Naomi Pearce on why lawyers and counsellors should work together

The TFA Legal founder goes into detail about a groundbreaking case for her

Naomi Pearce on why lawyers and counsellors should work together
Naomi Pearce

For Naomi Pearce, lawyers and counsellors make a good team. The psychological professional had watched many of her traumatised clients struggle with the legal system, and it was with that in mind that she established TFA Legal with the goal of prioritising the wellbeing of people embroiled in the system.

In the first part of this interview, Pearce talks a particularly memorable case for TFA Legal and the crucial lesson she learned from that case.

What led you to work in the legal sector?

As a psychological professional, many of my clients who suffered severely from trauma were going through litigation in the family court. It appeared time and time again that the system itself was exceptionally traumatic, and despite the best psychological assistance, I felt it would work better if the lawyers and the counsellors could work together with the same person; one to advocate and the other to heal and assist to manage further trauma from the system.

I also felt that by having psychological professionals on a legal team, the outcomes may be better. By working together, orders could be crafted more realistically and safely to ensure that in the event of violence between parties, one cannot maintain control over another.

What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so? Or what’s the biggest lesson you learned in your career?

My proudest accomplishment in recent years was witnessing a profoundly transformative moment for a client in 2021. A mother, who had lost custody of her three children six years earlier following a breakdown, was finally able to recover custody of her two youngest children as a result of our help at TFA Legal. Tragically, her eldest was over 18 and beyond the court’s jurisdiction, but the two younger children had endured years of living with a terrifying perpetrator who subjected them to relentless fear – until one of them managed to escape and seek refuge with their mother.

This case was groundbreaking for us, as it was the first time we integrated a psychological professional into the legal team during a hearing. Conducted remotely due to COVID-19, this approach proved invaluable. It allowed all legal parties to fully grasp the dangers of any orders that would tether the mother to her abusive ex-husband and provided the support she needed to advocate for her children despite her own trauma. Today, those children are slowly rebuilding their lives in a safer, healthier environment with their mother.

Through this experience, I’ve also learned a vital lesson: solicitors and barristers need greater understanding and compassion from the bench. Many are hesitant to fully advocate for their clients, fearing backlash from magistrates who may lack a comprehensive understanding of family violence. It’s a reminder of how crucial empathy and education are in creating a fairer and more effective legal system.

What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?

We are excited to expand our integrated psychology and law services into new states, with a particular focus on addressing youth crime in Queensland. Our goal is to reduce recidivism by providing comprehensive support to young offenders.

Recent data highlights the pressing need for effective interventions in Queensland. The Queensland Audit Office reported a 64% increase in the average daily number of serious repeat youth offenders, rising from 278 in 2018–19 to 457 in 2022–23. These individuals accounted for 55% of all youth crime in the state during the 2022–23 period.

Additionally, the Productivity Commission found that 56.8% of juvenile offenders aged 10 to 16 in Queensland returned to court within a year of release from supervision in 2019–2020, the highest youth recidivism rate in Australia.

By combining psychological expertise with legal advocacy, we aim to address the underlying behavioural issues contributing to youth offending. Our approach is designed to provide young individuals with the tools and support necessary to break the cycle of reoffending, ultimately contributing to a safer community.