Mind Your Self - Four Swans

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*This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care, therapy, or medical advice.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Four Swans Therapy.

If you are experiencing distress or need support, please seek help from a qualified mental health professional. If you are in crisis, contact your GP, local emergency services, or a crisis helpline in your area*.

Every life is also a story, and sharing our story can be a pathway to real freedom.

On this podcast, we hear from industry experts, experienced practitioners, and those with lived experience. We speak with people who have navigated deep challenges themselves, as well as those who dedicate their lives to helping others overcome difficulties.

We have asked them to share their insights and their experiences so that we can all learn how to better navigate our own struggles and find a way to mind ourselves.

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21 episodes
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Avg 36 min
English

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#28
Wednesday · 49 min
The Silent Struggle - Women's Health
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 women's healthcare, motherhood and self-advocacy. Together, we explore miscarriage, endometriosis, menopause, medical trauma, motherhood, and why women deserve to be heard, believed and treated with dignity. A powerful, honest conversation about resilience, compassion and creating change.
#27
August 16 · 34 min
The Mná Movement
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 holistic ways of living. She shares how women’s circles and gatherings are helping individuals move from isolation to empowerment, and why wellbeing is not a luxury but a necessity.
#26
August 8 · 37 min
Choosing Change
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 creativity has played in his healing, including the making of his first short film, Bereavement. Cian's story is an honest reminder that recovery is about much more than giving something up—it's about building a life worth staying present for. Whether you are navigating loss, supporting someone through addiction, or simply trying to find your way, this conversation is filled with hope, wisdom, and the message that it's never too late to change your story.
#25
August 1 · 38 min
The Body Keeps The Score
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 conversation about resilience, healing and finding your way back to life beyond survival.
#24
July 26 · 34 min
Behind Closed Doors
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 unpack the warning signs of narcissistic relationships, challenge common misconceptions, and examine why survivors often struggle to leave or even recognise the abuse they are experiencing. The discussion highlights the importance of trauma-informed support, healthy boundaries, self-compassion, and the possibility of healing and recovery. Whether you are a survivor, supporting a loved one, a helping professional, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of trauma and recovery, this episode offers insight, validation, and hope. Above all, it reminds listeners that they are not alone and that healing is possible.
#23
July 18 · 33 min
Living with Loss
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 long shadow of COVID bereavement. Together, we discuss how grief evolves over time, the loneliness many people quietly carry, and the unexpected clarity, resilience, and growth that can emerge through loss. This conversation offers validation, hope, and a reminder that grief and joy can coexist, and that healing doesn’t mean forgetting.
#22
July 11 · 35 min
Modern Masculinity
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 today’s world. Together, we discuss brotherhood, nervous system regulation, accountability, identity, and why so many young men are searching for meaning beyond surface-level success. This episode is an honest conversation about growth, community, and becoming the man you are meant to be.
#21
July 4 · 43 min
Change is Possible
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. Drawing on both lived experience and professional insight, they explore why recovery is possible and how even the darkest chapters can lead to transformation. A powerful episode for anyone affected by addiction whether personally or through someone they love.
#20
June 27 · 24 min
The Great Escape
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 wellbeing. Together, we discuss adventures, finding meaning in everyday life, and how nature can support both mental and emotional health
#19
June 21 · 44 min
Back to Basics
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 it really means to come back to yourself. From breathwork and body awareness to the subtle ways trauma lives within us, this episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with small, honest shifts. If you have ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected, or like you’re running on empty, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are
#18
June 14 · 23 min
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
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 how simple tools rooted in connection, creativity, mindfulness, and emotional safety can make a powerful difference. Lisa also opens up about the deeply personal journey that led her to walk away from a permanent teaching career to follow a path that felt truly aligned with her purpose. Together, we discuss burnout, perfectionism, identity, self-worth, and the importance of slowing down long enough to ask: Who am I outside of the roles I play for everyone else? This episode is for parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone navigating change, seeking balance, or longing to live more authentically.
#17
June 6 · 46 min
Dancing in the Rain
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 emotional exhaustion, ADHD, single motherhood, and the transformative role that therapy can play in helping us reconnect with ourselves. This episode is a reminder that even in the middle of the storm, brighter moments can still exist. A powerful conversation for mothers, women carrying invisible loads, and anyone trying to find themselves again after difficult seasons of life.
#16
June 2 · 36 min
A Life Rewritten
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 what it means to rebuild a life with truth, resilience, and compassion, while still reaching for light.
#15
May 30 · 37 min
Motherhood Unfiltered
<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 topics like intrusive thoughts, identity shifts, and the myth that mothers should be able to do it all. <span;>A must-listen for new and expecting parents, therapists, and anyone navigating the challenges of parenting, this episode offers reassurance, understanding, and a powerful reminder that you are not alone
#14
May 23 · 43 min
Consciously Connected
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, but helped him truly reset We dive into the simplicity behind breathwork, why something so basic is often overlooked, and how just a few minutes a day can calm your nervous system, improve sleep, and reduce stress.. anytime, anywhere. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, constantly switched on, or simply curious about breathwork, this episode will leave you with practical tools and a new perspective on how to find calm in a chaotic world.
#13
May 15 · 38 min
The Weight of Worth
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 surgery in Latvia, she opens up about the mindset shifts, resilience, and inner work that led her to take back control of her body, mind, and life. Together, we unpack the often misunderstood reality of bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery (most common procedures being gastric sleeve or gastric by-pass) challenging the idea that it’s an easy way out and reframing it as a long-term tool that requires commitment, courage, and self-compassion. This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with self-worth, body image, or feeling disconnected from themselves. It’s a reminder that change is possible and that choosing yourself is one of the most powerful decisions you can make.
#12
May 9 · 27 min
Navigating Grief and Reclaiming Life
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 perspective, one where grief can coexist with growth, meaning and hope. For anyone working through loss, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers reassurance, honesty, and hope that life can be lived fully again, even after heartbreak.
#11
May 3 · 40 min
Finding Your Voice
Psychotherapist Alan Dignam opens up about his personal journey of growing up feeling different, and how that path led him into psychotherapy and teaching. He speaks candidly about identity, resilience, and the importance of creating safe, informed spaces for LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse clients. This episode is a powerful reminder that what once made us feel isolated can become our greatest strength.
#10
April 28 · 29 min
Feeling is Healing
In this powerful and deeply human conversation, we are joined by Aine Whelan, Movement and Healing Facilitator and founder of Heart & Soul studio. Aine shares her journey of navigating mental health and spiritual awakening from a young age, challenging the idea that we are our diagnoses rather than experiencing them. Through honest reflection, she explores the importance of soul-searching, movement, and the power of plant medicines as pathways to healing. Expect a heartfelt conversation that is grounding, empowering, and soulful, reminding you of your own limitless potential.
#9
April 26 · 34 min
From Chaos to Connection
A powerful, honest conversation offering hope to anyone struggling with addiction, or supporting someone who is. Alan O’Brien shares his raw and transformative journey from early addiction and inner turmoil to over 20 years in recovery. An alcoholic by the time he reached his teens, he speaks openly about the emotional and psychological root causes of his addiction, the courage it takes to ask for help, and the painful experiences that lie beneath the surface. With clarity and compassion, he speaks about the turning points that led him to seek help, and the ongoing commitment required to stay on a path of healing. Alan challenges the idea of a one-size-fits-all solution and instead highlights the deeply personal nature of recovery. This conversation goes beyond addiction. It explores resilience, self-awareness, and what it truly means to rebuild a life and offers reassurance that change is possible.

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