Bryan R. Welch

JD, CADC I
Attorney Counselor

503.226.1057 ext 19
bryanw@oaap.org

I applied to law school to begin my second career, and graduated from the night program at Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College (now Lewis and Clark Law School) in 2003.  From then until joining the OAAP staff in 2015, I practiced law in a small community firm, where I focused primarily on family law and eventually family mediation.

For me, it is important that people know that I am in long-term recovery from alcohol. Volunteer work using that experience to help lawyers facing similar issues is what led me to a career in counseling.  As a certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC I), my past experience includes providing drug and alcohol counseling services for a court-mandated DUII treatment program and for a local non-profit working with people impacted by homelessness, poverty, and addiction.

One of the many things I enjoy about my work at the OAAP is being a group facilitator.  In addition to working one-on-one with clients, I lead peer support groups for lawyers who practice law with ADHD, with anxiety or depression, or while going though divorce.  Being a witness to the support and healing that comes from people sharing their experience with – and learning from – others who have similar challenges, is a powerful experience.