Hala Sourani : Gaza, forever in my heart

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 Juli 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 Juli 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 Juli 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 Juli 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 Juni 20211h 16min

Trigger warning : Fertility, miscarriage, cancer, hysterectomy, IVF, surrogacy.This week I speak to Dublin woman Audrey O’Hagan who’s married to Dave and their son Hugh is almost a year and a half.She’s in her thirties and works as a communications officer with Dublin Airport, a job she loves and in this episode, she lets us in on the past four years of her life that have had their fair share of ups and downs. And even though the conversation is deeply emotional and challenging at times, it’s also an uplifting listen too.Follow Audrey on Instagram…https://www.instagram.com/audge3000/?hl=enIf you’re concerned about any health issue or if you haven’t had a check-up in a while, perhaps listening to Audrey will encourage you to call your GP or make that appointment you’ve been putting off, or to reach out and ask for help if you’re struggling.It really is so important to look after ourselves and if you need to talk to someone the Irish Cancer Society have a helpline open 9-5pm Monday to Friday Call and speak to a Nurse on the Cancer Nurseline onFREEPHONE 1800 200 700 Visit www.cancer.ie Or email cancernurseline@irishcancer.ie 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.

11 Juni 20211h 20min

Trigger warning : Disordered eating.This week I speak to Aoife O’Brien about life with and after an eating disorder.Originally from County Clare, Aoife now lives in Mayo with her fiancé Damian and their son Liam, who’s nearly 2. She works with the GAA/ Croke Park co-ordinating the Healthy Clubs project which promotes health and wellbeing within clubs.But for years she was controlled by an eating disorder which went unnoticed for a long time. Now having fully recovered she is passionate about getting the message out that life after disordered eating, is very much possible.In this conversation, we discuss diet culture, the signs of eating distress and how best to address it.Podcast mention…The Marino Therapy Centrehttps://www.marinotherapycentre.com/Helpful questions for journaling…1. What did I do well today?2. What did I learn?3. What would I do differently?Thanks to Ranae and Jacqueline for helping set up this conversation and of course to Aoife for all the effort she put in, to make it happen.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, thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Juni 202158min

Trigger warning : Disordered eating, depression.This week I speak to former model and media personality, Holly Carpenter.She lives in Stoneybatter in Dublin with her dog Max, and has been in a relationship since October, but over the past 14 months she has had many ups and downs and she’s been very honest about her struggles with her mental health and the impact the pandemic had on her overall wellbeing.She’s genuine, sensitive and naturally funny and in this candid conversation she talks about the years she spent modelling, competing at the ‘Miss World pageant’, taking part in ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ and the toll it took on her, she also talks about the damage of toxic positivity, being separated from her parents for over a year, dating in a pandemic, her new found love of sea swimming and how she’s not a fan of the ‘5 year plan!’.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, thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Maj 202155min