Leaving Biglaw to Become a Sex and Relationship Coach with Amy Terwilleger

On paper, Amy Terwilleger’s life as a lawyer looked great. Partner at a regional firm in Florida. Deputy general counsel. Thirteen years of business litigation. Married with two kids. And the whole time, a constant restless feeling she could not shake.What Amy eventually figured out was that she was living somebody else's perfect life. The things that mattered to her, her values, the way she thought, and who she actually was as a person were not showing up in the life she was actually living.In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks with Amy about what it looked like to be a Biglaw partner whose values did not match her job, why being a free thinker is not rewarded at a big firm, what finally moved her to make a change, and how she ended up working as a sex and relationship coach while still practicing law on her own terms.1:34 - Why Amy went to law school after restaurant management and the LSAT-as-decision-maker pattern2:33 - Wanting to help people through law and how recruiting funneled her into business litigation instead4:51 - The conveyor belt and why the realities of practice diverge from what brings people to law school7:48 - Why being a free thinker is not rewarded at a big firm8:48 - On paper everything looked perfect, partner, deputy general counsel, two kids, and the constant restless feeling underneath9:54 - Neurodivergence, the strong sense of justice, and why these traits do not get rewarded in big firms13:16 - Where Amy's values clashed with the actual work of business litigation18:06 - Why "just don't care" is not actually possible when someone is being rude and disrespectful20:19 - Pleasure as the body's antidote to stress and how it resets the nervous system22:43 - The early seed of wanting to be a sex coach and why Amy tucked it away for years25:38 - The reactions Amy got from colleagues, friends, and family when leaving Biglaw29:16 - You do not have to leave law entirely, you can find a way to practice that aligns with your values33:22 - What Amy recommends if you are curious about coaching as a career34:00 - What sex and relationship coaching actually is and who Amy works withMentioned In Leaving Biglaw to Become a Sex and Relationship Coach with Amy TerwillegerAmy Terwilleger's Website | LinktreeAmy Terwilleger on Instagram (@millennialdrruth)First Steps to Leaving the LawThe Former Lawyer Collaborative