Mind Your Self - Four Swans

What happens when creativity becomes a lifeline?   In this episode of Mind Your Self, we sit down with Rebecca Griffin and Sophia Whelan, founders of Rock & Soul Sisters, to explore loneliness, friendship, grief and the healing power of creativity. Together, they discuss why making friends as adults can feel so difficult, how creative spaces foster genuine connection, and why community has nev...

Episode 35 The Waiting Game In this episode of Mind Your Self, we speak with Deirdre McKenny, GP Liaison Manager with Kingsbridge Private Hospital Group's Cross Border Healthcare Pathways, about the emotional impact of long healthcare waiting times.  Drawing from her own experience of cancer, career change, and recovery, Deirdre shares why knowing your options, advocating for yourself, and accessi...

In this episode of Mind Your Self, we chat with Nicoline C. Walsh, Transformation Coach, Energy Healing Practitioner and co-founder of The Healing Forest.   Nicoline shares her perspective on energy blocks, emotional wellbeing, and personal development, exploring how self-awareness and practices such as Reiki, nature connection and guided meditation can support people who feel stuck or overwhelmed...

What does life as a creative really look like behind the scenes? In this episode, we sit down with actor, writer, director and producer Baz Black to have an honest and open conversation about mental health in the creative industries. Baz shares personal insights into navigating rejection, anxiety and the pressures of an industry where uncertainty and comparison can become part of everyday life. We...

Gambling addiction is often described as the hidden addiction, affecting not only finances but mental health, relationships and families.  In this episode of Mind Your Self, psychotherapist Daniel Coulter shares his personal journey from gambling addiction to recovery, offering honest insight into the emotional impact of addiction, the power of seeking help, and why recovery is always possible. A...

What happens when your reputation, confidence and livelihood feel under attack? In this deeply personal episode, aesthetics practitioner Melanie O'Brien shares her experience of workplace bullying and the profound impact it had on her mental health, confidence and family life. Rather than focusing on individuals, Melanie reflects on what it feels like to have your professional identity challenged,...

Our skin can influence far more than our appearance. It can affect confidence, identity and mental wellbeing. This week, we speak with skin practitioner Meghan Kiely about her personal experience with acne, overcoming self-doubt, and building the business she'd always dreamed of. Meghan also shares how a serious heart health scare transformed her outlook on life and inspired her to stop waiting fo...

This week on the Mind Your Self podcast, we're joined by Davitt Meenaghan and Euan Callow, co-founders of Luma Health, to explore the science behind recovery, chronic pain, stress and preventative health.  We unpack infrared therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, photobiomodulation, PEMF, and the simple everyday habits that can make a real difference to our wellbeing.  The Luma Wellness Suite at Four...

Episode 28 of the Mind Your Self podcast "The Silent Struggle" is now live on Spotify ✨️✨️TW✨️✨️ Trigger warning: this is a powerful episode that includes themes that some may find distressing including miscarriage and pregnancy loss, hysteroscopy and internet trolling 🤍 In this episode of Mind Your Self, we are joined by Siobhán O'Neill-White, founder of mams.ie, to discuss the realities of...

In this deeply honest and inspiring conversation, Lorraine Hogan opens up about her personal journey through motherhood, burnout, and hormonal transition, and how these experiences led her to create transformative spaces for women across Ireland. As founder of Festival Mná and multiple wellness platforms, Lorraine speaks about the rising call for connection, community, and a return to slower, more...

Actor and filmmaker Cian Doyle shares his remarkable journey from addiction and adversity to recovery, purpose, and personal growth. Cian speaks openly about getting sober, navigating the devastating loss of his mother, and learning to face life's challenges without returning to old coping mechanisms. We explore grief, resilience, imposter syndrome, counselling, spirituality, and the role creativi...

In this episode of the Mind Yourself Podcast, Tara Thompson of The Quest Yoga shares her personal journey through trauma, dissociation and healing.   Drawing on both lived experience and her work in trauma-informed yoga, Tara discusses the connection between childhood trauma and the body, the challenges of recovery, and the hope that can emerge through reconnecting with ourselves.   A powerful con...

Accredited psychotherapists Tina Leonard and Laura Mc Hugh Harrington from Lighthouse Wellness Events explore the often misunderstood reality of narcissistic abuse.    Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience, they discuss how manipulation, gaslighting, coercive control, and emotional abuse can profoundly impact a person's mental health and sense of identity.    Together, we unp...

In this deeply honest and compassionate episode, psychotherapist and breathwork practitioner Krystle Phelan shares her lived experience of grief, parental loss, estrangement, and navigating motherhood without family support.  Drawing from both personal experience and her work with clients, Krystle explores the hidden layers of grief including living loss, fractured family relationships, and the lo...

In this powerful and reflective conversation, we meet with Darren Reilly, founder of Brotherhood, to explore modern masculinity, emotional intelligence, purpose, and the growing need for deeper connection among men.  Darren shares his personal journey through healing, leadership, psychotherapy training, and transformational work, offering insight into what healthy masculinity truly looks like in t...

We welcome former heroin addict turned neuroscientist Dr. Brian Pennie and his sister Anne Pennie, a trainee psychotherapist, for a deeply honest conversation about addiction, recovery, resilience, and the impact of addiction on families.   Together, they reflect on their shared journey, the challenges they faced as siblings, and the lessons they've learned about healing, hope, and personal growth...

In this episode, we sit down with outdoor business owner and digital creator Max Cody to explore the healing power of the outdoors, the rise of adventure culture in Ireland, and why more young people are stepping away from traditional nightlife.    Max shares his personal journey from long nights working in Dublin’s bar scene to building a life centred around sea swimming, hiking, connection, and...

What happens when the version of you that’s been holding it all together starts to fall apart?   In this powerful conversation, Myles McKenna shares his journey through burnout, hidden work addiction, and the quiet pressure many men carry to stay strong at all costs.    Together, we explore how emotional suppression shapes our lives, why vulnerability still feels out of reach for so many, and what...

We sit down with Lisa Browne, founder of My Mind and Me Kids, to explore children’s emotional wellbeing, modern parenting pressures, and the courage it takes to reconnect with yourself.   Drawing from her experience as a primary school teacher, mother of three, and now wellbeing entrepreneur, Lisa shares why so many children are struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional dysregulation and h...

Mum to triplets and a teen, Emma Lennon shares her journey through survival mode, motherhood, therapy, neurodivergence, and healing. From navigating a high-risk pregnancy during Covid lockdown to raising neurodivergent children while learning to understand herself, Emma speaks openly about chaos, resilience, and the courage it takes to keep going when life feels overwhelming. Together, we explore...

In this honest and deeply human conversation, Tracy Martin, author of So Not Me, shares her lived experience of trauma, chronic pain, and life-changing disability.    Becoming a wheelchair user at 18, Tracy reflects on loss, identity, and the long journey of finding her voice after years of staying small.   This episode explores the realities behind disability, the weight of layered trauma, and wh...

<span;>In this episode, we are joined by Veronica Martinez, a psychotherapist specialising in perinatal mental health, to explore the often unspoken realities of becoming a mother. <span;>Veronica shares both her professional insight and personal experience of postpartum anxiety, shedding light on the pressures, expectations, and emotional challenges many new mothers face. She explores...

In this powerful and grounding episode with a focus on men's mental health, we sit down with Niall McHugo of The Breathwork Project to explore the life-changing impact of Conscious Connected Breathwork.    From the intense pressures of school leadership to experiencing deep burnout, Niall shares his personal journey back to balance and how breathwork became a tool that didn’t just help him cope, b...

We sit down with psychotherapist Ciara Conlon, founder of Clear the Clouds Counselling, to explore what it really means to lose, and rebuild, your sense of self. Ciara shares her personal journey through identity loss, weight gain, and the emotional challenges that followed becoming a mother of three.  From reaching her heaviest point to making the life-changing decision to undergo bariatric surge...

Friend of Four Swans Therapy Dr. James O’Shea shares both his professional insights on grief and deeply personal experience of losing his wife Anne Marie to cancer aged just 56. We explore how grief doesn’t ever disappear, but instead gradually shifts and softens over time. This episode gently challenges the idea that we should move on when a partner dies and offers a more compassionate perspectiv...