For this episode, we are focusing on active citizenship, and how citizens can proactively help to shape the society around them. To help with this, we have a phenomenal panel of guests who are going to share their story with you and no doubt by the end of this podcast you will be ready to start your own revolution!

Fr. Peter McVerry
Fr. McVerry is the founder of the Peter McVerry Trust, which has progressed from a three-bedroom flat in Ballymun to becoming one of the country’s largest organisations responding to the issue of homelessness. In 2018, the charity worked with over 5,800 people and was active in 14 local authorities across Ireland.

Peter and Dil discuss how Peter started the Peter McVerry Trust, how it all started from taking in and helping a nine year-old, who was sleeping on the streets. Then, as one thing led to another—as more problems arose, and the trust began to help with them as they could—it grew into what it is now.

Salome Mbugua

Salome Mbugua is Head of Operations and Strategy with AkiDwA . In June 2018 Salome was appointed by the Tánaiste to chair the working group on Ireland’s Third National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security. Salome was also recently appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission by President Michael D. Higgins.

Salome and Dil discuss how Salome’s curiosity and feeling of isolation in Ireland, led her to seek out migrant women to learn what their experience living in Ireland was like, which then led to AkiDwA – a network for migrant women. Salome also discusses some of the challenges surrounding migrants in Ireland including racism, and inequality.

Molly Mercier Redmond

Molly is just 16 and is already involved with two organisations, which she discusses with Dil: Schools Climate Action Network – a network of teachers and students who are fighting for climate justice. SCAN has helped to organise protests and strikes for climate justice. Molly is also involved with Fridays For Future, for which she was recently at a conference in Switzerland, where representatives from all over Europe met to come up with European climate change demands. Molly is also a delegate for the Youth Assembly, started by RTE. The Youth Assembly will discuss proposals for Climate Change and present these to the Dáil. Delegates from the Assembly will also be on the Late Late Show.

Stephen Teap

Stephen Teap is a leading Cervical Check campaigner and the husband of the late Irene Teap. Stephen was instrumental in the launch of the 221 Plus Patient Support Group, which help victims directly affected by the Cervical Check screening failure, as well as their families. He is one of three patient representatives on the Cervical Check Steering Committee.

Stephen and Dil discuss Stephen’s experience with his wife’s death from cervical cancer. He explains how tests were read incorrectly, and important information was withheld from his wife. He also discusses the lack of support for women with cervical cancer and the need he felt to do something about it.

Dil and the panel discuss role models that have inspired them to be kind and proactive in their community, be it teachers, parents or other members of their community. Dil also asks each member of the panel how they can keep going in the face of the negativity we see today on the news and in everyday life; Molly explains why she doesn’t think Ireland will be able to successfully combat the climate crisis; Dil asks each member of the panel why they think more people don’t get actively involved with causes important to them; Dil also asks each member what advice they would have for people who want to be more proactive citizens but don’t know where to start. Dil also discusses the stage of our life where we begin to think about legacy, and what we will think of ourselves in relation to what we did for issues that were important to us – did we do anything about it?

Finally, there is a Q & A between the panel, joined by Ivan Cooper – Director of Public Policy at The Wheel, and members of the audience, which includes questions about changing the system that is causing problems, as well as the issue of succession in organisations to keep the goal of these organisations on track.

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

Every year globally the wonderful LGBTQI+ community comes together to celebrate Pride in a burst of rainbow flags, doc martins, glitter and yes feather boas!

Joining us first is Clodagh Leonard, Chairperson of Dublin Pride and an enthusiastic human rights activist. We are also thrilled to be also joined by Grand Marshall of Dublin Pride 2019, Will St Ledger! Will is a Dublin based artist/activist – now known as an ARTIVIST – famous for his iconic and thought-provoking street art.

In this part of the episode, Dil, Anne Marie, Clodagh and Will discuss Will’s first Pride in London and how Dublin Pride has evolved over the years. They discuss the theme for this year’s Pride: Rainbow Revolution, and the history that inspired it, as well the effort to make Pride as accessible as possible for everyone. They also discuss what can still be improved about Pride and about the work that ACT UP does to help bring an end to the HIV crisis. We also hear Clodagh and Will’s coming out stories!

For the next section of the episode, we are joined by Noah Halpin, who founded and runs This Is Me: a grassroots campaign for improved healthcare for transgender and non-binary people in Ireland. We are also joined by Insight Matters very own psychotherapist and counsellor, Jim Hutton who has been working with the Trans community for many years.

In this second part, Dil, Anne Marie, Noah and Jim discuss Noah’s experience with trans help in Ireland – how he was on the waiting list for HRT for 2 years, and how his referral letter for this was lost three times – which led to him creating This Is Me. They discuss the amazing work This Is Me has done, including protests and direct action, and how this led them to meeting with Simon Harris. They also discuss the barriers faced by trans people to get the help they need, problems with therapy for trans people, the value and benefit of group therapy, and the most important things a therapist needs to provide for a trans person: understanding, self-education and language.

For the final part of the episode, we are joined by Grace McManus who is a newly elected Sinn Fein local counsellor in Bray. A proud gay woman, she helped establish Bray Refugee Solidarity. And we are also joined by Paula Fagan, CEO of LGBT Ireland – who has been working on LGBT rights for many years.

In this final part, Dil, Anne Marie, Grace and Paula discuss what got Grace into politics and her experience with it so far, the legislative changes that still need to happen for the LGBTQI+ community, the current progress that is being made toward these changes, and where should young activists focus on. They also discuss homelessness in the LGBTQI+ community – often because young people are thrown out of their homes after they come out to their parents. We also hear stories from Paula, Dil and Anne Marie about their first Pride!

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

Today on The Insight Matters Podcast, we are super excited and thrilled to welcome Jo Ryder!

Jo is a sex therapist, who works with individuals and couples who are straight, gay and all sexual preferences in between!

In this episode, Dil, Anne Marie and Jo discuss what made Jo want to become a sex therapist, her experience with sex education in France and how this differed from sex education in Ireland, as well as common misconceptions about what sex therapy is.

They also discuss the most common issues that present in sex therapy, the impact of Catholicism on sex education in Ireland, and what Jo’s therapeutic process is like, as well as the importance of sexual autonomy.

Find out more about Jo, her approach and the services she offers at joryder.ie.

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

Today, we are actually speaking with a Hollywood star – we are very excited to have the extremely talented Amy De Bhrún!

She has amazing achievements already in TV, Film and theatre and of course

another talent she has blessed us with is her writing. This leads us onto her recent project and one that we are honoured to celebrate today “I See You” – which tells the incredible true story of Limerick-born Lady Mary Heath and has a particular focus on cycles of female oppression and trauma, which here at Insight Matters of course always interests us.

In this episode, Dil, Anne Marie, and Amy discuss how Amy looks after her mental health, how Amy’s family have supported her in her career, the story behind Lady Mary Heath—challenges she faced, and struggles she endured—and what made Amy want to write about her, and the reaction that the show has received.

“I See You” is on in Belltable Limerick on the 26^th of April. For more information, go to www.ladybudproductions.com.

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

In today’s episode, Dil and Anne Marie are joined by Dermot McCarthy and the awe-inspiring Philippa Ryder. Dermot is a psychotherapist and part of the Insight Matters team. He works with people in the Transgender community, and is an activist and all round superstar in our eyes. Philippa – an LGBT activist and sports advocate – was previously the Chair of TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), was an active participant in the Repeal campaign, and she also won a silver medal in last year’s Gay Games in Paris, at age 57!

In this episode, Dil, Anne Marie, Dermot and Philippa discuss the Gay Games, the importance and mentality of exercise, the importance of being able to talk to a therapist as a trans person, as well as what works and what can be improved in regards to Ireland’s transgender rights. They also discuss the need for more in-depth teaching about sexuality and gender with regard to psychotherapy training, and the fear around what others may think of the gender transition, and the transphobia that takes place within sport.

Also in this episode, Philippa tells of her experience in therapy and identifying as a trans woman for the first time, and Dermot tells of his first experience with a trans client as a therapist, and the group discuss what can be done to continue the advancement of rights and attitude towards trans people in Ireland, and worldwide. Be sure to check out The This Is Me National Grassroots Campaign to improve transgender healthcare in Ireland on Facebook and Twitter.

Get in touch with Dermot on his website www.innervoice.ie/, and check out Philippa’s current project, Sporting Pride, and also look out for her upcoming book that chronicles her gender transition.

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Balance for Better. As they say, the future is exciting, so, let us make it even more exciting by building a more gender-balanced world.

Joining Dil and Anne Marie in today’s episode is Caoimhe Butterly.

Caoimhe is a woman who has dedicated her life to helping create a better, balanced and peaceful world for all. She has spent 15 years living and working with social justice movements and accessible community healthcare projects in Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon; and she has spent the past six years working with refugees in Greece, Calais, and Ireland. In Ireland, she teaches. And in case she wasn’t busy enough, she has decided to train as a psychotherapist, and sometimes she makes documentaries! Wow.

In this episode, Dil, Anne Marie and Caoimhe discuss what International Women’s Day means to Caoimhe, Caoimhe’s background and how she became interested in social justice issues, as well as what made Caoimhe want to become a psychotherapist, and her journey that led to this decision.

Caoimhe describes the plethora of experiences she has had, from working with refugees in Calais, to being an EMT first responder in the Gaza Strip, to getting shot(!), and explains how she hopes to incorporate psychotherapy skills into these situations to help people who are severely traumatised.

Follow Caoimhe on Twitter here to see what she’s up to!

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

Joining Dil and Anne Marie for today’s episode is Eoin Stephens, Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Trainer who has more than 25 years of experience in the field of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Eoin specialises in such areas as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Addictive Behaviours, Sexual Addictions and Social Anxiety, as well as in Counselling and Psychotherapy Education.

Dil, Anne Marie and Eoin discuss what CBT is in a nutshell, some of the incorrect myths about CBT for both clients and therapists, the collaborative nature of CBT—the client learns how CBT works, so that they can help themselves, as well as how CBT focuses on the patterns that perpetuate mental health problems.

They also discuss experiential learning: how with CBT, a lot of the important mental shifts come between sessions rather than in the sessions; the creativity and exploration within CBT; and also, the limits of CBT, when it isn’t suited to clients.

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

Joining Dil and Anne Marie is Harriet Parsons of bodwhys.ie. Harriet is the Training and Development manager for bodywhys.

Founded in 1995, Bodywhys is the national voluntary organisation supporting people affected by eating disorders. Its mission is to ensure support, awareness and understanding of eating disorders amongst the wider community as well as advocating for the rights and healthcare needs of people affected by eating disorders.

In this episode, Dil, Anne Marie and Harriet discuss the state of Ireland in terms of eating disorders (an estimated 200,000 people in Ireland have an eating disorder); triggers for people with eating disorders; as well as the feelings of control and empowerment that an eating disorder can give someone, and the difficulties that this can cause when trying to get rid of the eating disorder.

They also discuss distorted body image, and how this is a feature of all eating disorders; the ideal of the woman’s body, and how it has changed over the years; the failure to recognise eating disorders as a mental health problem; the challenge of eating disorders, considering that we can’t stop eating, the way an alcoholic can stop drinking alcohol; as well as the best ways to work with people with eating disorders from the point of view of the therapist.

For more information about eating disorders, check bodywhys.ie.

If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

Joining Dil and Anne Marie for this episode is Louise Currie, a counsellor and psychotherapist with Alba Psychotherapy. Louise works with a broad range of issues including depression, anxiety, stress, addiction and addictive behaviour, alcohol and substance abuse, low self-esteem, family and relationship issues, eating disorders and phobias. Louise explains how she got into psychotherapy, and opens up about her relationship with alcohol.

Dil, Anne Marie and Louise discuss issues surrounding alcohol consumption in Ireland: conflicting lessons we are taught as kids, that alcohol is a good thing, but alcoholism is a bad thing; the power of alcohol as a stress reliever, how one glass of wine in the evening can become two, two can become three, and so on; the reticence of people to seek help, due to the stigma of addiction in this country; and the normalisation of regular drinking through memes on sites like Facebook.

They seek answers to difficult questions: when do you know that you have a problem with alcohol? And if you know you have a problem, when do you do something about it? As well, from the therapist’s point of view, how does a therapist approach the issue of addiction?Find out more about Louise on her website: https://www.albapsychotherapy.ie
If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.