Explore every episode of the podcast Healing Gals Podcast

This is Part 2 of my conversation with accredited psychotherapist and co-author of You're Not the Problem, Katie McKenna—and it's also the final episode of Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast!

In Part 1, Katie and I explored the wounded healer: the person who may be drawn towards a caring profession because of experiences in childhood that taught them to become highly attuned to other people's needs.

In this episode, we take that conversation further.

We explore why wounded healers can struggle with boundaries, rest and asking for help. We talk about hypervigilance, the fear of being "in trouble", rejection, learning to identify a safe person and what healthy relationships can teach us about healing.

We also explore the saviour complex, the difference between helping and rescuing, and one of the biggest questions of the episode:

What if something you think is your personality is actually a trauma response?

At the beginning of the episode, I also speak about my experience working in mainstream residential care, the state of our social care and juvenile justice systems, and the recent concerns around young people engaging in dangerous behaviour for social media attention. This opens up a wider conversation about patriarchy, the systems we create and how we can begin bringing more nurturing, relational and community-centred values into our own lives.

• Wounded healers and boundaries
• Why rest can be difficult
• Struggling to ask for help
• Learning to receive
• Hypervigilance
• Fear of being "in trouble"
• Fear of rejection
• Identifying a safe person
• Healthy relationships and healing
• The saviour complex
• Helping vs rescuing
• Your personality vs your trauma responses
• Patriarchy and our social systems
• Young people, belonging and social media
• What a more nurturing culture could look like

This conversation is particularly personal for me because I worked in mainstream residential care for 12 years and identify as a recovering wounded healer.

Perhaps healing isn't about becoming less caring.

Perhaps it's about learning that you can care deeply for other people without abandoning yourself.

Katie is an accredited psychotherapist and co-author of You're Not the Problem. She specialises in parentification, emotional abuse and breaking generational trauma.

You can find Katie and take her nervous system quiz at:

www.katiemckenna.ie

If you have gotten anything helpful from Season 6 of the podcast, and you feel you'd like to send a few euro as thanks on my Buy Me A Coffee Link you can do so here: buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Thank you so much!

Season 6 is proudly sponsored by DARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both on and off the mat.

Visit www.daramats.com and follow @daramats on Instagram.

Don't forget to use the exclusive Healing Gals listener discount shared during the episode.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, therapy or mental health support.

If this episode brings up anything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcare professional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services:

Samaritans — 116 123
Pieta — 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444
Text About It — text HELLO to 50808
HSE Mental Health Services

And that's a wrap on Season 6. ❤️

Thank you for listening, sharing, supporting and being part of Healing Gals.

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

This week I'm joined by accredited psychotherapist and co-author of the international bestselling book You're Not the Problem, Katie McKenna, to explore the concept of the wounded healer.

This conversation is particularly personal for me. I worked in mainstream residential care for 12 years and identify as with this role. Looking back, I can see how some of my own childhood experiences and unmet needs influenced the way I showed up in caring roles.

Katie and I explore the kinds of childhood experiences that can lead someone towards caring professions such as social care, social work, nursing and psychotherapy, and how we can become so attuned to other people's needs that we lose touch with our own.

We talk about the "empath", growing up with a narcissistic parent, identifying our own needs, the difference between helping and rescuing, and what happens when being needed becomes part of our identity.

We also discuss the nervous system and Katie's quiz, available on her website, which can help you identify your number and understand more about how your nervous system is functioning.

Find Katie & take the quiz:
www.katiemckenna.ie

• The wounded healer
• Childhood and caring professions
• Unmet needs and adult careers
• Social care, social work and nursing
• The "empath"
• Narcissistic parents
• Identifying our own needs
• Helping vs rescuing
• The nervous system
• Being needed as an identity
• Molly's 12 years in residential care
• Evolving away from that role of the wounded healer
• Learning to care without abandoning yourself.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared in every episode.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, therapy or mental health support.

If this episode brings up anything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcare professional or trusted support service.

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are. 💛

This week is Part 2 of my conversation with The Mindful Physio, Caoimhe Gibney.

In Part 1, we explored the science of intergenerational trauma and epigenetics. This week, we turn our attention to the stories passed down through generations that shape what women believe about themselves, relationships, motherhood, ageing and belonging.

Together we discuss inherited beliefs about womanhood, honouring older women, calling people in instead of calling them out, the Maiden, Mother and Crone archetypes, embodiment as resistance, weight gain, healthy masculinity, lessons from nature and much more.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored by DARA Mats. Visit www.daramats.com to explore their luxury yoga mats and don't forget the exclusive listener discount shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, therapy or mental health support.

If this episode brings up anything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcare professional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services
• Samaritans – 116 123
• Pieta – 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444
• Text About It – Text HELLO to 50808
• HSE Mental Health Services

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

Can trauma be inherited?

In this episode of the Healing Gals Podcast, Molly sits down with somatic specialist physiotherapist Caoimhe Gibney to explore how intergenerational trauma shapes our bodies, relationships and everyday lives—and how we can begin to heal.

Together they discuss what somatics really is, why our nervous systems hold onto stress long after danger has passed, and why so many women struggle with over-giving, people pleasing, asking for help and setting boundaries.

Molly also reflects on the legacy of Ireland's Mother and Baby Homes, including Bessborough and Tuam, and the profound impact these institutions continue to have on generations of Irish women.

Topics include:
• Intergenerational trauma
• Somatics
• Trauma stored in the body
• Nervous system regulation
• Healthy anger
• Boundaries
• Women's resilience
• Being judged
• Breaking generational cycles
• Caoimhe's journey into somatic healing

At the end of the episode Molly recommends the RTÉ documentaries Missing Children and Testimony for anyone wishing to understand more about Ireland's institutional trauma and its lasting impact.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and share it with someone who would benefit from the conversation.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

Award-winning Irish comedian Sophia Wren joins Molly for a funny, honest and heartwarming conversation about life on and off the stage.

From winning Show Me The Funny within two years of starting stand-up to becoming a finalist in So You Think You're Funny?, Sophia shares how she found comedy, the challenges of being a woman in the industry, dealing with hecklers, and why therapy and living according to your values have shaped both her career and her life.

The conversation also explores motherhood, postnatal depression, protecting your children's privacy while using personal stories in your work, and the lessons Sophia wishes she'd learned sooner. Naturally, there's plenty of laughter along the way, finishing with some fun quick-fire questions.

• How Molly and Sophia met
• Getting started in stand-up comedy
• Female comedians and misogyny
• Therapy and personal growth
• Values-based decision making
• Handling hecklers
• Comedy audience etiquette
• Young motherhood
• Postnatal depression
• Margot's Got Money Problems
• Sharing personal stories while respecting family privacy
• Advice for aspiring female comedians
• Quick-fire questions

🎟️ Sophia's new stand-up show, The Luckiest Girl in the World, is on sale now.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and share it with a friend—it really helps more people discover the show.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

Part two of Molly's conversation with psychotherapist, sociology lecturer and accidental activist Karen Sugrue explores one question that affects thousands of women every year: What happens when women complain?

Karen shares the research behind When Women Complain, a University of Limerick project investigating workplace misogyny, sexism, harassment and the way complaints procedures often retraumatise the very people they're meant to protect.

Together, Molly and Karen discuss why speaking up can come at such a personal cost, how patriarchy continues to shape workplaces, and why making complaints is one of the most important forms of activism available to women.

In this episode we discuss:

• The When Women Complain research project
• Workplace misogyny, sexism and harassment
• Bullying and toxic workplace cultures
• How complaints procedures can become another form of abuse
• The impact of workplace discrimination on women's health
• Why women experience higher levels of retaliation after speaking up
• The Women of Honour movement
• How patriarchy divides women
• The role of activism in creating change
• Beauty standards and rejecting impossible expectations
• Books and ideas from Sarah Ahmed and Caitlin Moran

Karen's message is simple:

"Make more complaints."

If you have experience you'd like to contribute to the research, you can contact Karen at:
📧 whenwomencomplain@gmail.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠⁠www.daramats.com⁠⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

In this powerful episode of Healing Gals Podcast, I’m joined by psychotherapist, sociology lecturer, and accidental activist Karen Sugrue for a deeply honest conversation about motherhood, feminism, activism, and the urgent fight for trans rights and reproductive justice in Ireland.

Karen shares her experience as co-chair of Mammies for Trans Rights alongside Claire Flynn, speaking candidly about the fears many parents carry when raising trans children, the harmful pressures around “passing,” and why protecting trans lives and dignity matters now more than ever.

We also talk about Karen’s activism in the fight for reproductive rights through Together for Safety, and the campaign for safe access zones with voices like Evie Murphy, Jan O’Sullivan, and Annie Hoey helping to push this work forward.

This conversation goes far beyond policy. We explore the emotional and social realities women are carrying right now — from the devastating impact of Covid, to the unequal burden of care placed on women, to the importance of honouring our bodies, trusting ourselves, and believing other women.

We also unpack the rise of the far right, the power of speaking up, and why, as Karen says, the act of complaining can be an act of power.

We touch on the work and writing of feminist thinkers including Mona Eltahawy, Kimberlé Crenshaw, bell hooks, and Sarah Ahmed, and discuss the links between misogyny, racism, dehumanisation, and the violence women continue to face online and offline.

This is a conversation about courage, care, resistance, and what it means to keep showing up for each other.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Karen’s work as a psychotherapist, sociology lecturer, and activist

• Parenting, fear, and advocacy when your child is trans

• Mammies for Trans Rights and the fight for trans safety and dignity

• The pressure and politics of “passing”

• The rise of far-right narratives and anti-trans rhetoric

• Reproductive rights activism and the campaign for safe access zones

• The unequal burden women carried during Covid

• Care work, emotional labour, and honouring our bodies

• Believing ourselves and believing other women

• Feminist texts and thinkers shaping this work

• Racism, dehumanisation, and violence against women in digital spaces

If this episode resonated with you, please share it, rate the podcast, and send it to someone who needs to hear it.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

What is it really like to work as a stripper? And how do you let go of the shame society places on women who own their sexuality?

In this episode of Healing Gals Podcast, I sit down with Daria Decollette—former stripper, burlesque performer, and founder of All That Glitters—to talk about her journey from dancer to stripping, and ultimately finding purpose, confidence, and creative freedom through burlesque.

Daria shares the realities of working in the stripping industry, including financial exploitation, the lack of protections for sex workers, and the stigma that often follows women long after they leave the industry. She also opens up about body confidence, embracing her sexuality without shame, and how being rejected from her dream opportunities ultimately led her to a life that felt far more aligned.

This is an honest conversation about resilience, self-acceptance, healing, and learning that sometimes life's biggest setbacks become our greatest redirections.

✨ In this episode, we discuss:

• From dancer to stripper to burlesque performer
• Body confidence and self-acceptance
• Owning your sexuality without shame
• The realities of stripping and sex work
• Financial exploitation and lack of workplace protections
• Releasing shame from your past
• Rejection as redirection
• Finding purpose through unexpected opportunities
• Building All That Glitters, a burlesque cabaret in Drogheda

If this conversation resonates with you, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs this reminder: your past doesn't define your future.

💛 Subscribe for more conversations on healing, authenticity, and reconnecting with the woman beneath society's conditioning.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

#HealingGalsPodcast #BodyConfidence #Burlesque #SelfAcceptance #SexWork #HealingJourney #FemaleEmpowerment #Confidence #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealth #WomenSupportingWomen #Authenticity

Molly chats about her experience of Festival Mná and why every woman in Ireland could go there and enjoy such a powerful, special day!

In honor of Father's Day, Molly discusses blending families and how she navigated this.

Molly introduces a new segment called "What's Online?", where she discusses some reels/TikToks she has seen online that raise important points for the gals.

Then Molly explores how one of the Love Island contestants seems to be suppressing healthy anger. Molly talks about how she manages her anger and ensures she expresses it and takes care of her health in this regard.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both on and off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠⁠www.daramats.com⁠⁠ and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively for Healing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcare professional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

Molly sits down with political commentator, podcaster andqueen, Dee Makofane. Dee has her own podcast about the Irish Political system and her insights and commentary are super! Topics covered:

How the Irish political system works

Impact of Trump on Irish/world politics

Irish parties (left and right)

Feminism &Intersectional Feminism

Saying "I don't know" when you don't know!

Who benefits from the current policies made by IrishGovernment

Living at home as adults

Out of Touch politicians

Ruth Coppinger

Zohran Mamdani

Catch Up with Louise McSharry

Holly Cairns

Getting into Politics

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠⁠www.daramats.com⁠⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings up anything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠⁠

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

 

Welcome back to Season 6 of Healing Gals Podcast! In this episode, Molly discusses perimenopause and her new business, Evertold (which may include a discount for Healing Gals Podcast listeners).

Molly then sits down with Laura Martyn, founder of DARA MATS to discuss:

-Sponsoring Healing Gals Podcast

-Her career in An Garda Siochana and her reasons for leaving. -Her experiences as a member of An Garda Siochana and how difficult it was at times working for that organisation.

-Laura shares her experience of overcoming burnout and creating a new career for herself.

-How DARA MATS was born and why she chose to make luxury yoga mats that you will not find anywhere else.

-The process of design and business building.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored by DARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both on and off the mat. You can explore the full collection at www.daramats.com and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, new launches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively for Healing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.

Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings up anything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcare professional or trusted support service.

Ireland Support Services:
• Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7 support)
• Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444
• Text About It – Free text HELLO to 50808
• HSE Mental Health Supports: HSE Mental Health Services

Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

In preparation for season 6, Molly sits down in her first-ever video podcast to discuss the things she got wrong. Which includes but is not limited to:

-Recommending Dax Shepard and his podcast Armchair Expert

-Being controlling about her then boyfriend, now husband, keeping in touch on nights out

-Expecting perfect behaviour from hurt people

-Thinking men doing therapy is enough, it's not

-Saying "I don't expect a Matriarchy", spoiler alert, she does!

-Thinking she will have to settle for a mediocre man

This list is not exhaustive, although it can be exhausting lol!

If you enjoy the episode and want to support Molly to keep bringing these episodes, you can buy her a coffee on the link below:

buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Just a little reminder—this podcast is here to share stories, perspectives, and experiences, not to replace therapy or professional advice

You can find a list of support services in Ireland on the following website:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/#:~:text=Pieta,Website:%20textaboutit.ie

S5 Ep11 — The Gals, The Patriarchy, & The Dilemma

For the Season 5 finale, Molly sits down with Aisling for an honest, wide-ranging end-of-season chat. From the small things that quietly improve our lives to the big systems that shape us, this episode blends humour, vulnerability, and reflection in true Healing Gals style.

Topics Covered

• Small changes that improved our lives
• Gubby Soap Company (Discount code: HEALING15)
• Aisling’s experience of harassment
• Dinner with the Enemy
• Growing up in strict religion
• Patriarchy & religion
• The male loneliness epidemic
• Increasing fruit intake
• Lily’s album & book + a new take on David Harbour
• Listener’s Dilemma

A thoughtful, funny, and heartfelt conversation to close out Season 5.

Support the Podcast

The Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show.

If this episode resonated, support the podcast by buying Molly a coffee:

 buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Connect

Have a dilemma or topic you’d like discussed?

 healinggalspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is a solo episode where Molly discusses things she is leaving behind in 2025 and things she is bringing into 2026. Molly shares a very exciting opportunity for her listeners, her new legacy service, Capsule Conversations. Capsule Conversations is a guided legacy service that gently records the voice, stories, and memories of someone you love, or of yourself. Through a professionally held conversation, we create an audio time capsule that families can return to for years to come — a voice preserved, a presence kept close. This is not a rushed recording or a scripted interview.

It’s a calm, thoughtful conversation, held with care, emotional intelligence, and deep respect for the person sharing their story.

Each Capsule Conversation is delivered as a beautifully packaged keepsake.

This work is especially for families with older or unwell loved ones — but it’s also for anyone who values memory, connection, and legacy.

Capsule Conversations is launching in Ireland in 2026. Follow on Instagram for updates.

 Support the PodcastThe Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/HealinggalspodcastYour support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming. Connect with MollyHave a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Molly is joined by the gorgeous Stephen (aka Annie Queeries / Mannie Queeries) for a deeply moving, funny, and heart-opening conversation. Stephen is a drag performer, podcaster, content creator, and all-round angel.

Together, they explore what it’s like to grow up outside of the narrow “box” men are expected to fit into, and the profound impact of being rejected by society for simply being yourself. Stephen shares honestly about his formative years, homophobia, identity, and the long-term effects of emotional disconnection.

This episode also tenderly holds space for grief, as Stephen speaks about the very recent passing of his mam, how giving up alcohol changed his life, and what healthy love looks like when you finally believe you deserve it.

You are going to laugh, cry, and feel so seen listening to this one, gals.

Topics We Cover

• Stephen’s hilarious TikTok videos
• Growing up queer and experiencing homophobia
• Reclaiming and unpacking “the F word”
• Exploring identity outside rigid gender norms
• The impact of societal rejection on self-worth
• The magic of female friendships
• Alok Vaid-Menon and gender expansiveness
• The conditioning men receive under patriarchy
• How emotional disconnection leads to long-term health issues
• Finding sexuality confusing and unsafe in a rigid world
• The powerful “I deserve” tool
• Giving up alcohol and choosing self-respect
• Changing career paths later in life
• Redefining healthy love
• Losing a mam to cancer
• Grief, funerals, and honouring life after loss

 Support the PodcastThe Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/HealinggalspodcastYour support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming. Connect with MollyHave a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 5, Episode 8 – VALUES; Don’t Betray Yourself features gorgeous conversation between Molly and Katelyn Divilly, the only female Traitor from The Traitors Ireland Season One. Katelyn is an Organisational Development Consultant who works closely with teams to improve leadership, culture, and performance. In this episode, she brings both her professional insight and personal experience to a deep, honest exploration of values — how to identify them, live by them, and what happens when we betray them. At the very start of the episode, Molly also shares grounded, compassionate tips for navigating the Christmas season when you’re surrounded by dysfunctional family dynamics.

Together, Molly and Katelyn unpack why values are foundational to living a good life, making aligned decisions, and maintaining self-trust — especially in environments shaped by misogyny, poor leadership, or limiting beliefs. Drawing on psychology, real-life examples, and moments of humour and reflection, the conversation moves through identity, rest, nature, and relationships, asking what it really means to perform well as an individual and as part of a team. They also explore whether shared values are essential in romantic partnerships, how bad management can erode personal integrity, and why slowing down — through rest, walking, or even the Camino — is not optional but essential.

Topics covered:

• Tips for surviving the Christmas season with dysfunctional family members
• Having “special energy” and protecting it
• The Aileen Wuornos serial killer documentary on Netflix
• Misogyny and its impact on women
• The Traitors Ireland: impact and lived experience
• Limiting beliefs and negative vs positive self-talk
• We are nature, not separate from it
• VALUES: how to identify them and why they matter
• The Peter Principle in leadership
• Martin Seligman and Values in Action
• Meeting a partner: do they need the same values as you?
• Core values vs secondary values
• Bad managers and managers who compromise your values
• Tattoos as identity and meaning
• This Is Not a Self-Help Book, But It Might Just Help You by Mark Mehigan
• Rest as essential
• Walking the Camino and slowing down.

 Support the PodcastThe Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/HealinggalspodcastYour support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming. Connect with MollyHave a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Molly sits down with Lorraine Hogan, founder of Festival Mná.

Lorraine shares her personal journey to creating Festival Mná and the vision behind a space devoted to celebrating women in all stages of life.

✨ Topics Covered:

• Lorraine’s path to creating Festival Mná
• Perimenopause & menopause as rites of passage
• Women as a collective and the power of gathering
• What to expect from Festival Mná
• The 2025 theme: REBIRTH
• Remembering how special women truly are
• What holds women back from stepping fully into themselves
• Self-advocacy: where to start and how to grow

For more information go to festival mná go to @festivalmná on all socials, visit https://festivalmna.com/ or go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/festival-mna-2026-tickets-1401554630629 for tickets.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this important and necessary episode of Healing Gals Podcast, Molly sits down with well-known Irish solicitor Terry Gorry to discuss how women are impacted by and navigate the Irish justice system after experiencing abuse. This conversation offers both legal insight and cultural context, shedding light on the realities women face when seeking safety, protection, and justice.

Terry explains the different legal protections available to women, including barring orders, protection orders and safety orders, outlining what each means and when they may apply. He speaks openly about the challenges women encounter when engaging with the courts and the emotional and practical barriers that often exist when attempting to leave abusive situations.The conversation also explores wider societal issues, including the rise of the manosphere and increasing male violence, and how these cultural shifts are influencing attitudes towards women. Terry reflects on how becoming a father to daughters deepened his awareness of women’s lived experiences and shaped his understanding of gendered harm.Molly and Terry discuss sexual harassment, including harassment in the workplace, and Terry shares his experience taking cases on behalf of women who have been sexually harassed. They also delve into divorce and separation, highlighting what women need to consider, how the courts approach access, the reality of so-called deadbeat dads, maintenance obligations, and whether men can be legally compelled to pay maintenance. The episode also touches on Jenny’s Law and the case of Jason Poole, and why these issues matter for women’s safety and legal reform in Ireland.Following the interview, Molly reflects on how the government’s current housing policies are keeping women trapped in unsafe and abusive situations, challenging the narrative that women can simply leave. She highlights how lack of housing options continues to force women to choose between homelessness and harm, and why systemic change is urgently needed.This episode is essential listening for women navigating abuse, separation, or the Irish legal system, and for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how patriarchy, policy and justice intersect in women’s lives. Support the PodcastThe Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/HealinggalspodcastYour support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming. Connect with MollyHave a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful and surprisingly hilarious episode of Healing Gals Podcast, host Molly Smyth sits down with breakup coach, retreat facilitator, women’s circle leader, and celebrant Kelly Hunt. Together, they explore what it really looks like to reclaim yourself after heartbreak, betrayal, or the quiet unraveling of a relationship that was never aligned with your soul.

Kelly opens up about her own divorce journey—including why she threw a divorce party to celebrate closing a chapter that no longer served her and stepping boldly into the life she was meant to live. She shares how her personal healing led her to her purpose: guiding women through breakups, transitions, and deep self-rediscovery.

And then… things take a turn in the best way.

Molly revisits emails sent by a former boyfriend—the same boyfriend whose cheating she unpacked in Season 1, Episode 1 (“Shame”). With new clarity and a lot more humor, Molly and Kelly break down the manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional gymnastics hiding in plain sight within those old messages. What once felt confusing or painful is now unmistakable—and honestly, pretty funny—when viewed through a healed lens.

This episode is equal parts empowerment, catharsis, sisterhood, and comedic relief. If you’ve ever doubted your intuition, ignored red flags, or felt ashamed for trusting the wrong person… this one is for you.

Topics covered:

• Kelly’s divorce journey and why she chose to celebrate it
• How she became a breakup coach, retreat facilitator, and celebrant
• The power of community, women’s circles, and ritual during life transitions
• What healing looks like when you finally choose you
• Molly’s past experience with infidelity and the emotional chaos of not knowing
• Live reactions to real emails from Molly’s ex—featuring gaslighting, manipulation, and accidental comedy
• How hindsight turns pain into clarity… and sometimes into laughter
• Reframing shame after being cheated on
• Why reclaiming your story is one of the most liberating parts of healing

 If You Enjoyed This Episode…

Please follow, rate, and leave a review—it helps the Healing Gals community grow and supports conversations that help women reconnect to who they were before the world got its hands on them.

 Support the Podcast

The Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.

If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee:

 buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Your support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming.

 Connect with Molly

Have a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?

Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Remember, You're good enough exactly as you are 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S5 Ep4: Is My Parent A Narcissist? with Accredited Psychotherapist Kaite McKenna

In this powerful episode of Healing Gals Podcast, I’m joined by accredited psychotherapist, podcaster, and author Katie McKenna—host of the acclaimed podcast Beyond Survival and co-author of International Best Selling book You’re Not the Problem.

Together, we dive deep into the complex dynamics of growing up with a narcissistic parent and how this differs from being raised by an emotionally immature parent. Katie breaks down the core traits of narcissistic parenting and the subtle—but profoundly damaging—patterns that can show up in families affected by this dynamic.

We explore:

• What truly defines a narcissistic parent
• How narcissism differs from emotional immaturity
• The impact this parenting style has on the entire family system
• The roles siblings often fall into—and why they compete, clash, or disconnect
• Common dysfunctional family behaviours that keep the cycle going
• The roles children adopt to survive: the hero, the scapegoat, the lost child, the peacemaker, and more

Katie shares countless real-life examples throughout our conversation, making it easier for listeners to identify if they have experienced—or are currently experiencing—these patterns in their own families.

This episode is validating, eye-opening, and deeply empowering for anyone on a healing journey from childhood dysfunction.

 Support the Podcast

The Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.

If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee:

 buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Your support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming.

 Connect with Molly

Have a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?

Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Remember, You're good enough exactly as you are 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S5 Episode 3: Dance Yourself Free with Bonnie Boux

This week on the Healing Gals Podcast, Molly is joined by the radiant force that is Miss Burlesque Ireland, Bonnie Boux — a woman who has burst onto the burlesque stage with a hypnotic blend of classic burlesque glamour, hip-hop energy, and a comedic spark that is utterly unmatched.

Known offstage as Sinead Gould, Bonnie is not only a celebrated performer but also a choreographer, international dancer, breathwork instructor, celebrant (“The Irish Soul Celebrant”), MC/presenter, event organiser, community curator, and energy healer. With a résumé as diverse as her artistry, Bonnie embodies what it means to live boldly and unapologetically.

At the heart of her work is her personal mantra: “Dance Yourself Free.”

It’s a philosophy that has empowered her students, clients, and audiences to embrace self-love, confidence, and authentic expression — and it’s exactly the energy she brings to this conversation.

In This Episode, Bonnie & Molly Dive Into:

✨ Self-expression as a path to healing

✨ Letting go of shame and reclaiming our voices

✨ Burlesque and the power of women owning their sexuality

✨ Dance as medicine for the mind, body, and soul

✨ How to nourish yourself in a chaotic, busy world

✨ Designing a life that feels true to you

✨ What it means to be a celebrant and hold space for others

✨ Living freely, boldly, and with radical confidence

If you’re craving inspiration from a woman who embodies freedom and encourages everyone she meets to shine brighter, you’re in for a treat.

Enjoy, gals — and get ready to Dance Yourself Free! 💃✨

🎧 Support the Podcast

The Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.

If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee:

👉 buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Your support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming.

💌 Connect with Molly

Have a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?

Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Remember, You're good enough exactly as you are 🐝

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S5 Ep2 Breaking Patterns, Rebuilding Sisterhood (Part Two)

In this week's episode, Molly briefly discusses WhatsApp groups and boundaries with our phones and notifications on.

Molly continues her conversation with her lovely sister, Tan Lynch. They discuss how they repaired their broken sisterhood and how they plan to maintain their relationship from now on.

Molly opens up about one of her most difficult traumas (trigger warning: serious assault discussed). Although Molly and Tan have lived through this situation, they have never discussed that day with each other until now.

Tan shares how Molly has supported her in a difficult time in Tan's relationship with her son.

They also discuss how their values have kept them on a course they are both proud of.

The book discussed is called "How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole Le Pera

How to Do the Work — Nicole LePera

🎧 Support the Podcast

The Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.

If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee:

👉 buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Your support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming.

💌 Connect with Molly

Have a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?

Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Remember, You're good enough exactly as you are 🐝

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S5 Ep 1 Our Broken Sisterhood — A Conversation with Tan Lynch (Part One)

In this long-overdue and deeply honest conversation, Molly sits down with her sister, Tan Lynch, to explore how their once-close sisterhood became fractured over the years.

Together, they unpack:

✨ How Tan, as the eldest, was parentified from a young age, shaping their dynamic into one of “sister/parent” rather than equals.

✨ How Molly’s rejection of Tan through the years reflected their unspoken pain and survival patterns.

✨ How, as both became independent parents, they needed each other deeply—but often couldn’t stand each other.

✨ How their relationship became transactional, and what it takes to begin finding their way back to true sisterhood.

This is Part One of a two-part conversation, filled with tenderness, truth, and the kind of messy healing that only family can bring.

Part Two will be released next week 🫶🏽

🎧 Support the Podcast

The Healing Gals Podcast is a one-woman show — Molly records, edits, and promotes every episode herself.

If you’ve received something meaningful from this conversation, consider supporting the show by buying Molly a coffee:

👉 buymeacoffee.com/Healinggalspodcast

Your support helps keep these heartfelt, healing conversations coming.

💌 Connect with Molly

Have a dilemma or topic you’d love to hear discussed on the podcast?

Email Molly at healinggalspodcast@gmail.com — she’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daragh Fleming (author of Lonely Boy and A Brief Inhalation) is a writer from Cork, Ireland. He has work appearing in several literary magazines including Southword, Crannóg, Stand, Gutter, and more. He was highly commended for both the Patrick Kavanagh Award and the Fool For Poetry Prize in 2023, and shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize in 2024. He won the From The Well Competition in 2021 and the Ducairn Flash Competition in 2024. Daragh was also recently shortlisted for two Mental Health Media Award for his TEDx Talk on using creativity to enhance and maintain our mental health.

Daragh sits with Molly to have a discussion about how good men can make the world better for women. And Daragh's perspective might surprise you. Topics covered:

• Chloe Koyce incident
• Good men helping women/advocating for women's safety
• How we socialise boys
• Men not being able to cry
• Blindboy's episode How to speak to men who have an unhelpful view of masculinity
• evolutionary psychology
• Daragh's friend who died by suicide
• Grief
• Emotional Anadonia
• Daragh's Ted X Talk
• Advice for men
• Creativity
• Natasha O'Brien and Aisling Murphy
• The Patriarchy
• Study on male health gave us the figures of perpetrators of male violence;
• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/03/one-in-three-australian-men-say-they-have-committed-intimate-partner-violence-world-first-research-finds

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S4 Ep 12 Beyond Surviving with Ciara Mangan. In the intro, Molly discusses travelling on her own for the first time ever to see BEYONCÉ! and what she learned from that experience. Molly also has a chat about good men and not settling for people who don't share your values. Now let's get to the episode.....

Ciara Mangan is the founder of Beyond Surviving, a survivor-led charity organisation dedicated to connecting survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, and supporting their healing, wellbeing, and growth—beyond surviving.

Ciara is also a survivor of rape and workplace victim abuse and harassment. Having navigated the criminal justice system for over eight years, she is a formidable advocate for fellow survivors and for herself. Fueled by a relentless drive to speak up for what victims need and deserve as they navigate the road to justice in Ireland, Ciara challenges the judiciary system—raising awareness of its failures and the treatment of those at its core: victims. Her lived experience, and work with fellow survivors, underpins her commitment to systemic change and the urgent need for a victim-centred approach—one that treats victims with the dignity, respect, and consideration they deserve and demand (or in other words, the bare minimum).

Molly discusses all of the above with Ciara. Ciara shares the story of her assault and the extremely difficult process of navigating our judicial system as a victim of crime. Ciara's story has so many lessons for all of us, it was a privilege to have Ciara Mangan on Healing Gals Podcast. I hope this discussion inspires you to discuss safety and spiking with the ones you love.

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the intro, Molly discusses the Natasha O'Brien documentary, which aired last week on RTE (available on the RTE Player). Molly chats about the importance of advocacy.

Michaela from Rooted Feminine Wellness speaks about Whole Woman Care. Michaela is passionate about bringing ancient practices back to women, giving us practices that promote regenerative health.

Topics covered:

• Travelling and learning regenerative medicine practices and whole woman care
• Stigma on women's bodies
• Nature
• Losing identity/colonialism
• Living in seasons not calendars
• Regenerative medicine
• Making time to care for and nourish ourselves
• Whole Woman Care
• Vulva Mapping
• De-sexualising women's bodies
• The mother wound
• Magdalene trauma
• Virginity
• Religion used to shame

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode, please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wild Geeze are a burlesque and comedy duo. Laura Lavelle and Breda Larkin entertain crowds all over the country with their unique, hilariously entertaining shows. Molly is a big fan and was thrilled to get a chance to have them on Healing Gals Podcast to discuss all things self-expression, grief, and growth. This is a special episode, enjoy!

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode, please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is about generational trauma turned into generational gifts. Mary had some difficult experiences growing up which also gave her the skills she has now to be a medical advocate. She speak frankly about her self-worth being tied up in how well she could meet other people's needs. And how she saw herself as someone who didn't have needs or didn't have to be cared for, even as a child. She speaks about discovering her needs as a human/child/woman, and family member and becoming ill as a result of neglecting those needs. Mary speaks about her life and the lessons she has learned along the way. Mary is now a qualified nurse and medical advocate. She is using her life experience to support those navigating the medical system. Molly and Mary also discuss friendship breakdowns, burnout etc. Lots of lessons to explore!

Mary speaks about a self-development programme she is a part of, from Empowerment Specialist, Nicola Connelly Byrne. You can see more about this on www.nicolaconnollybyrne.com

Molly discusses a show called Couples Therapy with Dr. Orna Guralnik. 

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane Casey is a Dublin-based history content creator passionate about Ireland’s past and storytelling. Her motto, “Be curious about everything around us,” drives her engaging and accessible work. She’s also deeply interested in self-development and therapy.

Topics discussed:

• Return to irish heritage/culture
• Grief- Jane's mother passed away when she was two years old.
• Losing same sex parent
• Breaking cycles
• Therapy is for everyone, healing is possible for everyone.
• Medical advocacy- the well women's clinic
• Transgenderism
• Underrepresented communities
• Therapy lessons

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode, please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Badger (Mark) is a Storyteller, Educator and Creator who believes healing and progress comes from finding your voice and engaging in meaningful conversation. He uses traditional storytelling to teach people to connect with themselves, shape their stories, and effect change. Molly has a discussion with Mark with the intention of being an example of how men and women can come together to prevent gender based violence. 

Topics discussed:

Women's Aid

Self expression

Critical thinking

How Mark is affected by the patriarchy

Deconditioning the patriarchy

Emotional education

Objectification

How good men can support women

Organised religion and it's impact (patriarchy).

Molly recommends an inner child workshop with Gemma McHugh and Rosaleen Dunphy. You can find more info on this on Instagram; @gmchugh1 and @rosaleendunphy.

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode, please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Molly sits down with two members of the Biokinesiologists Association of Ireland, Gena Smyth and Catriona Kelly. Caitríona Kelly is the founder of Blueberry Holistics and Chairperson of the BioKinesiology Association of Ireland. With a Master’s in Biomedical Science and a background in the medical device industry, she brings a unique blend of science and holistic healing to her work. Caitríona specialises in supporting clients with gut health, hormone support, stress, and immune health through BioKinesiology, Reflexology, and Sound Healing. Based in Wexford, she offers in-person and online sessions, creating a compassionate space for deep, personalised healing. 

Gena Smyth is passionate about combining natural and medical health solutions to provide truly holistic care. She is the founder of The Holistic Nurse and serves as the Secretary of the Biokinesiology Association of Ireland (BKAI). After earning a degree in psychiatric nursing and a master’s in Mental Health: she has spent 11 years working with vulnerable adults and young people, gaining deep insight into the limitations of conventional healthcare.

In 2018, she completed her Master’s in Mental Health: Psychosocial Interventions, which deepened her commitment to holistic healing and furthered her knowledge of therapeutic approaches to mental health. In addition, she also undertook intensive yoga teacher training in rural India, where she learned powerful tools like mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and stress management. In 2022, following her sister’s battle with cervical cancer and a period of profound personal loss, Gena opened her wellness practice in Wicklow, offering natural, root-cause-focused healing. She is currently expanding her therapeutic toolkit with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) training to support clients navigating trauma and deep-rooted stress.

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly and regular contributor, Aisling Power, discuss some dilemmas sent in by listeners. Trigger warning: domestic abuse is discussed.

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link for a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly continues the incredible discussion with psychotherapist, Bairbre Kelly. Bairbre is a mental health advocate, women's rights advocate, facilitator and Counselling Psychotherapist who runs her own private practice in Drogheda, Co Louth. She explains her unconventional approach to counselling as a reflection of her “outside of the box” neurodivergent perspective, having received an ADHD and dyslexia diagnosis at the age of 47.

Topics covered:

• Being a cycle breaker
• Keeping your relationship with your kids while navigating phones
• Much more

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly discusses a recent dysfunctional family dynamic where she noticed some real growth in herself and shares the tools she learned in counselling to navigate the dysfunctional dynamics that seem to be popping up like whack-a-mole. Molly then interviews psychotherapist, Bairbre Kelly. Bairbre is a mental health advocate, women's rights advocate, facilitator and Counselling Psychotherapist who runs her own private practice in Drogheda, Co Louth. She explains her unconventional approach to counselling as a reflection of her “outside of the box” neurodivergent perspective, having received an ADHD and dyslexia diagnosis at the age of 47.

Topics covered:

• Finding your career later in life
• Anger as a motivator for advocacy
• Neurodivergence
• Late ADHD diagnosis
• childhood experiences and how the messaging of those shapes our beliefs
• raising good men
• Feminism
• Sex education for teens, consent etc.

Tune in for Part Two next week!

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local area. Click this link a list of support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly sits down with Jason Poole to discuss gender based violence. Jason Poole is the brother of the late Jennifer Poole. Jennifer was murdered by her partner in April 2021 at 24 years of age. Jennifer was a victim of domestic violence and coercive control, which eventually led to her being stabbed to death by her ex-partner. Jason is now a strong advocate for changes in law that will protect women from suffering the same fate. Jason is a secondary school teacher and all-around incredible man that is working tirelessly to get Jennie's Law passed. Jennie's Law would allow for a domestic abuse register for repeat offenders and those with convictions. A Right to Ask policy, so individuals can check if a partner has a history of abuse. A Right to Know system, allowing Gardaí to warn those at risk proactively. Sign the petition here: https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/protect-lives-create-jennie-s-law-a-domestic-abuse-register-for-ireland?source=homepage&utm_medium=promotion&utm_source=homepage

Jason mentions the following important topics that you might want to read about:

- 8 steps to domestic homicide https://www.dvact.org/post/do-you-know-the-8-step-timeline-in-domestic-abuse-homicides

- Valerie's Law "Valerie's Law," proposed in Ireland, aims to address a legal loophole where parents convicted of murdering their partners retain guardianship of their children. This legislation, named after Valerie French, is intended to prevent individuals who have caused a family's trauma from continuing to influence their children's lives. The law seeks to safeguard children by removing the abuser's legal rights, including access to their children's details and the ability to make decisions from prison. 

Triangle of violence: 

Information on the epidemic of gender based violence: https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/preventable-pandemic-sexual-and-gender-based-violence

Netflix documentary My Lover, My Killer Episode 5.

Healing Gals podcast is not a replacement for therapy, this show is for entertainment purposes only. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please access support services in your local are. Click this link a list if support services that may be of use to you:

https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/services-support/supports-services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Season 4 is BACK!

Season 4 Ep 1

Lessons loading... with Aisling Power

Molly is back with a brand new season of Healing Gals Podcast. This week Aisling Power is also back to discuss their updated lessons from living as Healing Gals. 

Topics discussed:

-Increase in racism

-Triangle of Violence against women

-Addressing misogyny

-Protecting our peace at different Healing stages

-Being perfectionistic in our Healing

-Starting a new job and avoiding burnout

-Being free from toxicity for the first time in a decade; nervous system is exhausted

-Difficulty navigating supporting your child through difficult relationships

-Difficulty navigating the court system and getting your child's voice heard

-Gratitude

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly chats with Aisling Power about some really important topics at the start of this episode then a fun little chat about all the time Molly and Aisling were Toxic Little Bitches in their time before they knew better lol!

Topics covered:

• ADHD diagnosis as an adult
• Sensory issues
• Getting tasks done
• Medical advocacy
• Women's health specialist
• The "I Deserve" tool
• Toxic behaviours in romantic relationships

Healing Gals Podcast Season 3 is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. Follow them on Instagram @lashdolls_ireland and explore their courses on www.lashdolls.ie

Enjoy the episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning for this episode: suicide is discussed in detail. Molly sits down with Kasia, a woman on a serious healing journey. Kasia is brave and vulnerable and was generous enough to share her experiences and lessons. Kasia discusses the following topics with Molly:

- Childhood trauma

- Suicide

- Being parentified

- Relationship breakdown

- Healing the relationship with yourself

- Healing the relationship with your child

- Depression

- Self regulation

Season 3 of Healing Gals is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. For more information on their beauty courses visit www.lashdolls.ie

The apology poem was written by Whitney Hanson. 

Enjoy the episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly sits down with Rosaleen Dunphy, holistic therapist, and Gemma McHugh, psychotherapist, to discuss the Inner Child. Rosaleen and Gemma are co-facilitators of Inner Child Workshops that support people (men too) in connecting to their inner child, learning about their inner child and healing their inner child. Molly experienced the workshop, which she paid for herself, and subsequently asked Gemma and Rosaleen to come on the podcast to discuss all things Inner Child.

The start of the episode explores Rosaleen and Gemma's path to this work and then further into the episode, we delve into Inner Child work and Molly's experience of the workshop.

You can contact Gemma or Rosaleen on Instagram. Go to the Healing Gals Podcast page and you'll see they are tagged in this week's episode post.

The next Inner Child Workshop will be taking place on Sunday 16th February. Message Gemma or Rosaleen on Instagram to book your place .

Enjoy the episode!

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Karen Grehan, CEO of Lashdolls Academy of Beauty, has a powerful discussion with Molly in which she shares one of the biggest betrayals imaginable: her husband had been having an affair for five years with her friend. Karen shares her story of strength and resilience in the face of such adversity and her advice for women in a similar situation. I'm very grateful for Karen's vulnerability and strength.

Enjoy the episode gals!

Healing Gals Podcast Season 3 is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. Follow them on Instagram @lashdolls_ireland and explore their courses on www.lashdolls.ie

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Molly and reguslar contributor, Aisling Power, continue to discussion on the experience of being an independent parent and give advice based on what they have learned. With a few laughs throughout, enjoy the episode!

Healing Gals Podcast Season 3 is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. Follow them on Instagram @lashdolls_ireland and explore their courses on www.lashdolls.ie

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Independent parents are those who do all or most of the work when it comes to raising children. Molly sits with Aisling to discuss the many facets of being an independent parent; highs, lows and it wouldn't be a Healing Gals episode if we didn't knock a bit of craic out of it too. Enjoy the episode!

Healing Gals Podcast Season 3 is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. Follow them on Instagram @lashdolls_ireland and explore their courses on www.lashdolls.ie

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Healing Gals Podcast Listeners sent in their dilemmas to healinggalspodcast@gmail.com and on social media. So Molly sat down with one of the gals, Aisling Power to discuss the dilemmas and share their thoughts. If you have any dilemmas or topics you'd like to be discussed on the podcast send them in and they may be discussed on the next episode of Healing Gals Podcast!

Healing Gals Podcast Season 3 is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. Follow them on Instagram @lashdolls_ireland and explore their courses on www.lashdolls.ie

Enjoy the episode!

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Molly has Aisling Power on this episode to discuss Dysfunctional Relationship Dynamics. Molly and Aisling use Love is Blind Season 7 to discuss examples of dysfunctional relationship dynamics. You don't have to have watched the series to listen to the episode. Molly and Aisling give enough context in the episode for you to be able to follow along. As usual, Molly extracts the lessons from the series, and both Molly and Aisling discuss similar situations they have been through and what they have learned.

At the end of the episode a clip from Drivetime on RTE Radio 1 is played which discusses the topic of "Can men and women be friends". There is also a discussion about absent fathers and women who enter relationships with them. And finally, ensuring you are your authentic self when starting a relationship to save time and pain. Enjoy the episode!

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Sinead Crowe and Shauna Gibson from Intuitive Eating Hub join Molly for an incredible discussion around how to improve our relationship with food. Topics covered:

• Experience of binge eating
• What is intuitive eating
• Evelyn Tribbly and Elise Resch and their self care eating framework
• Weight loss clinics
• Psychology of forming relationship with food
• Problems with diets
• Orthorexia
• Slimming World
• Scams that convince us our natural bodies are not good enough
• Intuitive Eating Hub
• Resilience and fierce self-compassion
• Shame
• Binge eating
• Food addiction
• Magic Chef Tool
• And so much more.....

Sinéad is an Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Nutritional Therapist and Perinatal Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, other expertise includes, training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Strategic Intervention and Behavioural Family Therapy. She has also completed a Masters in Mindfulness Based Interventions in UCD.

She experienced binge eating for over 20 years and enforced rigid food rules for her eldest two children. She has since had two more children and has raised them as intuitive eaters.

Shauna Gibson is an Intuitive Eating Counsellor and Psychotherapist who specialises in the treatment of Eating Disorders and disordered eating. A dieter from a young age she became a Slimming Consultant, for several years. Disillousioned by the slimming industry Shauna embarked on training in Eating Psychology.

She moved into private clinical practice in Belfast in 2013 and found that weight management approaches do not work and can actually cause harm. But actually working in a weight neutral way where the focus is on health promoting behaviours is better for long lasting effective change. Intuitive Eating is the main evidence based weight neutral approach and, Shauna is passionate about this self care framework.

You can find Sinead and Shauna on Instagram @intuitive.eating.ireland @intuitive.eating.nior online at www.intuitiveeatinghub.com

Music played was Famine by Sinead O'Connor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZIB6MslCAo

Healing Gals Podcast Season 3 is sponsored by Lashdolls Academy of Beauty. Follow them on Instagram @lashdolls_ireland and explore their courses on www.lashdolls.ie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The conversation with Psychotherapist Aoife Edwards continues.

Topics covered:

• The parentified child
• Unmothered mothers
• Attachment styles
• Being a good enough parent
• Self-parenting
• Being estranged from your parents
• Boundaries: what they are and what they're not.
• Our parents did the best they could
• Parenting in the different generations
• Emotional Abuse
• Creating safety to repair relationships
• Teaching people how to love you

Recommendations:

Instagram Page @sitwithwhit

Tiktok on Unmothered Mothers; Creator EVITA PK

Aoife Edwards is also an artist and uses art as a form of expression. Her pieces are very interesting. They explore themes that come up in therapy. If you're interested, give her art page a follow on Instagram @maala.studio

Enjoy the episode!

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Aoife Edwards is an integrative humanistic psychotherapist who specializes in childhood trauma. 

Topics covered:

• Body image
• The power of women as we get older
• Jealousy
• Loving yourself
• Modeling self-love to children and younger people
• Starting inner child work
• Difficult childhoods lead to abusive relationships
• Repetition compulsion
• Feeling safe in relationships
• If safety is not consistent, it's not safety
• Why women stay in bad relationships
• Deconditioning
• Therapy explained

Aoife Edwards is also an artist and uses art as a form of expression. Her pieces are very interesting. They explore themes that come up in therapy. If you're interested, give her art page a follow on Instagram @maala.studio

This episode will be continued next week...

Enjoy the episode!

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Molly sits down with her friend Sinead Walsh from the Health and Society Podcast to discuss Female friendships. As usual, the topic traveled on to other interesting topics such as Irish Funerals and the concept of Unconditional Love.

Topics covered:

Brooke Shields documentary "Pretty Baby".

Exercising for health versus exercising to be "skinny"

Periods

Misogyny and internalized misogyny

Learning the value of female friendships

Outgrowing friendships

Being the villain in someone else's story

RSD Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria

PMDD

Emotions versus feelings

Generational gifts

Boundaries

Jonah Hill boundaries scandal (google it)

Making up stories when other people treat us badly

Enjoy the episode x

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Inspire HER is a women's Christmas event in The Betsy, Swords on 15th December Molly is a guest speaker and in this episode, she speaks to the organisers of the event as well as the guest speakers. You'll get a chance to hear where these inspiring women came from and how they grew their business' against the odds. Inspire HER is the appropriate name for this reason.

You can follow the gals below:

Karen Grehan @lashdolls_ireland

Chloe and Sarah @femmeclub_irl

Andrea Kirwan @drewayacademyclinic

And of course Molly @healinggals

You can purchase the last few tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/femme-club-irl-x-lash-dolls-ireland-presents-inspire-her-christmas-event-tickets-1050892436567?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&_gl=1*ekkg2k*_up*MQ..*_ga*OTc5Nzk0MzMyLjE3MzA1NjI4NDc.*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*MTczMDU2Mjg0Ni4xLjAuMTczMDU2Mjg0Ni4wLjAuMA..

If you have any questions or dilemmas for Healing Gals listener's episode, send them into healinggalspodcast@gmail.com

Enjoy the episode!

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Big Brother Star Trish comes on to discuss her experience in the Big Brother House and her struggle with PTSD when she came out. Trish discussed openly the mental health crisis she experienced as a result and discussed her healing. Trish explores the usual Healing Gals topics with Molly i.e. the messaging she received which formed her beliefs about herself, how she cares for Little Trish and lessons she learned from her unique life experiences.

We discuss racism and the harmful stereotypes put on black women and how we can be allies. Trish is an incredible woman and Molly was grateful to have this important discussion with Trish.

Enjoy the episode!

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