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Eugene Farrell | 23 January 2026

The Legal Pause: Episode 4 – Wellbeing, Bespoke Support, and the Reality of Coping in a Competitive Culture

In Episode 4 of The Legal Pause, Nick Gallagher, CEO of The Solicitors’ Charity, is joined by Eugene Farrell, Vice Chair of The Solicitors’ Charity, to talk in Part 1 about the world of wellbeing and how it has developed over the last two decades. Part 2 goes onto consider the pressures solicitors face behind the scenes, and why so many people find it difficult to speak openly when life feels hard. 

Eugene and The Solicitors’ Charity

Eugene was appointed Vice Chair of The Solicitors’ Charity in September 2024 (and joined as a Trustee in 2022) and is a mental wellbeing specialist with more than 30 years of experience. An expert in workplace counselling and support programs, he provides independent consultancy and training to organisations in the large corporate and SME sectors. He was a regular speaker at conferences and round tables, author and media presenter, with a keen interest in digital health and wellbeing provisions and solutions, including digital therapies and Apps. He is a twice former Chairperson and Lifetime Member of the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association and sat on the international Board of EAPA. 

Eugene, now semi-retired, brings a wealth of experience across wellbeing, leadership, and mental health support. Together, he and Nick explore how The Solicitors’ Charity can provide more bespoke support compared to more standardised employee assistance programmes. They also reflect on how the culture of legal work can encourage people to keep going quietly, even when the strain is building. 

The Development of Wellbeing and Support

In Part 1, Eugene reflects with Nick on how people’s understanding of wellbeing has changed over the decades and how an independent occupational support organisation like The Solicitors’ Charity is able to provide a more tailored approach to support than many employee assistance programmes. For example, giving access to more therapy sessions and that can include a coaching approach.  

The Move from Fruity Fridays

The shift in thinking about wellness programmes happened during and after the COVID pandemic, Eugene says in Part 1, and more sophisticated, multifacted support began to be developed. These include apps which monitor movement and exercise, gym membership and simple cultural changes like holding “walking meetings”. 

Why pressure in law often goes unspoken

A key theme in this episode is that silence in the profession is rarely accidental. In law, strength is often associated with control, independence, and consistency. Being the person who always delivers can feel like part of the job.  

Eugene reflects on how this can make it harder for people to admit when something is wrong: “There’s still a sense that you’re supposed to be able to cope.” 

When coping becomes an expectation, asking for help can feel like a risk, especially in environments where performance and reputation carry weight. 

When stress becomes normal

Nick and Eugene discuss in Part 2 how challenges rarely arrive all at once. Many people continue working through long hours, family pressures, health problems, money worries, or emotional strain, telling themselves it is temporary, manageable, or simply part of the job. 

But over time, that pressure can become normalised. Eugene explains: “People don’t usually arrive at crisis overnight. It builds quietly, until one more thing tips the balance.” 

The conversation highlights how important it is to notice those early signs, because support is often most effective long before things become unbearable. 

The emotional cost of handling everything alone

This episode also explores the emotional reality of “keeping it together” for too long. When people feel they cannot speak honestly to colleagues or managers, isolation can grow. Anxiety, exhaustion, and overwhelm can sit in the background for months, sometimes years.  

The message throughout the episode is clear: solicitors are not immune to life’s difficulties, and struggling is not a personal failing. It is a human experience, especially in a high-pressure profession.  

Creating space to pause

Episode 4 is a reminder of how far we have come since the original concept of wellbeing was developed and also that before anyone can move forward, they often need a moment of safety, clarity and reassurance. A space where they can pause, reflect, and talk without judgement. 

Listen now: The Legal Pause – Episode 4

Available on all major streaming platforms.