A farewell message from U of T Law’s Wellness Coordinator
Yukimi Henry joined U of T Law in 2016, where she served as the school’s Manager, Academic/Personal and Wellness Coordinator until the last academic year. In this role, Henry provided invaluable support to law students. Whether we needed a shoulder to cry on, guidance navigating U of T’s complicated accommodations bureaucracy, or someone to help us realize our value, Henry was always willing to help.
Unfortunately for the law school, she is leaving to lead George Brown College’s counselling program. While we are excited for Henry, she has been an integral part of the law school and we already feel her absence.
Before joining the law school as a staff member, Henry attended U of T Law and graduated with a joint L.L.B. and M.S.W. After articling and practicing as a criminal defence lawyer, Henry shifted her focus towards social work: helping combat homelessness, aiding at-risk youth, and working on forensic mental health. Prior to her return to U of T Law, Henry also began running her own psychotherapy and consulting practice.
Ultra Vires had a chat with Henry after she left the law school and asked if she had any parting advice to students at the faculty. Here’s what she had to say:
“First, I want to thank the entire student body for the opportunity to be a part of your experience at U of T Law. I am profoundly grateful for the level of openness you have demonstrated in initiating, joining, fostering, and encouraging the evolving dialogue about mental health and well-being within legal education, the profession, and our broader community as a whole. I am also deeply grateful for the trust that so many of you have demonstrated in allowing me to be a part of your own personal processes of growth. I have such confidence in your capacity to create constructive, lasting change in the way that mental health is viewed in the legal profession and to create a different norm for supporting one another as colleagues.
I would very much like to leave the law school by sharing some pithy and cleverly worded insight or words of advice for you as students. However, the truth is that I generally mistrust inspirational quotes because I think that life is too complex to be captured by them, and I am simply not that clever or pithy. Another truth is that you all know better than I do anyway about what would make your lives, and those with whom you work with and care about, as satisfying and meaningful as it can be. Based on my experiences with you, I firmly believe that with a bit more self-compassion and more confidence in your internal markers of value and success you will be the lawyers that make the profession and our community a better place for us all.”
Dana O’Shea (3L) is a leader in the mental health community at the law school and spoke to Ultra Vires about how Henry’s time at the law school affected her. In her time at the faculty, Dana has seen the mental health culture change greatly, which she believes was largely due to Henry and her work. Henry not only acted as support, but encouraged support amongst peers.
Dana notes, “Law school can, at times, feel very isolating; having someone at the law school who encouraged vulnerability, empathy, and mentorship around mental health made a difference for so many students — myself included.”
As the law school community waits for a new counsellor, students should know that there are resources available should they need support. Within the law school, 1Ls can rely on the Peer Mentorship Program for confidential support from upper years. All law students can access the Peer Mental Health Support Program which is meant to establish safety nets and strategies for mentees to rely on.
The U of T Health & Wellness Centre offers psychotherapy, group counselling, and other services and it can be booked online. There are also crisis hotlines from the broader community available 24/7. Should you find yourself in need of support, a full list of resources is available on the U of T Law website under the heading ‘Student Life & Services – Health and Wellness’.
