At Mulqueen Disability Law, we meet clients at some of the most difficult points in their lives. Living with a long-term disability can feel like everything familiar has been stripped away — your work, your sense of self, your routine. But sometimes, out of that darkness comes something extraordinary.

This is the story of Laura Lockhart, who we met near the end of her LTD claim. She’s a remarkable person who spent years on long-term disability (LTD) and ultimately found a new calling as a psychotherapist. Her journey is a powerful reminder that even in hardship, new beginnings can take root.

The Years on LTD: Feeling Stuck, Unseen, and Uncertain

When Laura first went on LTD, she faced what many of our clients experience: endless insurer forms, requests for medical updates, and the emotional strain of proving — again and again — that her symptoms were real.

Every review from the insurance company brought fresh anxiety. Every delay made her wonder how long she could hold on. Beyond the paperwork, though, the hardest part was the loss of identity. Without work, she felt adrift.

At Mulqueen Disability Law, this is often where we come in to support clients like Laura navigate the stressful claims assessment process, ensuring her benefits remain secure while our clients focus on recovery. 

What no one could have predicted during those early days of her LTD claim, was how Laura’s journey through disability would eventually lead her to a completely new life purpose.

The Shift: Finding Possibility in the Pause

During the slower rhythm of life on LTD, Laura began to listen to her inner voice — the part that wanted meaning, connection, and purpose beyond her illness. Through therapy and reflection, she realized that her lived experience of struggle had deepened her empathy.

As she puts it, “My own healing journey opened my eyes to the profound connection between our minds, bodies, and spirits. It made me want to help others find their way back to themselves.”

That realization inspired her to train as a psychotherapist, hoping to help others navigate pain, uncertainty, and loss — the very emotions she knew so well.

The decision wasn’t easy. Studying again after years away from work was daunting. But her insight and authenticity quickly became her strength. What had once been her greatest obstacle became the foundation of her next chapter.

The New Vocation: From LTD Claimant to Clinician

Today, Laura Lockhart is the founder of Conscious Connections Integrative Psychotherapy, where she provides compassionate, holistic support to individuals across Ontario.

Her practice offers a wide range of services, including talk therapy, somatic work, and even equine-assisted therapy — an experiential form of treatment that helps clients reconnect with their emotions and inner strength through guided interaction with horses.

Laura describes her approach as “integrative and relational,” blending psychodynamic, somatic, and experiential modalities. As she shares on her website:

“I bring authenticity, attunement, and sensitivity to my sessions, meeting clients where they are and helping them connect more deeply with who they are.”

Her years on LTD weren’t lost time — they were a profound apprenticeship in empathy. They taught her what it means to suffer, to rebuild, and to find meaning through adversity.

Laura’s practice reflects what she learned in her own healing: that true recovery involves not just managing symptoms, but rediscovering who you are and what matters most.

“Healing,” she says, “isn’t about going back to who you were. It’s about becoming who you are meant to be.”

Lessons for Those on Long-Term Disability

If you are currently on LTD and unsure what the future holds, Laura’s story carries three messages of hope:

1. Your identity isn’t over. LTD may be a long chapter, but it’s not the whole story. You can still rediscover purpose and meaning in new ways.
   
2. The pause can be powerful. Use this time to reflect, heal, and explore what truly matters to you. The next phase of your life might look different — and better — than you expect.
   
3. Your experience has value. Living through disability gives you wisdom and compassion that few others have. That perspective can become your greatest strength.
   

Contact us for a Free Consultation

Mulqueen Disability Law specializes in hard-to-prove long-term disability claims for “Invisible Conditions” such as mental illness (depression, anxiety, PTSD) and chronic conditions (pain, neurological, immunological, concussion, post-COVID)  Contact us for a free confidential consultation.

Mulqueen Disability Law is a boutique law firm, focused on litigating long-term disability insurance benefit claims. Courtney Mulqueen and her team of legal professionals are Trauma-Informed Certified and have over two decades of experience exclusively in the area of long-term disability law. She and her team draw on their “insider” experience working for the insurance companies (including, Canada Life, Sun Life, Manulife, and OTIP), that they now sue for their clients.  

The preceding is not intended to be legal advice. This blog is made available for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog, you understand that there is no solicitor client relationship between you and the blog publisher. The blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed lawyer in your jurisdiction. If your disability claim has been denied and you require legal advice, please contact a lawyer specializing in disability law.