Sinéad O’Leary : Fighting Spirit

Topics covered : Painful sex, sex toys and products, libido, menopause and sex, shame.This is second part of the conversation I had with Ireland’s only clinical sexologist, Emily Power Smith.In this episode, she answers a selection of your questions that were sent in on Instagram and it starts with advice on how best to speak to our kids and teenagers about their bodies and sex.I hope by listening to these episodes that you’ll feel a little less alone in your experience and that you find Emily’s advice helpful.For more, you’ll find her on https://www.empowersme.comResources…‘Yes Organics’ natural vaginal moisturiser and organic coconut oil.Betty Dodson, artist, author, teacher and PhD sexologist…https://www.dodsonandross.com/Emily and I are joining an impressive line-up of 16 international speakers - including medical and scientific experts – for the Menopause Success Summit 2021.It’s a 1-day virtual event which is happening on Saturday the 25th of September.Click here for more info…www.menopausesuccesssummit.comI really hope you enjoyed our candid conversation about sex (a topic that I will certainly revisit), and if you like my podcast please consider showing your support, it only takes a minute and I’d really appreciate it.You can leave a rating or a little comment on Apple or you can click follow on Spotify.Thanks a million! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Elo 202135min

Topics covered : The damage of shame, body confidence, libido, porn, sexual trauma.This week I speak to Ireland’s only clinical sexologist, Emily Power Smith.We spoke about so much that I’ve decided to split the chat in two as it’s such a huge topic to cover.In this episode, we discuss our relationship with sexuality here in Ireland, we talk about body confidence, sex drive, porn and we’ll also delve into a few of the questions that were sent in on Instagram which had a lot of common themes, I hope by listening to these episodes that you’ll feel a little less alone in your experience and that you find Emily’s advice helpful.You’ll find her on https://www.empowersme.comAnd Emily and I are joining a stellar line-up of 16 international speakers - including medical and scientific experts - at the Menopause Success Summit 2021, a 1-day virtual event on Saturday September 25th - click here for more info…www.menopausesuccesssummit.comIf you like this podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Elo 202149min

Topics covered : Tragic accident, trauma, grief.This week I speak to mother, wife and nurse Geraldine Mullan.Originally from Galway, Geraldine met John Mullan from Moville, Donegal in 2010. 2 years later they were married and lived a very happy life together with their two children Tomás and Amelia, until a devastating accident changed everything.On the 20th of August last year, a family day out ended in a nightmare when their car crashed into Lough Foyle.John (49), Tomás (14) and Amelia (6) tragically all lost their lives while Geraldine miraculously survived.In this conversation she talks about how she misses them every single day, the support from her family, friends and the local community and the ‘Mullan Hope Centre’, which recently opened to honour the memory of her gorgeous family.This was an incredibly challenging conversation for Geraldine for obvious reasons, but her strength and composure are remarkable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Heinä 202157min

Topics covered : Adoption, mental illness, self-worth.This week I speak to comedian and radio presenter, PJ Gallagher.PJ lives in Clontarf in Dublin with his two dogs, Wendy and Stella.He was born in the now infamous Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork, in the 70’s and went on to be adopted and grew up with his mother, father and sister in Raheny in Dublin.When he was 27 he met his birth parents who went on to marry after he was born and also went on to have 4 more children (2 girls and 2 boys)(They’re from Roscommon and had named him Dermot at birth)In this conversation he talks about being adopted, his unconventional upbringing, how he’s more ‘flight than fight’ and how he struggles with feeling of self-worth.He adores dogs, bikes, Bohemian’s football club and small talk, but isn’t a fan of hugging!He’s hilarious and searingly honest, and this conversation is as real as it gets.If you like this podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Heinä 20211h 1min

Topics covered : Tragic accident, trauma, child loss, grief.Eileen Loughlin is a wonderful person and someone I’ve wanted to speak to for a long time.She lives in Delvin in County Westmeath with her husband Enda and their two sons, Senan who’s 16 and TJ who’s almost 9.And over 2.5 years ago her life changed forever when their 3.5 year old daughter Annabel, died in a freak accident in their home.Now at 22 weeks pregnant she shares how profound the grieving process is, especially with a new addition on the way; how keeping Annabel’s spirit alive is so important to her and how she feels her presence with her.This was an extremely challenging conversation for her but I really think that she honoured Annabel’s memory beautifully.You can follow Eileen on Instagram if you don’t already, you’ll find her @everything.eileenOther episodes on child loss on ‘Ready to be Real’Dr. Suzanne McClean April 2020Ian Lawton May 2021Irish Times article with current Taoiseach Micheál Martin on child loss…https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/parenting/miche%C3%A1l-martin-you-will-always-say-you-have-the-kids-you-lost-1.4582225And If you like this podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Heinä 20211h 16min

Topics covered : Long Covid, breathwork, freediving, mental illness, therapy, self-limiting beliefs, reinvention and overcoming.This week I speak to champion freediver Claire Walsh.Originally from Leixlip, she currently lives in Bray with her partner Boudy and she’s been freediving for 6 years now.She’s competitive and driven, but there’s also a beautiful gentleness about her that allows her to connect to her breath and to the water and achieve what she has already, which is incredible.She can hold her breath underwater for an impressive 5 minutes 59 seconds and she can dive to 59 meters on one breath alone.A fan of therapy and regular self-care habits like sea swimming, mindfulness and meditation, this is a fascinating listen as she covers so much from her love and respect of the water from an early age, to struggling with her mental health in her 20’s, and she also talks about her other passions in life; music, drama and performance.I was hanging onto her every word and I think you will too.Reference -Movie ‘Le Grand Bleu/The Big Blue’* Claire is sponsored by Timewise SystemsIf you like my podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Heinä 20211h 9min

Topics covered : Pregnancy, wedding during Covid restrictions, meningitis, Pride celebrations.This week I speak to brother and sister, James Patrice and Vanessa Butler.James is a TV presenter, performer and social media sensation and Vanessa is a classically trained singer, music teacher and has grown her own following on Instagram in recent times too.Proudly from Malahide, they have always been close, and in this conversation we learn things like 'what their favourite food is', 'who the biggest Diva is' and how their mother Fron, got her name.But we also discuss the damage of making assumptions about people or situations, a major health scare that shook the whole family when James was only 10, the recent Pride celebrations and how Vanessa is having an uber productive 2021; marrying in a pandemic and being 20 weeks pregnant.They’re utterly charming and it was a complete tonic to be in their company.Check out James’ new TV show ’Battle of the Food Trucks’ on the RTE Player now and make sure you follow them both on Instagram, if you don’t already! And If you like this podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Heinä 20211h 2min

Topics covered : Suicide, grief.This week I speak to counsellor and psychotherapist Peter Mahony who gives us a deeper insight into therapy; what it is and how we can benefit from it. We talk about the impact the pandemic has had on us and how important it is to mind ourselves and others, as we recover from the past year.There’s a particular focus on teens and those in their early twenties in this episode. We also tap into self-worth, family dynamics, how friendships have changed during Covid and he also gives practical parenting advice and shares tips on how to be a better friend to someone who needs support.Book mention…‘What happened to you? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing’ by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah WinfreyTo contact Peter, you’ll find him here…https://www.byyoursidetherapy.com/And for a full list of all accredited IACP Counsellors/Psychotherapists in Ireland, go to...https://www.iacp.ie/If you like my podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Kesä 20211h 16min