The Laura Dowling Experience

🎧 Episode Description Eating disorders are complex, layered, and often hidden in plain sight. In this episode, psychiatric nurse Laura Casey helps us understand the difference between disordered eating and a clinically diagnosed eating disorder - and why that distinction matters. Drawing on years of frontline experience, Laura explores the psychological roots of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating di...

🎧 Episode Description Liz Dwyer joins the podcast to discuss what life looks like when separation doesn’t bring closure. Still legally married six years on, she reflects on the gaps in Ireland’s divorce process and the contradictions of being asked to co-parent calmly while fighting legal battles behind the scenes. Beyond the courtroom, Liz talks about the coping tools that kept her going, from t...

🎧 Episode Description This conversation brings together Eimear McCrann, Director EY Entrepreneur Of The Year and Anne Heraty, EOY Judge and Founder CPL Resourced, to unpack the realities of entrepreneurship from two deeply experienced perspectives – one from building and leading a business over decades, and the other from supporting hundreds of founders through every stage of growth. Anne reflect...

🎧 Episode Description In this episode, Laura sits down with Síle Seoige to talk about a period in her early thirties when everything changed at once. Síle speaks about being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, the impact that had on her work and personal life, and how it forced her to stop and reassess in a way she hadn’t before. She talks about anxiety from the inside, not recognising it at the time,...

🎧 Episode Description In this episode, Laura explores why dating so often feels exhausting, confusing, or discouraging, particularly when one person is ready for commitment and the other is not in the same place. Drawing on insight from Mairead the Matchmaker, the conversation looks at how timing, life stage, and emotional readiness shape modern relationships. It reflects on patterns that come up...

🎧 Episode Description Laura is joined by dental hygienist Eimear for a clear, practical conversation about oral health and why it connects to the rest of the body, not just your teeth. They talk about plaque, tartar and gum disease, what causes bleeding gums, and why brushing your teeth without brushing your gums misses half the problem. Eimear explains why interdental brushes work better than fl...

🎧 Episode Description In this episode of The Laura Dowling Experience, Laura is joined by Ciara Mangan, founder of Beyond Surviving. Ciara reflects on the gaps in long-term trauma support, the challenges survivors face once formal services fall away, and why survival is so often treated as the endpoint rather than the beginning of healing. She speaks about navigating the justice process, the emot...

🎧 Episode Description This episode offers an unflinching look at the realities of Irish healthcare - especially child and adolescent mental health - through the eyes of someone who’s been on the front line for decades. Laura is joined by Martin Daly, a rural GP in County Galway and a TD (Teachta Dála), to explore what it feels like to advocate for children and families inside systems that are ove...

🎧 Episode Description In this reflective episode, Laura sits down with Kathryn Thomas to talk about change - the kind you choose, the kind that’s forced upon you, and the kind that quietly reshapes you over time. Kathryn shares her journey through career transitions, from national broadcasting to creative independence, and what it’s like to make bold decisions in midlife while balancing motherhoo...

🎧 Episode Description Donal O’Shea has spent a lifetime working at the sharp end of endocrinology- and in this conversation, he brings that perspective with clarity and honesty. Laura and Donal explore how dramatically medicine has changed, from early diabetes care rooted in fear and compliance to modern treatments that prioritise quality of life and long-term health. The discussion moves through...

🎧 Episode Description This conversation traces the path that brought Eoin Cluskey to where he is today- not only as the founder of Bread 41, but as someone who thinks deeply about community, responsibility, and the kind of impact a business can have. He talks openly about struggling through school, finding his footing in kitchens abroad, and eventually discovering purpose through business. Eoin a...

🎧 Episode Description This episode is an emotionally rich, thoughtful exploration of motherhood, storytelling, friendship, and addiction. Sophie reflects on how her podcast began long before podcasting was popular- born out of frustration and a desire for honesty. Instead of curated perfection, she and co-host Jen offered chaos, humour, truth, and community and thousands of women saw themselves r...

🎧 Episode Description What started as a simple moment in Lidl — noticing the word “style” on a yogurt label — turned into a viral movement. In this heartfelt conversation, Sophie Morris shares how her honest, practical videos helped people understand not just what’s in their food, but how to shop with confidence, protect their health, and even support small producers. Sophie explains how clever s...

🎧 Episode Description In this deeply moving and human conversation, Tammy Darcy opens up about the defining experiences that shaped her life- from the powerful bond with her sister Shona, her traumatic teenage years, bullying, and becoming a single mother at 18, to transforming pain into purpose by founding The Shona Project. She shares how her sister’s brain tumour, family breakdown, and years o...

🎧 Episode Description In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Breda O'Toole shares her extraordinary journey of trauma, survival, and ultimately, healing. Her life was marked by poverty, abuse, war-related family trauma, institutional mistreatment, and years of being misdiagnosed within psychiatric care. For 23 years, she was prescribed heavy medication, underwent 29 shock treatments, and...

🎧 Episode Description In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Miriam O’Callaghan opens up about the defining moments that shaped her life — from navigating high-pressure live television, to facing unimaginable personal loss, to raising eight children while working in the public eye. Miriam speaks candidly about the ups and downs of her pregnancies and births , the chaos of live political...

📝 Episode Description: In this fascinating and refreshingly honest conversation,  Laura Dowling  sits down with physiotherapist  Siobhan O'Donovan, better known as  The Boobie Physio , to unpack the hidden physical and emotional impact of breast weight on women’s lives. From posture and pain to sport, confidence, and hormonal changes, Siobhan reveals why so many women — r...

Deirdre O’Kane joins Laura for a funny, honest and wide-ranging conversation about what it was really like being one of the few women in stand-up when she started out. She talks about the early days of breaking through in a male-dominated industry, finding her own voice, the reality of long-term relationships, raising kids in the age of WhatsApp chaos, and using humour to get through tough times....

📝 Episode Description In this powerful episode of The Laura Dowling Experience , Laura sits down with advanced nurse practitioner and child psychotherapist Deirdre Mellet to unpack what’s really going on for teenagers today. From self-harm and emotional dysregulation to ADHD, anxiety, and the pressure of living in an overwhelming world, Dearbhla brings deep professional insight — and a lot of hea...

In this podcast episode, host Laura Dowling interviews Andrew Dunne, a former professional rugby player turned physiotherapist and founder of a clinic in Rathmines, Dublin. Andy discusses his transition from rugby to physiotherapy, driven by his own injury experiences and a pivotal conversation with a team doctor. He shares insights into his clinic's work, which focuses on helping patients, partic...

In this episode, Eileen shares her powerful story of overcoming a challenging upbringing in Ballymun, Dublin, during the heroin epidemic of the 1980s and 90s. She discusses her 14-year struggle with drug addiction, her journey to recovery, and how she found solace and a new path in hairdressing. Eileen is now the founder of 'Hair Together,' an award-winning social enterprise that teaches hairdress...

In this engaging podcast episode, Miriam Hussey, a former pharmacist who transitioned from traditional pharmacy to holistic health, discusses her transformative journey. Miriam shares her 'aha moment' that led her to realise that true health goes beyond prescriptions and requires addressing lifestyle and preventative measures. Highlighting the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and soul, Miriam...

In this episode of the Laura Dowling Experience, Matt Kaeberlein, a global leader in ageing science, discusses his mission to help people and animals live longer and healthier lives by modifying the biological mechanisms of ageing. Matt, CEO of Optisan, a healthcare technology company, talks about his transition from academia to entrepreneurship and highlights the importance of lifestyle factors—n...

In this episode, Laura welcomes Melissah, whose daughter Evie has Down Syndrome. Melissa shares her personal journey from pregnancy and the unexpected postnatal Down Syndrome diagnosis, to raising Evie and balancing life as a mother of three. The conversation highlights the importance of awareness and education about Down Syndrome, including Melissah's efforts through the annual Purple Run fundrai...

Keith Walsh is a broadcaster, writer, actor and mental heath advocate. We discuss how he self medicated with drugs, alcohol, exercise and food restriction until a diagnosis in his late forties of ADHD and autism. We chat about his childhood trauma his mental health struggles and advocacy and how he is ok with having no friends. This is a podcast for anyone who has ADHD or suspects that t...