Bealtaine – The Hill of Uisneach, Handfasting and the Hawthorn

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.