Topics covered : Childhood sexual abuse, grooming, secrecy, shame, self-harm, intense flashbacks, suicide attempts, therapy, consent.

Jack is an extraordinary person who bravely shares his experience of surviving childhood sexual abuse. The abuse lasted for five years during his early life and left lasting scars that led to self-harm and multiple suicide attempts.

While he chooses not to disclose the identity of his abuser, his insights offer a rare and important glimpse into the lasting effects of trauma.

In this episode, he speaks with incredible honesty about the impact it had on him — the shame he carried, the ways he tried to hide his pain, and the long road to healing.

He also shares important reflections on the need to teach young people about consent and body safety.

This conversation is raw and inspiring and I’m truly honoured that Jack chose to speak to me.

Support :

One In Four

Support – Mental Health Ireland

And if you’d like to support Jack’s brilliant "Mountains of Change" fundraiser — a seven-day hike in aid of One in Four, you can sign up to hike on Sunday May 25th or donate to help support survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Mountains of Change | Home - Mountains of Change

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Betrayal, heartbreak, breakdown, trust, prevention, repair, connection, healing. 

Originally from Douglas in Cork, psychotherapist Richard Hogan lives in Dublin with his wife and their 3 daughters.

He writes a weekly column with the Irish Examiner and often appears on TV and radio and he specialises in working with families.

He’s also written two brilliant books ‘Parenting the screenager’ and ‘Home is where the start is’ and during this conversation he talks about affairs.

Why people have them, the heart-breaking impact of them on a relationship and if it’s possible to heal after betrayal.

Book mention : ‘The 5 love languages’ by Gary Chapman

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Connection, communication, boundaries, friendships, modelling, play dates, safety, brain development, true masculinity, the manosphere, porn, healthy eating, sleep.

This week psychotherapist Richard Hogan is back on the pod.

Originally from Douglas in Cork he lives in Dublin with his wife and their 3 daughters.

He specialises in working with families and he’s also written two brilliant books ‘Parenting the screenager’ and ‘Home is where the start is’.

During this conversation we talk about Adolescence on the back of the hit TV show. He talks about what to do in the preteen stage of life along with those challenging years during adolescence itself and he covers things like the importance of our kids having a wide friendship circle and why that is.

Cultivating a healthy home environment, one with good communication and boundaries.

He also discusses masculinity and what he has to say is well worth listening to.

There is so much in this episode!

Please sign Richard's petition calling on the government to act and implement legislation around pornographic material. Children should not be able to easily access it.

Petition · Protect Children from Pornographic Material - United States · Change.org

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : the power of the mind, our inner critic, inner coach, affirmations, consistency.

Gerry Hussey is a performance psychologist who has been working in the fields of health and performance for almost twenty years.

He’s just released his 3rd book…‘I am, I can, I will. Silence your inner critic, wake up your inner coach and reclaim your confidence and power’ and in this conversation he tells us what it’s all about!

Gerry’s previous books are ‘Awaken your power within’ and ‘The Freedom Within’.

And you can catch up on previous conversations with him here on Ready to be Real.

If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Dancing with the Stars, life during lockdown, their relationship.

In this episode I speak to couple Jake Carter and Karen Byrne.

They live in Dublin with their dog Lenny and they started dating after they won series 2 of Dancing with the Stars in Ireland.

Jake is a singer songwriter whose brother Nathan is also in the business. He’s outgoing and optimistic and Karen is a professional dancer with her own dance studio who’s a straight shooter and naturally more introverted by nature.

In this conversation we talk about first impressions, what annoys them about each other and how friendship is the foundation of their relationship.

If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : self-worth, being authentic, imposter syndrome, grief, plant medicine, healing.

This week I speak to Pat Divilly.

Originally from Limerick, Pat moved to Galway with his family when he was about 7 years old and for the past 15 years, he has been working in the areas of physical, mental and emotional wellness as a coach, facilitator and educator.

Currently living in Bali, we caught up when he was home recently to promote new book ‘Shadow work – a practical guide to embracing your shadow side, tackling shame and transforming pain into power’.

And in this conversation he explains what our shadow is, he speaks about how he used to suffer from imposter syndrome, the importance of self-compassion, his love of teaching and lots more.

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Cancer, Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), control the controllables, shift in perspective, healthy body and mind, affirmations, positive self talk, appreciation. 

Alannah Sheehan lives in Tipperary with her husband Martin and their 3 children, Finn (9), Luca (7) and Phoebe (5).

And 5 years ago when Phoebe was only a few months old, Alannah was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive type of brain cancer.

But today, 5 years on, she’s healthy and happy and even though she still has to go for regular scans and deal with the stress and anxiety that goes with that, ultimately, life is good.

We spoke 4 years ago but I wanted to chat to her again as she is so inspiring.

In this conversation she talks about the power of taking control over what you can control and nourishing your body and mind, every day.

Alannah was a chef before her diagnosis and food is her passion. Her go to juice is celery, cucumber and lemon and she drinks it every day.

You can subscribe to Alannah’s ‘Survive and Thrive’ membership to gain access to her delicious recipes, and you can also purchase her gorgeous wellness cards too.

Alannah Sheehan

Instagram

ALANNAH SHEEHAN (@worth_fighting4) • Instagram photos and videos

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Friendships, fun, rest, boundaries, loneliness, over-thinking.

Alana Kirk is a coach, speaker and author who helps women find more balance, direction and joy in their lives. 

She is a mother to 3 girls, is divorced and is in a certain phase in her life of juggling motherhood, along with her career and her social life, and she also helps to look after her Dad who is unwell at the moment.

In this episode she zones in on the importance of having a strong friend circle and having fun.

Her current book is 'Midlife, redefined: Better, Bolder, Brighter' a guide to help yourself through the magic and mayhem of life.

She can be found at www.themidlifecoach.org and on Instagram @midlifecoach.  

And her next workshop is in March: The Overwhelm Breakthrough Session - Reclaim your time, energy and sanity.

Click here for more

https://www.themidlifecoach.org/overwhelm-session 

I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Alana and if you haven’t heard our previous episodes I recommend you go back and listen to them!

Book mention : ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott

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Topics covered : Overwhelm, ‘good girl’ conditioning, patriarchy, unlearning, importance of rest, empowerment.   

This week I speak to an author and coach who helps women find more balance, direction and joy in their lives.

The wonderful Alana Kirk is back on the pod!

In this conversation Alana talks about the practical, invisible and emotional burden that women often carry and more importantly, how to change it!

Her current book is 'Midlife, redefined: Better, Bolder, Brighter' a guide to help yourself through the magic and mayhem of life.

She can be found at www.themidlifecoach.org and on Instagram @midlifecoach. 

And her next workshop is in March: The Overwhelm Breakthrough Session - Reclaim your time, energy and sanity.

Click here for more

https://www.themidlifecoach.org/overwhelm-session 

If you haven’t heard our first conversation together yet, I strongly recommend you listen to it.

Questions to ask ourselves…

Who are we doing it for?

Who is telling us to keep going?

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning : Disordered eating

A few years ago I spoke to Aoife O’Brien about life with and after an eating disorder. Aoife now lives in Co. Clare with her fiance Damian and their 2 little boys, Liam (5) and Samuel (2). She is a Nutritionist (MSc), Body Image and Wellbeing Coach with a specialist interest in disordered eating and through AOB Coaching, she helps women develop a healthy, balanced and peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. 

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.

Helpful questions for journaling…

1. What did I do well today?

2. What did I learn?

3. What would I do differently?

To connect with Aoife...

Home

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