CBA Immigration Law Section Lunch & Learn
Elevating Well-Being: Practical Tools for Health and Wellness in Immigration Law
January 28th, 2026 | 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Eastern
Online (Zoom)
The legal profession is demanding, fast-paced, and often shaped by habits that prioritize performance over personal well-being. This 90-minute continuing professional development seminar is designed specifically for Immigration lawyers who want practical, realistic strategies to support their mental, emotional, and professional health.
This program explores how longstanding norms and expectation in legal practice such as chronic overwork, perfectionism, isolation, and stigma around asking for help can contribute to stress and burnout. Participants will learn how to identify these patterns, understand their impact, and take concrete steps to implementing healthier ways of working and supporting one another.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to care for their own mental health, how to support peers in distress, and how small, intentional changes can meaningfully improve well-being across the profession.
The program will open with a panel discussion featuring Barbara Brown and Jonathan Varkul (bios below), followed by an opportunity to participate in smaller break out sessions where we will brainstorm and share wellness strategies and tips for managing our own wellbeing and for creating healthier spaces for our teams and colleagues.
This event will only be presented in English.
Moderators
Gabriela Ramo and Cathryn Sawicki | Co-Chairs of the CBA Immigration Law Mental Health Committee
Speakers
Barbara Brown, RP, MTS | Redbird Therapy Centre
Barbara Brown is the Founder & Clinical Director of Redbird Therapy Centre, a trauma treatment and psychotherapy clinic in Toronto, ON. She is also Co-Founder of Kutana Wema, an international, trauma-focused, educational program hosted annually in Kenya.
She is a highly esteemed Registered Psychotherapist with 37 years experience working with marginalized communities for empowerment and social change.
Through Redbird, Barbara has built clinical partnerships with multiple organizations, including a native women's centre and a queer refugee program to provide accessible and pro bono services. She has also been Academic Staff at Seneca College and a University of Toronto affiliated college.
Barbara is the author of My Breasts, My Choice: Journeys Through Surgery, a photographic & narrative exhibit and book published by Sumach Press, which enjoyed a coast to coast Canadian tour. She is an extensively published writer, including documentary and personal narrative writing for CBC Radio, and has curated multiple community art shows.
Jonathan Varkul | Executive Coach & Facilitator
Drawing on his experience as a business leader and over 25 years of mindfulness practice, Jonathan brings a unique fusion of contemplative insight and practical understanding to help clients navigate the complexities of leadership challenges.
A qualified chartered accountant, Jonathan’s career has spanned roles as a technology consultant, corporate executive, and Leadership coach, giving him a deep understanding of strategy formulation, innovation in the face of uncertainty, and high-performance team leadership.
In 2009, he transitioned from his role at OPENLANE, a technology company he co-built, to explore how the deeper dimensions of life could contribute to solving intricate business problems.
This inquiry led to the creation of his coaching practice—a place where the boardroom meets the meditation cushion.
Through this work, he helps leaders break free from unconscious tendencies to overcomplicate or oversimplify their approach to challenges, enabling them to face difficulties with clarity, grace, and effectiveness.
His approach focuses on exploring challenges without the urgent drive to "solve" them, fostering a more engaged, thoughtful leadership style. This has delivered transformative results for leaders across 70+ organizations and over a dozen industries, opening new pathways to success amid pressure and complexity.
Jonathan is passionate about helping leaders unlock the possibilities hidden in their obstacles and find their way with calm, determined resolve.
