We have spoken many times on the podcast about masculinity, something that has come under constant scrutiny in recent years as men try to navigate the problems, struggles and strengths of their being. As masculinity is being redefined, how can we raise young men in a supportive, encouraging manner so they can thrive?  Niall is joined by Jordan Conroy, Olympic athlete, Rugby 7s player and host of new RTE show 'Man Up'. Jordan has spent time working with young men from all different...

As we dive deeper into the social structures around mental health it is becoming abundantly clear that we need to find a new approach to treating people.  In this episode, Niall is joined by Robert Whitaker, a medical journalist, author and founder of Mad In America. Robert has dedicated his career to turning a critical lens on the work of psychiatry, debunking the claims of chemical imbalances and miracle treatments and tracing back the unimaginable history that still casts a shadow of...

There are many phases to move through when processing a difficult event or experience in your life. A good therapist will guide you as you encounter difficult emotions, learn to really feel them and then let them go. One of the most difficult and sometimes resisted parts of this process is forgiveness.  Niall is joined by our expert psychologists Louize Carroll and Dr. Tony Bates as they dissect the complexities of forgiveness. Although forgiveness can be incredibly freeing, it needs to be...

Title: What We’ve Become with Jonathan M. Metzl  Every single day we are seeing unbearable atrocities across the world and we have a front row seat to them through our phones and the media. When you add this to the cultural tensions and division being driven in our society, how does our psyche adapt?  Today Niall is joined by Jonathan M.Metzl, a psychiatrist and sociologist who has done immense work in researching and writing about gun violence and race in America. Jonathan’s unique lens...

Dealing with uncomfortable situations, conversations and feelings can be incredibly difficult and make us want to run for the hills, but getting comfortable with discomfort is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.  Having just presented at his first academic conference in Trinity College, Niall became engulfed by uncomfortable feelings when he got the call and in the month leading up to it. However, his mindfulness practice has taught him how to welcome these difficult...

Although many of us want to leave the Covid-19 pandemic in the past, it’s important we reflect and really consider the impact it had on us individually and societally, and the incredible coping skills it highlighted in us all.  Niall is joined by Dr. Brendan Kelly, a psychiatrist and author with a list of degrees as long as your arm, including epidemiology, health management, history and Buddhist studies. Brendan’s new book ‘Resilience’ looks back on the profound impact that Covid had on our...

Introducing Archetypes, a refreshing and dynamic podcast where Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, dives into the labels that try to hold women back. During these intimate and candid conversations with guests from around the world, we discover how these archetypes impact our everyday lives in ways big and small. With experts and historians, Meghan also uncovers how we got here in the first place – unearthing the origin of words such as ‘diva’, ‘slut’, ‘the B word’, ‘hysterical’, and many more, and...

In today’s society we come across a lot of grandiose characters. From politicians to social media gurus, in our careers and in our personal relationships, we’re bound to encounter people who have the biggest voice in the room and want everyone to believe their ideas and opinions are best.  In this episode of The Therapy Room, Niall is joined by our expert psychologists Louize Carroll and Dr. Tony Bates to break down the complexity of grandiosity in all its forms. They discuss the difference...

There is a paradigm shift happening in how we view our mental and physical health, recognising the innate link between our brains and our bodies. Physical health issues can impact our mental health and our mental health can impact our physical health. New emerging research is also beginning to show a link between trauma and chronic conditions like autoimmune disease.  Niall is joined by friend of the podcast Dr. Sara Gottfried, who you may remember from our ‘Hormone Health’ episode. Sara’s...

At a time when the events happening in the world are terrifying and overwhelming, it’s important we focus on what is in our control.  Niall is joined by renowned performance psychologist, coach and co-founder of ‘Soul Space’, Gerry Hussey. Gerry has a unique and holistic approach to personal development, which combines elements of psychology, mindfulness, spirituality, and physical health. Niall and Gerry, like the rest of the world, have been deeply affected by the atrocities happening in...

Ireland is rich with ancient wisdom and has a unique connection to spirituality and the land that has been carried forward by some incredible souls.  In this episode, Niall is joined by the beautiful soul Nóirín Ní Riain, an Interfaith Minister, an internationally acclaimed spiritual singer, theologian, writer, musicologist, and Celtic Spirituality expert. Nóirín’s relationship with spirituality began as a small troubled child, when she spent a lot of time in Glenstal Abbey near her home in...

Most of us end the year feeling burnt out and a little bit b@ll*xed and make promises to ourselves that next year will be different. Although a lot of us have felt or relate to being burnt out, it’s important we get to the route cause of what it actually is and what’s causing it.  Niall is joined by Dr. Sharon Grossman, aka The Burnout Doc and author of The 7E Solution to Burnout. As a self-professed over-achiever, Sharon has worked through her own experiences with burnout and now works with...

Do you ever find yourself feeling stuck? We can get lost in relationships, work, addiction issues, body struggles or other situations that leave us dealing with immense guilt and shame when we can’t shake ourselves out of it.  Niall is joined by Britt Frank, a neuropsychotherapist, teacher, trauma specialist and author of ‘The Science of Stuck’, a practical guide on the neuroscience of stuck-ness and how we can break free from the patterns that keep us there. Having experienced immense...

As we grow from babies into adults we learn to adapt ourselves to fit the environment we’re in. If we grow up in a space where our needs are not met emotionally, we can develop what has been coined the ‘Survivor Self’ or the adaptive self.  Niall is joined by our resident expert psychologists, Dr. Tony Bates and Louize Carroll, as we step inside the therapy room to see how our survival self can come to hurt us later in life. These patterns of behaviour can come to harm our relationships,...

January can be a difficult month for a lot of people, but we must hold onto hope even in the longest and darkest days.  Niall is joined by Dan Murphy, lead singer of Irish band Hermitage Green. The band’s latest single ‘Younger Days’ comes with a profound and timely message about our current mental health crisis, something Dan has seen burgeoning in his own hometown of Limerick, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Dan explains why now felt like the right time to...

As we take a slow approach to January Niall sits down to meander through his thoughts ahead of the new year.  After a health scare over Christmas, Niall reiterates his feelings on the ‘new year, new me’ b*llsh*t that gets thrown at us every January. Life isn’t a straight line and Niall shares how he navigated the intense emotions, the shift in perspective he stumbled upon in the process and why accepting change as the only certain thing in life can be very freeing.  Check out our 31 Days Of...

A very happy new year to all of our listeners. Before we move forward into 2024, we’re taking a look back at some of our biggest episodes of 2023.  From deeply moving conversations in the Men’s Shed in Ballybrack, to interviewing one of the world’s biggest rock stars live in the 3Olympia Theatre, we’ve had quite the eclectic year. However, at the core of every single one of our episodes is an immense passion to find out more about our human experience and the beautiful messiness of our heads...

A very happy Christmas to our wonderful Where Is My Mind? listeners, we hope you're enjoying a great festive break.  Hopefully most of you will be winding down and taking a much deserved rest, but we know this season can bring a lot of rush, full on family moments and it's own level of exhaustion.  That's why Niall is bringing you this moment of calm to help you through, to encourage to have a half hour to yourself, take some space or go for a walk. We hope you enjoy.  From all of us,...

For some people it’s the most wonderful time of the year but for other’s Christmas can be a time of great overwhelm, stress or sadness. It’s also a time when we’re thrown into all sorts of festivities, Christmas parties and meet ups, 12 pubs and pints with your mates, which all tend to centre around alcohol.  Although all of these events can be fun, December can really highlight our culture’s complicated relationship with alcohol. Niall is joined by psychotherapist, Olympic medalist and...

In the last number of months we’ve been exploring how social and societal factors impact the little piece of meat between our ears. Our biggest question, and challenge, is to break down barriers with governance to create better systems for mental health and wellbeing.  Niall is joined by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, to ask what the missing links are when it comes to Ireland's governance and our collective wellbeing. They discuss why policies often feel like...

Whether you’re a parent, guardian, teacher or anyone with children in your life, you have the power to do the work and build secure attachments that will support and bring safety to young people.  Raising children is probably the most difficult job you will ever do, and most people don’t want to pass on the pain they experienced in their own childhood. Niall is joined by one of Ireland’s top experts in child and adolescent mental health, Dr. Malie Coyne, who does immense work with children...

If we are ever going to truly help people, we need to change the way we look at people’s wellbeing and mental health. Exercising, breathwork, yoga, self help books and even mindfulness are all great tools, but they are not going to be the fix when our whole foundation is in tatters.  We’re back in the Therapy Room with our expert psychologists Louize Carroll and Dr. Tony Bates, taking a look at Gallup’s ‘Five Essential Elements of Well-Being’.  These are career, social, financial, physical...

Where is My Mind? has been on a tour of Ireland over the last number of weeks and we promised we'd bring you some of our most moving conversations from the road.  We have spoken many times about the harrowing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) report that came out earlier this year and how detrimental some of the treatment has been to children and young people. When Niall took the podcast to a stage in Listowel, Co. Kerry he knew he wanted to speak to local man Davin...

Rejection is a part of life, but it is one of the most difficult things to process and deal with.  Niall gives an insight into his own experience with rejection, as a musician, podcaster and personally. He tells the story of a very recent personal rejection, dissecting the emotions and reactions while appreciating the learnings and new directions it brought. He also presents one of his rejected projects, a guided meditation with music from the incredible Nick Zinner of the Yeah, Yeah,...

We live in an unequal society, one that doesn’t support or protect our most vulnerable and marginalised people. We can have all of the mental health programmes and motivational talks we want, but if people’s most basic needs aren’t being met how can we expect them to survive, never mind thrive?  Niall is joined by Katriona O’Sullivan, a Doctor of Psychology and Senior Lecturer who grew up in deep poverty. Having endured abuse, addicted parents, a teenage pregnancy, homelessness and a society...