reaching out, even when they’re drowning. Trusting those systems, she says, can be lifechanging.
Adam champions what he called mental health first aid, a free certification program offered in many states. Think of it as CPR for emotional crises—simple tools anyone can learn to better support people in distress. Not to diagnose. Not to treat. But to connect someone with the help they need.
Hirvela adds his own pillars of support: therapy, physical movement, ultrarunning, and the 12step community. Asking for help, he notes, was the hardest and most crucial step in his own recovery.
Alicia closes the segment with a powerful, practical tool borrowed from Brené Brown. When you sense someone is struggling, ask: “What does support from me look like for you?”
It’s gentle. It’s nonintrusive. It’s an open door.
Service as a Pathway to Joy
One theme repeatedly surfaces throughout the interview: service. Helping others is not only healing; it is transformative.
“The surest way to feel joy is to be in service of others,” Alicia recalls a friend telling her. The idea resonates with both her and Adam, who see Sustained as a community driven space built on compassion, not perfection.
Hirvela connects this idea to recovery: you keep your sobriety by giving it away. When you help someone else, you strengthen yourself.
And in many ways, that is the beating heart of Sustained.
A Collective Step Forward
As the episode wraps, Quartararo offers a simple message that lingers long after the conversation ends: “Let’s keep showing up for each other.”
It’s a reminder that mental health isn’t a solo journey, not in the legal industry, not in any profession, not in life. Through openness, community, and shared humanity, we can rewrite the culture of silence that has kept so many people suffering alone.
About Mind Matters
Co-produced by ACEDS and MCG, Mind Matters is a monthly livestream series that brings legal professionals together for open, honest conversations about mental health, well-being, and the real stories behind the résumés.
Want to catch every episode? Subscribe to ACEDS on LinkedIn or YouTube for notifications about upcoming livestreams and save the playlist to watch the full series anytime.
