Are you facing a formal complaint filed with your licensing board? If so, you know allegations of misconduct against a licensed professional are serious. When your professional license is in jeopardy due to allegations of misconduct, your career is at stake.
The threat of losing your license and livelihood can derail even the most stoic and organized among us.
Coping With the Threat of Losing Your Professional License
Feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, or generally feeling a loss of a sense of control is normal. Whatever you are feeling is normal. At this stage it is critical to properly address the complaint, consult a professional license defense attorney, and practice self-care. Healthy behaviors build a foundation from which you can respond proactively to the challenges to come.
As you move forward in the complaint and investigation process, we urge you to be proactive in coming with the threat of losing your professional license. The more proactive you are in addressing your needs, the better off you will be throughout the process.
Honor your feelings.
Your feelings are what they are – even when they are unpleasant or conflict with one another. Make room for them.
Shutting down your emotions or telling yourself “I can’t feel this way right now” or “I’m not going to get angry or sad,” may seem to work in the short term, but in the long term it is doing a disservice to yourself and your overall ability to cope with the thread against your license.
Instead, make space for your feelings by expressing them. Talk about your feelings to a professional or to a trusted friend. Write about your feelings in a journey. Express your feelings through other outlets, such as a hobby or artistic endeavor you enjoy.
Learning how to properly address your feelings can help you work through them faster than ignoring them, bottling them up, or pushing them away.
Practice healthy habits.
When facing allegations of malfeasance, sticking to your usual healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise routine might feel difficult or impossible. But now is the time to stay (or get) committed to your health. A healthy body helps sustain a healthy mind.
Getting through a stressful situation like a license challenge is a marathon, not a sprint. It is important to keep fueling and resting your body and brain at intervals so you can survive the long haul.
Ponder the long perspective.
You’re going to get through this.
When stress builds up, our problems may start to feel insurmountable. But you’re going to get through this.
When you start to feel overwhelmed or like the situation is catastrophic, visualize yourself in ten years. Your licensing issue is long behind you. Regardless of the outcome, consider all of the most important parts of your life that are still present. This visualization exercise is meant to help give you perspective without belittling it or yourself.
Trust yourself.
Above all, trust yourself. You know how to take care of yourself. You know how to practice self-care. Trust that you have the resilience to get through this―because you do.
Hire the Experienced License Defense Attorneys of BERTOLINO LLP
Our law firm helps professionals, like you, keep their licenses when those licenses are under attack by a state agency or board.
If you have been notified of a complaint filed against you with a licensing board, agency, or commission in Texas, BERTOLINO LLP can help. We are experienced license defense attorneys and we know how to navigate the complaint process against any professional, medical, or vocational license. We are prepared to represent you at any legal hearing or proceeding regarding your license.
If you are facing disciplinary action from a professional licensing board, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
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