I’m Done! Now What?

Up until a few years ago, I was overweight, unfit, inconsistent… and completely stuck in unhealthy habits.

In this episode, I’m taking you back to that time.

I was trying. Starting, stopping, getting a bit of momentum and then falling off again. Over and over. And I couldn’t understand why I just couldn’t stay consistent.

From the outside, it probably looked like I needed more discipline. More willpower. To just get my act together.

But there was something else going on that I couldn’t see at the time.

If you feel like you’re stuck in that loop — trying, falling off, starting again — and wondering why it’s not clicking for you… this will land.

Click play and let’s dive in.

In today’s episode, Trisha and I answer three questions.

The first is from someone who feels like their emotions are becoming harder to manage — feeling upset more easily, struggling with their thoughts, and finding it harder to stay mentally on top of everyday life at work and at home. We talk about what might be going on and when it might be time to seek extra support.

The second question is about feeling stuck in your 40s — the fear of failure, the fear of moving forward, and feeling like you’re falling behind in life.

The third question is about the constant chatter in your head around food, weight, and guilt — feeling like you’ve “ruined everything” after dessert or a bowl of pasta, and how to begin changing those patterns after years of diet culture thinking.

As always, Trisha McHale brings her grounded psychotherapist perspective — helping unpack what’s happening beneath these thoughts and how to move from reacting to responding.

Click play and let’s dive in.

To apply for membership to Jessica’s Thrive Academy go to

To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services:

[email protected]

About Trisha McHale:

Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

Today’s episode is a bit different. I’m just chatting about a few things I’ve been working on in my own life lately.

Something physical I’m focusing on right now, something I’m learning mentally — especially around caring less about what people think and stopping the habit of censoring myself — and some reflections on family, life, and running Thrive.

I also talk about a dynamic many of us fall into in conversations… where we automatically become smaller, agreeable, or overly accommodating. The difference between people-pleasing and something deeper called fawning is really interesting.

No big lesson today — just an honest chat about the real work that’s always going on behind the scenes.

Click play and let’s dive in.

In today’s episode, Trisha and I are answering two questions that I know so many of you will quietly relate to.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in that horrible loop of not seeing progress… getting tired… reaching for coffee or chocolate… and then slowly falling off track — this one is for you. We talk about what’s actually happening in those moments. Why it feels so hard to stay steady when results are slow. And how to rebuild momentum without turning on yourself or throwing everything out the window.

Then we move into the teenage years. If you’re working full-time, juggling drop-offs and pick-ups, watching the money fly out every month, and wondering how to stay present in it all — we talk about that too. How to catch yourself when you’re reacting. How to steady the tone at home. And how to bring more calm and connection into your parenting, even when life feels relentless.

As always, Trisha McHale brings her grounded, compassionate psychotherapist lens — helping unpack what’s happening beneath the behaviours, and how to shift from reacting to responding.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop, stretched too thin, or unsure how to move into the next phase of life with intention — this episode is for you.

Click play and let’s dive in.

To apply for membership to Jessica’s Thrive Academy go to www.jessicacooke.ie/apply

To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services:

About Trisha MacHale:

We give so much to work and leave so little time for ourselves. Why is that? Have you ever stopped to wonder why you work so much? Why you give so little thought and care to yourself?

You work long hours, and then try to squeeze everything else into the few remaining hours of the day.

In this solo episode, I explore why we hide in work, how it becomes a distraction and a time suck, and what it may be keeping you away from.

Click play and let’s dive in.

In this episode I’m joined by Trisha and we answer three questions from listeners who are exhausted from carrying everything.

We talk about rebuilding confidence after leaving an abusive relationship, imposter syndrome at work, stress, weight gain and coping habits, guilt when you’re tired, feeling lazy for resting, and being mentally fried from full-time work and parenting.

If you’re doing it all, managing alone and quietly blaming yourself for struggling, this conversation will resonate.

Click play and let’s dive in.

To apply for membership to Jessica’s Thrive Academy go to www.jessicacooke.ie/apply

To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services:

About Trisha MacHale:

Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

I struggled for years to find any form of consistency even though I really wanted to be fit!

In my years as a fitness coach, and from my personal experience too, I’ve finally discovered why it’s just so bloody hard to get consistent.

I’ve cracked it now — for myself, and as a fitness coach helping women show up to their workouts.

Tune into this episode if you want to be fit but struggle to show up.

Click play and let's dive in.

In this episode, Trisha and I answer three listener questions.

We talk about the overlap between anxiety, ADHD traits, trauma, hormones, parenting, and overwhelm — and how to know when something is manageable and when it’s time to seek further support.

We also answer a question on nutrition and endurance training, and why nutrition can unravel when training volume increases.

Finally, we talk about confidence and identity, and how working from home can slowly change how you feel about yourself and your social confidence.

This episode is a practical, honest conversation around issues many people are dealing with but rarely talk about.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in patterns that feel exhausting, confusing, or out of your control, click play and let’s dive in.

To apply for membership to Jessica’s Thrive Academy go to www.jessicacooke.ie/apply

To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services:

About Trisha MacHale:

Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

Click play and let's dive in.

For a long time, I thought this was just life.

Always rushing. Always behind. Always putting myself last.

In this episode, I talk honestly about how living in constant rush became my normal, the wake-up moment that made me stop, and the small but powerful change that helped me step out of survival mode.

If you feel like you never have time for yourself and you’re tired of living on edge, this one’s for you.

Click play and let’s dive in.

In today’s episode, Trisha and I answer three powerful listener questions that so many women quietly struggle with.

We talk about family estrangement — what’s really happening when an adult child cuts off communication, the deep hurt and confusion it causes on all sides, and whether these breakdowns can be prevented or gently repaired.

We also dive into long-term social anxiety. One listener shares her experience of living with anxiety since her teens, how bullying shaped her fear of speaking up, and the toll it’s taking on a job she genuinely loves. We explore why “just pushing yourself” often makes things worse, what’s happening in the nervous system, and what can actually help when anxiety feels overwhelming and ingrained.

Finally, we look at people-pleasing and over-performing in conversations — the urge to say the right thing, be liked, keep the peace, and carry the emotional load — and why these patterns are so hard to break, even when you’re aware of them.

As always, Trisha McHale brings a compassionate, practical psychotherapist lens to each question, helping you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface — and where real change starts.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in patterns that feel exhausting, confusing, or out of your control, click play and let’s dive in.

To apply for membership to Jessica’s Thrive Academy go to www.jessicacooke.ie/apply

To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services:

About Trisha MacHale:

Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

Click play and let's dive in.