Addiction is such a widespread issue in our society but many of us don’t realise it surpasses alcohol, drugs and gambling. Our brains are wired with reward systems controlled by dopamine, and dopamine hits are plentiful in the modern world. With social media, entertainment, our phones, the news, our brain's reward system is constantly overloaded. Niall is joined by Dr. Anna Lembke, prominent psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist known for her expertise in addiction, pleasure, and ...
Oct 23, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are only beginning to understand the complexity of trauma and how it impacts on our physiology. Experts now believe that trauma experienced during childhood can have an impact on our development. Niall is joined by Dr. Bruce Perry, a renowned psychiatrist and expert in childhood trauma and brain development who developed Neurosequential Model©, a developmentally sensitive, neurobiology-informed approach to clinical work, education and caregiving. Bruce explains just how impactful our ea...
Oct 16, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We all know the digital media has had a profound impact on our lives, in some great ways and some terrible ways, but is it actually eroding some of the incredible skills that make us human? This week Niall is joined by digital skills expert Graham Lee, who has just released his book ‘Human Being’. The book takes an insightful look into twelve human skills that are being challenged by the digital world and how our use of these skills has proved important throughout history. Niall and Graham...
Oct 09, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week Niall has a very special chat with The Therapy Room’s Dr. Tony Bates. Tony has just released his incredible memoir ‘Breaking the Heart Open’ where he turns a therapeutic eye to himself and tells the story of what made him the insightful thinker and incredible psychologist that he is today. Niall and Tony dive into the book, with Tony recalling some of the traumatic moments of his childhood, what he learned through his own therapy journey through the years, and the incredibl...
Oct 02, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast ‘We become so busy chasing a life that we ultimately end up missing living one.’ In this episode, Niall dives into one of the principles of practice of mindfulness that has been on his mind a lot recently. He also guides a short meditation on the subject. The fast-pace of the modern world can be very overwhelming, and it can feel difficult to keep up sometimes. Especially when you have people on social media telling you they have a 5 to 9 routine before their 9 to 5, or that because ...
Sep 25, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Earlier this year, Ireland was left reeling after a damning report revealed the gaps and mistreatment in our child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) across the State. The report left parents and mental health professionals questioning what support is out there for children and young people who are struggling. In this episode, Niall is joined by family psychotherapist and clinical director of the Therapy Institute, Richard Hogan. Richard has just released his new book, Home Is W...
Sep 18, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast This podcast aims to fight for better mental health systems for those who are struggling, and one thing that is blatantly clear in Niall’s PhD research is that our past and present models of care are not working. What is a better solution? How can we support humans through the beauty and sh*t show of life in a compassionate and respectful way? Niall is joined by a paradigm-shifting therapist who has changed the therapy landscape, Steven C. Hayes. He is a clinical psychologist and creator o...
Sep 11, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The world can feel like a tough and trying place sometimes, and as human’s are faced with more and more challenges like climate change, AI and threat of nuclear war it can seem like all hope is lost. Niall is joined by award-winning physicist and astronomer, Marcelo Gleiser, who has written a manifesto for humanity and offers a glimmer of hope to guide us to a better future. In this incredible conversation Marcelo discusses the spark lost in our people and how we can find it again, why our...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Meditation is a beautiful ancient practice with deep history that deserves respect and celebration. However, sometimes we can get too bogged down in the seriousness of our own practice and take ourselves too seriously. In this episode Niall is joined by Yogi Bryan, a yoga and meditation teacher who’s using social media to make practices accessible,...
Aug 28, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. On this month’s episode of The Therapy Room we’re discussing the increasing use of therapy language such as gas-lighting, narcissism, boundaries and trauma in everyday conversations, and how they may be misused. Recently, Jonah Hill was accused of using the term boundaries to manipulate his ex-girlfriend and control her behaviour, in alleged messag...
Aug 21, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. After a phenomenal response to Nialls ‘Calm In The Chaos’ meditation last month, he’s back with a hug for your mind. This meditation comes to remind you to drop into your inner world and implement the principles of practice in mindfulness meditation. Please note we had to place our ad breaks together so as not to interrupt your meditation. Th...
Aug 14, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Across the world, and particularly in Ireland, many people have a complex relationship with alcohol. It’s a powerful substance and we can often underestimate the impact it is having on our relationships, our mind and our general wellbeing. This week, Niall is joined by psychotherapist, educator and coach Amanda Grace. Amanda does not identify as an...
Aug 07, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Our nervous system is like a safety alarm in our body, it helps us stay safe in situations of perceived danger. In the modern world, that system can be constantly activated, keeping us in a state of hypervigilance or shut down that can impact our daily lives. Polyvagal Theory, created and developed by Stephen Porges, PhD, gives us a better understanding ...
Jul 31, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. The landscape for treating complex trauma is changing, and although there is extensive and promising research into the efficacy of psychedelic substances for the treatment of mental health disorders, it is not yet accessible for most. This week, Niall is joined by Jesse Gould, a former army ranger who is helping other veterans overcome their trauma. Jess...
Jul 24, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. We are back with another installment of The Therapy Room, speaking to the incredible souls Louize Carroll and Dr. Tony Bates about insights from their own practices. Therapy can be extremely tough, but breakthrough moments along the way bring a sense of progress and clarity to patients. Louize and Tony explain what a breakthrough moment can look li...
Jul 17, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Niall has just completed his biggest challenge to date, kayaking the longest river in Ireland, the 300km River Shannon. Niall and some friends took on ‘The Rising’ as a fundraiser, to get the mental health programmes created by his charity A Lust For Life into every school in Ireland. Although for a great cause, this gruelling challenge brought the...
Jul 10, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. In this week’s episode, Niall is going back to his mindfulness routes and bringing you through a guided meditation. This meditation comes to remind you to drop into your inner world and implement the principles of practice in mindfulness meditation. Please note we had to place our ad breaks together so as not to interrupt your meditation. Thanks fo...
Jul 03, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Podcasting has made mental health and wellbeing information more accessible and understandable for listeners and a new study has proved that they can in fact improve mental health literacy. The paper, published by psychologists from University College Cork, shows that access to information through podcasts has decreased stigma and increased help-se...
Jun 26, 2023•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. On Sunday 4th of June Niall brought the Where Is My Mind? Podcast to the beautiful Ballycotton in East Cork. He couldn’t visit the Rebel County without speaking to two of the most profound voices on mental health and addiction, not just in Cork but in all of Ireland, The Two Norries. James Leonard and Timmy Long are The Two Norries, an incredible d...
Jun 19, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. In this week’s episode Niall is going solo, talking about a new challenge he’s undertaking that’s very close to his heart. Niall’s whole work is based around a passion to push for paradigm-shifting change in our mental health systems. This July he’s raising funds for his charity A Lust For Life, and the schools programme they’ve created to teach ch...
Jun 12, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Last week we had a fantastic reaction to our episode on addiction with Brian Pennie and Lynn Ruane. This week we’re back in The Therapy Room, asking our resident psychologists Louize Carroll and Dr. Tony Bates how they work with someone dealing with addiction. Both Louize and Tony have extensive experience with addiction in all forms, from drugs to...
Jun 05, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Addiction is a topic we’ve wanted to cover for a long time on the podcast due to the complex relationship between mental health and addiction. Addiction rarely exists without some history of suffering and trauma. Senator Lynn Ruane and Brian Pennie, PhD, are two leading powerhouses in the addiction space in Ireland. Both have had their own lived ex...
May 29, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. This week Niall is joined by cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman. Scott hosts The Psychology Podcast and is passionate about our innate potential as humans. Scott’s latest book ‘Transcend’ is a reimagining of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and a new insight into living your most creative, fulfilled, and connected life....
May 22, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Mindfulness was introduced to the Western world by three young Americans in the 1970s, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg, who would later go on to co-found The Insight Meditation Society. On today’s podcast, Niall is joined by Sharon Salzberg, world-renowned teacher and inspiration in his own work. Sharon’s latest book ‘Rea...
May 15, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. On Friday 28th April 2023, Niall took to the stage of Dublin’s iconic 3Olympia Theatre for the very first Where Is My Mind? live show. On the night Niall was joined by Adam Clayton, bassist of one of the world’s most legendary rock bands, U2. If you’ve been here for a while you may remember Adam joining us on the podcast before for a very can...
May 08, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. We often talk about trauma on this podcast but this week we’re looking at it from a different angle and exploring developmental trauma, what it looks like and the different approaches to healing. Niall is joined by Dr. Stephen Terrell, psychotherapist and specialist in Developmental Trauma, Attachment and Adoption. It was in his experience as...
May 01, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. After a phenomenal response to our episode on ADHD with Dr. Colman Noctor, we wanted to continue the important conversation about neurodiversity and the life experiences of those affected. In this week’s episode Niall is joined by Adam Harris, founder and CEO of AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity. Adam started AsIAm in 2014 based on his...
Apr 24, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. Have you ever wondered why you’re so obsessed with true crime? Or why you love being absolutely scared sh*tless by the latest terrifying blockbuster? It’s because we all have this thing called morbid curiosity, a natural interest in the dark, unpleasant parts of life. Niall is joined by Coltan Scrivner, a Research Scientist at the Recreationa...
Apr 17, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. The Therapy Room is back! In our first installment of the new season Dr. Tony Bates and Louize Carroll join Niall to talk about emotions, and how feeling them, owning them, and knowing what to do with them is the key to reclaiming your power and making change. This episode includes some sensitive topics, so please take care. Dr Tony Bates and...
Apr 10, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world. ADHD is a very prevalent topic in our society that’s driven by the attention war. In a world where people can self-diagnose through a Google search, it’s important that we understand exactly what ADHD is, how it can impact a person’s life and what resources are available for those struggling. Niall is joined by Child and Adolescent Psychoanal...
Apr 03, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
