As a solicitor and therapist, I understand from both a business and therapeutic stance why wellbeing is now a business necessity — not a luxury. According to LawCare’s 2025 Life in the Law report, 59% of legal professionals report poor mental wellbeing, and 78% regularly work beyond their contracted hours. As both a Partner in a law firm and a Solution-Focused Hypnotherapist, I see the same story playing out across the sector: lawyers under sustained pressure, often believing burnout is simply “part of the job.” It doesn’t have to be. Burnout isn’t about weakness. It’s a physiological response to prolonged stress. The World Health Organisation defines it as a workplace syndrome, and neuroscience confirms it can impair focus, empathy, and decision-making — the very skills lawyers depend on. Even something as simple as a constant flow of emails can keep the brain in “fight or flight,” leaving no room for recovery. Wellbeing is no longer a “soft skill.” It’s a commercial imperative. The UK loses £26 billion annually to stress and mental illness. Highly stressed lawyers are 11x more likely to make mistakes — some costing over £250,000. Clients increasingly check firms’ wellbeing policies as part of their procurement process. When wellbeing suffers, so does performance, retention, and reputation. Sustainable practice starts with cultural change. That means: Training managers and partners in wellbeing-aware leadership Providing burnout and vicarious trauma training Rethinking metrics — valuing collaboration, not just billable hours Modelling flexible, humane working practices Leadership buy-in is crucial. My in-house burnout prevention programme combines neuroscience, psychology, and practical techniques to help lawyers work sustainably. Participants learn to: Spot early signs of burnout Reset the nervous system for focus and calm Build resilience and professional fulfilment This training is designed by a solicitor, for solicitors — grounded in real-life understanding of the pressures of legal practice. Get in touch if you want to talk training or support. #therapy #wellbeing #law #lawfirm #training #solicitor

The 2025 Law in the Law Report by @lawcare was published yesterday. A funny coincidence that it was on the same day as the Legal 500 rankings. It makes for very stark reading about how those working in the legal sector feel and what life is really like on the coal face, and importantly some clear recommendations as to how to turn the tide. They interviewed individuals and organizations across the sector between January - March 2025. A few headlines that stood out to me: - A majority (56.2%) said that they could see themselves leaving their current workplace within the next five years. - Nearly a third (32.1%) could also see themselves leaving the legal sector within the next 5 years. - Low levels of mental wellbeing – nearly 60% (59.1%) had poor mental wellbeing. - At high risk of burnout (where people feel emotionally exhausted by and disengaged in, their work). - Very high levels of work intensity – over three quarters (78.7%) are working over their contracted time, with nearly ten percent (8.5%) estimating they worked 21+ extra hours per week. - Valuing people management – less than a third (31.3%) of people who managed others said that their targets or billable hours were adjusted to take into account the time they need to spend managing others or undertaking appropriate training. Their recommendations include: - Actively manage workloads and challenge the culture of long hours. - Prioritise and value managing people including giving people managers enough time, targeted training and ongoing support and recognise management as a critical skill. - Embed hybrid and flexible working options. - Evaluate programmes and activities that support mental health and wellbeing at work. - Legal education and training at all stages of a person's career. As a therapist specialising in working with professionals experiencing burnout, anxiety, trauma and stress, and a lawyer, I really get what this means. I will also soon be rolling out in house training for law firms to help start important conversations, and provided much needed support to staff, from a place of deep understanding. Lets talk. #Therapy #hypnotherapy #stress #burnout #anxiety #law #lawyer

We have the power to shape our day before we even get out of bed. When we wake up, the stress hormone cortisol naturally gets triggered, as it gets us up and out and moving. However, it can be really easy to let our anxiety hijack this hormone flood, and use it to start going through the mental list of things we need to do that day. This can start a path of worries and anxious controlling thoughts before we have even got out of bed. What if, rather than letting this ride play out, you took a deep breath in and out, and told yourself very clearly that: Today is going to be a good day You can handle anything the day has in store for you. This sets positive intentions for the day, makes you focus on the good things that happen, not the challenges, and short circuits the need for anxiety, because, you can handle it. Thank you to the brilliant Mel Robbins for the inspiration this week. #stress #therapy #anxiety #stressrelief #wakeupwell #intentions #hypnotherapy #breath #breathwork #Bath #Bristol #Wiltshire