‘The podcast’s aim? No matter what life throws at you...we can find a way out’

A qualified psychotherapist, Annmarie understood the impact of grief and the healing process from both sides of the therapist’s chair.

She felt that her experiences could help others — and along with fellow psychotherapist Katie Richardson decided to set up a podcast.

The result is Where Do I Go From Here? which focuses on inspiring stories of people who have faced adversity and how they have found ways to overcome their pain through learning.

“The podcast’s aim is to bring a little bit of therapy,” says Annmarie. “To show that we’re built, we’re wired for struggle, and that no matter what life can throw at us, we can find a way out.

“I think sometimes what happens when we face adversity, we feel really stuck and overwhelmed in it, and we underestimate our own inner compass and strength. I think also, there’s a huge amount of shame and embarrassment in society now, where we feel the need more than ever to portray this element of perfection, that we have all our s**t together, when really we don’t.

“We’re all just trying to navigate from one way to the other. None of us are bulletproof. We can feel pain. We can pick it up. We can heal it, and we can allow it to transform us. So even when the unimaginable, the worst thing can happen, there’s still hope and I suppose the podcast is about that open conversation.”

The Co Kildare woman says setting up the podcast came from a personal place of grief for her. She lost her beloved brother and sister within a year of each other — he to cancer and she to suicide — and talked about this in the very first episode of the podcast.

“I felt compelled to kind of talk about my own journey through grief and loss,” recalls Annmarie. “I found I needed to fight it. I needed to really talk about what I was going through. The grief was so under my skin that I actually had to get up and do something about it.”

Her fellow podcaster Katie was facing adversities too, and speaks in the series about her experiences of maternal mental health.

“We’re bringing the therapy room a little bit to the podcast,” says Annmarie, adding that the response from the public has been hugely positive.

“We took that professional risk to talk about our own stories, when in fact people gravitated towards us, we became more real.

“I think there’s this expectation that if you do a certain amount of therapy, you’re going to be bulletproof. That’s not true. Therapy is a psychological holding space for the client to come in and feel held when they’re going through a very challenging time in their life.

“And in that space, get a sense of resource within themselves, building on their own internal resources.

“I think people liked the fact that we opened up and talked about our own struggle.”

Annmarie feels that talking about her bereavement experiences has been a great help to her personally. She also hopes that the podcast will give hope to others.

“I think by coming up and talking about that and understanding grief has definitely enriched me as a person. Made me more humble and more true and honest that life is a struggle. But we’re also wired for this. We have the capacity within us to navigate the most horrendous storms if we can open up, share our story and talk.”

The first series of Where Do I Go From Here? dropped in June and quickly built an audience, drawing a regular listenership of more than 4,000 people per episode. The new season launches on October 11.

Those interested in sharing a story can email info@wheredoigofromhere.ie or fill out the submit a story form on the website.

“The people who we have interviewed have faced the toughest of times,” say Katie and Annemarie. “But ultimately, they have found their way back to rebuild their lives. Through these raw and honest real-life stories we hope to break taboos and help others going through difficulties to overcome their struggles.”

If you have been affected by suicide or are struggling with suicidal thoughts please contact The Samaritans on 01-6710071.