Relationship Counsellor Lisa O'Hara

If you didn't catch the show today, this is what you missed.  You might have actually missed one of our best shows! (If Jen had not been off this week it would have been the best show!!!)

For a whole hour we spoke to Relationship Counsellor Lisa O'Hara from Marriage and Relationship Counselling in Dublin.  Lisa had previously been on the show with us and we had such good feedback about the interview that we decided to get her back for an hour special.

As per usual, due to the interesting material we didn't make it through everything again this week but we hope to have Lisa back to discuss aspects of married relationships and couples who have seperated or divorced.

Our focus this week was on single people.  We chatted to Lisa about where you can meet people, she advised us that the pub is often one of the best places to get chatting with someone as with a couple of drinks you are more relaxed and more likely to try get to know a person.

Lisa pointed out that if looking for a relationship you must first have a good relationship with yourself, be comfortable with yourself and focus on what it is you want.  Lisa thought online dating can and has worked but real chemistry can often be what is sought out most.

We also had a discussion about exes, where we raised concerns how a lot of women tend to go back to exes for the comfort of it.  She also pointed out that you may have broken up for a reason!

The main point is to enjoy yourself and remember that relationships take work.  Enjoy the flirting! Try not to give too much away in the initial stages and try to remember to focus on the relationship with yourself first.

If you are in a relationship that's not working or would like any kind of relationship advice and counselling please visit the website www.mrcs.ie and contact one of the counsellors.

If you are interested in any of her other work, here are a couple of articles you may be interested in.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=6094

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2010/0126/1224263104460.html

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/love-sex/the-rise-of-the-silver-separators-in-ireland-1910086.html

 http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/love-sex/the-day-i-got-a-message-from-my-lying-partner-to-say-im-naked-and-restless-2211088.html

Pain equals Beauty People........

Today’s show was all about taking care of ‘YOU’ through healthy eating and exercise. We had top experts in fitness and nutrition on the show to answer all those ‘need to know’ questions and we had the ‘Cooks Academy’ on to talk us through all the new ways to enjoy cooking weather your cooking for one or more!!!!

Pro Fitness Ireland

John Carroll director of Pro Fitness Ireland joined GirlsTalkBack to discuss fitness, dietary advice and motivation. Pro-Fitness work with both teams and individuals and their main aim is to provide the best results in minimal time. (Sounds good to us!!)

John spoke to us about Pro-fitness top quality facility that offers the best service possible to each customer. The difference between Pro-Fitness and any other gym was quite simple for John to answer – RESULTS!!! Through healthy eating and exercise John spoke to GTB about how it is possible to reach and maintain your ideal body although John does believe the media are setting unrealistic goals for women and young girls when it comes to body image and the first thing John does with every client is a fitness assessment and talks them through realistic goals!!!

Boxercise is one of the new classes which allows pro-fitness to stay current on new fitness trends. It has proven to be such a huge success that they are going to be adding new classes shortly so more customers can join up. The key to motivation in John’s opinion is the two P’s ‘Patience’ and ‘Persistance’ and he also believes that everyone working out and getting fit should always set themselves a goal so that they have something to aim for.
Although John agreed the weather can have an effect on your moods and your desire to workout he does not believe that money should prevent you from having a healthy lifestyle and sees fitness as an investment in your health!! Pro-Fitness is only €25euro to join which GTB could not believe and if you go onto pro-fitness facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=728700723#!/profile.php?id=100000535811235&ref=ts  they are offering fantastic deals which you don’t want to miss!!
Finally John left us with two very useful tips in beginning a healthier lifestyle by taking fish oils which you can buy in your local health store and drinking green tea which you can purchase in your supermarket….There really isn’t any excuses left people, if you would like to contact John in relation to any health and fitness advice you can do so by calling 01 8415845 or visiting there website at http://www.profitness.ie/ 

Big thanks to John for coming onto the show and tackling all those questions!!

This week we talked to Alannah Conlan from Cooks Academy in South Dublin. Stomachs were rumbling in the gtb studio as we chatted about all the fantastic classes they offer. There are really affordable specialised classes, such as sushi making, tapas, sauce making and cupcakes and icing, YUM!

You could even brush up on your knife skills and learn all the tricks of the trade!!

Staying in on a Friday and reaching for the takeaway menu may be thing of the past. Gtb loves the idea of the Friday night supper club. Whether your on your own, with your partner, or with friends, head down to Cooks Academy on a Friday evening! All you need to bring is yourself and perhaps some tubberware for the leftovers. You'll have a hands-on cooking experience led my professional chef, in a casual, relaxed environment. It's a great way to meet new people and to learn some great new recipes. At the end of the evening you can chill out with your yummy creation and some Friday night glasses of wine.
With specialised classes in Thai , Indian and Chinese cooking, you may never need the take away again!!
Prices for one session start from around  €50 and there is something for everything.
Cooks Academy also offer group workshops for office parties, birthday surprises and even hen parties.
There is no excuse not to get cooking with 20% off all classes this month!

Looking for a career in cooking? make sure to check out the one month certificate course!
Check out all this and more at http://www.cooksacademy.com/

http://www.nutritionnetwork.ie/

GirlsTalkBack got to chat with nutritionist expert Deborah Staunton about all those myths surrounding food so that we can really start living healthier and happier life!

First on the top of GTB’s list of questions to ask was of course are Carbs really the devil?? And people you will be delighted to hear that NO carbohydrates are not the devil in fact they are very important to maintain a healthy diet and should be eaten regularly. Now the problem most people face is that they do not know the difference between a good and bad carb! So to make it simple anything processed is bad and anything brown is good i.e brown rice, brown pasta and of course fruit and veg!!! Also a tip which many people might not know is that you are not actually meant to eat and drink at the same time!! It is important to chew and digest your food properly first and then drink fluid after or if you prefer before your meal!! Also fact people skipping meals can cause weight gain as when hunger hits all your body craves is sugars and it will do anything to get it which usually means you reach for the junk or takeaway menu so avoid this by simply eating three meals a day with two snacks in-between!!! I

Deborah believes Irish people are improving on their eating habits and are no longer just seen as the nation who eats bacon, cabbage and spuds all day long :-). Irish people are enjoying food and are interested in learning more about it.!!
If you would like to get in contact with Deborah and speak to her in person simply call 0876410655 or you can visit her website at http://www.nutritionnetwork.ie/

Also if you act fast you could be in with a chance of getting 20% off so don’t miss out!!




Hope you enjoyed this weeks show and make sure to tune in same time next week where we will be live on Sunday from 12pm on 103.2 Dublin CIty Fm

GTB xxx

New Talent in Dublin

Here at Girlstalkback we are all for supporting our own home grown talent and this week we were very lucky to be joined by up and coming Dublin singer/songwriter Emy Onyesoh. Emy has spent the last three years on a talent visa in Los Angeles and has worked with some big names including Snoop Dogg and Multi Platinum producer Mr. Dalvin from Jodeci.


Emy seems to be taking the country by storm with his urban electro sounds. He released his first sing ‘FML’ last month and we'll see the release of his second single 'IFNOTWHYNOT' on the 9th of this month. Girlstalkback are big fans so if you haven’t heard his singles we highly recommend checking him out. This Dublin lad is one to watch out for!

We also spoke to Valerie O'Brien, author of In the Shadow of Men.  Valerie O’ Brien was born in Cork where she lived with her mother, father and four sisters before embarking on a career in the Irish Defence Forces in 1996.  Both her father and grandfather served in the army so it was inevitable that she herself would join up. She went on to become one of the first female combat soldiers in Ireland. Valerie served in both Lebanon and Eritrea with the Irish Defence Forces which motivated her to write her first book, "In the Shadow of Men - Is the Army any place for women"  Valerie served terms abroad, including the Lebanon, and found these times away from her family to taxing on her marriage and her family life.  While abroad, she found the behaviour of some of the army to be unacceptable, paying for prostitutes or sometimes having sex with women and refusing to pay them.  She says that she has no regrets about her time in the army and would do it all again.  She now works as a beautician and lives with her children in Co. Kildare.

GirlsTalkBack spoke with Anita James the women behind Ireland’s newest beauty directory - http://www.beautypage.webs.com/  

The website was set up to bring clients the best beauty and hair professionals in the country. Anita wanted to make life as easy as possible for her clients and also promote the best businesses around Ireland. Anita also makes sure that each business that advertises on her website is fully qualified in the industry they work in.

Every beauty page on the website acts as a micro site for a business. On each page you will find everything you need to know about that business including where they are based, the services they offer and their prices. All your questions can be answered straight away on this website.

With the websites ‘matchmaking service’ clients can contact Beautypage with what treatment they require, their budget and the area they live in. The website will then contact up to five professionals for you and let you know which best suits your needs. They can then book them for client if they wish. It is like your very own PA but not nearly as expensive!!!!

For all enquiries, Anita James can be reached at beautypages@ymail.com

The Relationship Special

This has been one of our favourite programmes to present and we hope to present more like this in the future!  Don't forget we are now live on Sunday from 12pm to 1pm and the show is now repeated from 1pm to 2 pm on Monday.

While chatting in the studio the day Laura started with us, we discussed how relationships are changing in Ireland.  Keeping this in mind, we asked 3 different people to speak to us about issues facing modern couples and the situations they now find themselves in.

Firstly, we spoke to Lisa O'Hara from Marriage and Relationship Counselling Services, which offers therapy and counselling for couples.  We had so many questions for Lisa, but instead ended up discussing most of the main issues that couples face, mainly problems with communication and lack of understanding.  We also spoke about changing perceptions to divorce and separation in this country and how the expectation level for men to talk about their feelings has risen dramatically.  Log onto their website to find out more information about their services on http://www.mrcs.ie/  or by contacting the service on 1890 380 380.  We hope to have Lisa back on the show again in the future to maybe interact with the listeners more about relationship issues so keep an eye out for her!!

For the second interview we spoke with Rory O'Neill, better know to everyone as Panti about the important issue of the Civil Partnership bill.  As you all may know, the bill to provide social welfare and tax breaks for those living together as partners was passed by the Dail and by the Senate.  Unfortunately, the bill has now been referred to the Supreme Court to check its constitutionality and will hopefully be passed.  However, as far as gay and lesbian rights go, Panti pointed that the bill has not gone far enough, not making any provisions for children resulting from gay relationships and not going far enough on the issue of recognising the rights for gay people to marry.  We also discussed the pickets outside the Dail and impact religion has had on the politics of this country.  Panti runs the infamous bar on Capel Street, call in for a drink!!!

Last but not least, we spoke to Stephen Nolan from Kama Lifestyles about Relationship Coaching.  It was never going to be easy going up against 4 women to discuss relationships but Stephen took us on!  He spoke a little about how the coaching works, the workshops and how to perfect the technique of dating.  People who are interested will go through a dating consultation initially and if required a fashion consultation.  Stephen also spoke about changes in dating and relationships in Ireland and something that Lisa also spoke to us about previously, the pressure on men to make the first move.  If you are interested, log onto the website on http://www.kamalifestyles.com/

During the showbiz section, we spoke with Niamh Sherlock about becoming this years Dublin Rose (big congrats!!). Niamh will be competing for the Rose of Tralee the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of August.  We hope to speak to Niamh again after the event to find out what it is really like behind the  and scenes and we of course wish her the best of luck.

Live on Sunday and repeated on Monday no excuse not to tune into GirlsTalkBack on 103.2FM

The live show on Sunday from 12pm - 1pm went really well for the GTB team and thanks so much to all the guests who joined us on the show and in the studio. If you didn't manage to catch the show or the repeat today from 1pm then we are giving you the chance to read everything you missed....We know we are far too good to you...ENJOY

 For all you ladies out there who love to shop but are not to sure what to buy to make that perfect outfit... Girls Talk Back have found the answer. We were lucky to be joined by Julie Cobbe professional Style Coach and genious behind Stylefish.ie. What i stylefish.ie??? I hear you say... Stylefish.ie is every girls dream. Stylefish.ie is a seven week Fashion School that teaches us how to find that perfect look. The course is catered to meet each individuals needs by offering fashion advice like how to dress to suit your shape and fill your closets with clothes perfect for you, to makeup and hair tips. It is a fun seven week course and each student will leave with their own folder jam packed with tips and advice. Courses will start running in September on both the north and southiside of the city. For more information check out http://www.stylefish.ie/ or email julie@stylefish.ie.

GTB got to speak with Irish jewellery designer David Robinson who specialises in Diamond Jewellery and provides unique individual jewellery which is also made to order. Since the age of 17 David became involved with creating jewellery and works very closely with each client to create exquisite jewellery as desired. His designs reflect the romance of authentic handcrafted jewellery and David uses a wide range of materials from platinum, white gold, gold, silver, and diamonds to name but a few.

Although David has seen the effects of the recession when it comes to jewellery he mentioned how women tend to want something that holds its value and that can be passed down from generation to generation not current trends like in fashion so people are still willing to invest in his pieces. So GTB think if you are looking for that special piece, a one of a kind which will bring you fond memories then David is your guy!!!

David spoke to GTB about how he set up his company around 5 years ago and that it is going from strength to strength. Any young entrepreneurs who want to follow in David’s footsteps and open there own business should look into ‘feasibility grants’ which the government are offering and also get in contact with the crafts council http://www.ccoi.ie/  for advice on any questions you might need answered.

If you would like to check out any of the amazing work from David just check out his website http://www.davidrobinsonjewls.com/  or check out his facebook page on www.facebook.com/davidrobinsonjewles

Big thank you to David for taking part in the interview and GTB look forward to hearing more from the designer in the future. Make sure to call David Robinson Design Jeweller, and make an appointment to experience their unique, personal service in jewellery design.

We also spoke to the wonderful Patricia McKenna in studio about the Know Your Neighbour weekend on the 24th and 25th of July.  This is a fantastic event set up by Macra na Feirme and sponsered by ESB.  The programme is in its 5th year and the purpose is to literally get to know your own neighbour.  You can do this by starting off with your own organiser pack and can go on to organise any event to get your neighbours involved from tea parties to bbq.  Please do get involved as this is a wonderful cause.  In the modern era we are losing this wonderful sense of community that used to be so evident in Ireland.

You can find out more about the event on http://www.knowyourneighbour.ie/  and if you have any questions regarding the weekend contact info@knowyourneighbour.ie   There is also a text number in order to get an organiser pack, simply text KYN to 51444 and be directed from there. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! And make sure to tune in again next Sunday from 12pm on 103.2 Dublin City Fm

Monday 5th of July

If you didn't tune in yesterday, this is what you missed!!

We were very excited to have Rachel Solon in studio to discuss the WOW programme, which is basically trying to get more women involved in Watersports.  She spoke to us about the event which will run on the 11th of July.  The National Yacht Club in partnership with the Irish Sailing Association would like to invite women of all ages and all levels of sailing and other water sports to come sailing on Sunday 11th July from 13.00 - 17.00 hrs. This is a great opportunity to join fellow female sailors for an enjoyable afternoon of sailing... in the Irish Sailing Association's fleet of eight J80s, beautiful 8 metre long one-design racing sailboats. They hope to get as many women as possible out sailing on 11th July, followed by a few drinks up in the bar afterwards. Each J80 will have 4 or 5 crew on board of whom 2 will be experienced crew who will explain all to those guests on board.  Lifejackets or buoyancy aids will be supplied and are mandatory for all participants on the water.  Rachel told us that you do not have to be experienced to be on the water and they welcome all levels.  The ISA also runs several training programmes which are detailed on their website www.sailing.ie which you can undertake if you are interested.  So come along and get involved!!  You can also join their facebook page which will have details of the event...
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=ts&gid=118648197643


We also spoke to the wonderful Jennifer Rothwell about the upcoming Norway's Next Top Model event happening in Dublin.  All proceeds go to the Baby Max Fund which is run by Darina Ni Chuinngain who we spoke with last week.  Jennifer is going to be judging at the event and the lucky winner will get to wear some of Jennifer's collection down the catwalk on the night.  Jennifer explained how important this event is for exposure in Ireland.  She also spoke to us about how women in these tough times are buying clothes that they are investing in and will last.  Jennifer also has a children's line.  She has also explained to us that her clothes are now price adjusted to the times we live in and are extrememly reasonable..  The event takes place on the 16th of July in the Guinness Storehouse.  Log onto their facebook page to get more ticket details!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/jennifer-Rothwell/93193237152?ref=ts&v=wall#!/pages/jennifer-Rothwell/93193237152

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114142051965663&ref=mf

We were also joined by Christina Riordan, General Manager at Down Syndrome Ireland. Down Syndrome Ireland is made up of people with Down syndrome and their parents and families. It has over 3000 member families and 25 branches nationwide. With the help of donations and fundraising Down Syndrom Ireland work hard to support both people with Down Syndrome and their families, by offering councelling, support and an understanding of Down Syndrome and much more. Down Syndrome Ireland is always looking for volunteers and people to organise funraisers such as the HP icecream fun day which is currenlty running at the moment. For mor information on how to get involved check out http://www.downsyndrome.ie/ or or low call  1890 374 374.

Don't forget we will now be on Sunday's from 12pm-1pm and also mondays at the usual time of 1pm-2pm so tune in guys :) xxxx

GirlsTalkBack

Another great show this Monday with GirlsTalkBack who got to speak with Irish female golfer Mary Dowling of New Ross golf club about her career and her recent Close championship win. Also talking to us today was Darina Ni Chuinneagain founder and director of 'Baby Max - Wings of Love Fund'

Darina and her husband Declan took something tragic from their own lives and turned it into something positive for other families by helping and saving the lives of other children nationwide. Their son Max 9 years ago died from Meningitis B and Meningococcal Septicaemia and now Darina and Declan make it their goal to supply essential equipment to hospitals nationwide.


As a result the 'BABY MAX-Wings of Love Fund' has to date purchased over €1million worth of all types of necessary medical equipment for Hospitals/Hospices in Dublin, Mullingar, Sligo, Galway, Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Waterford to name but a few.

‘Baby Max - Wings of Love Fund’ announced that a high profile fashion show will take place at the Guinness Storehouse on Friday 16th July 2010. This event will be filmed for a Dublin-based episode of Norway’s Top Model TV show. The programme, which will air on Norwegian TV, follows the same format as America’s Next Top Model!! The proceeds of this event will go to the ‘Baby Max – Wings of love fund’ where every single penny goes towards essential medical equipment. Darina spoke about how every hospital has a wish list and how they contact her to see if she can help out in any way possible and Darina and her husband spend every waking moment of there day finding funding to buy this equipment so that hospitals have the resources to save lives.
This is a very exciting event and a marvellous achievement for both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, as the filming of this episode will showcase both Dublin city a vibrant modern city, the Guinness Storehouse and the Irish fashion scene to a Norwegian audience.

If you would like to be a part of this event and help raise money for a great cause while enjoying an excellent night out well this is your chance!! To buy tickets simply call 086 4053184 or contact info@babymax.ie

All donations are greatly appreciated and to find out more about ‘Baby Max – Wings of Love Fund’ simply log onto http://www.babymax.ie/
VENUE: Concourse Area & Arrol Suite, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8
DATE: Friday, 16th July, 2010
TIME: 7.30pm
TICKETS: €50 and are available from Tel: 086 4053184
Can also pay by visa
PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE with your contact detail if you get answering machine.

GirlsTalkBACK would like to say a big well done to Darina and her husband Declan for all the amazing hard work they put into this fund and we wish you all the luck in the future and hope the money just keeps coming and coming.

We also spoke to Mary Dowling, the Irish Ladies' Close Championship winner, about her career and golf in general in Ireland. Mary began playing golf at 10 years of age and even though she had played other sports in school, discovered she had a talent and began to train on the golf course.


Mary is a member of the New Ross Golf Club.  Her achievements include Irish Close Runner Up 2009, Midland Ladies Runner Up, 2009, Irish Senior Cup Winners 2009 and Munster Girls Winner 2005.  Although women's sport tends to get overlooked in the media, Dowling tells us that attitudes are starting to change, particularly due to the involvement of the Maguire twins, one of which she defeated in the final of Women's Close Championship.  Mary also is included in the Leinster Ladies Team.

Mary is a Lecturer in Physiotherapy on a full time basis and plays golf part time.  We spoke about aspects of funding in Irish sport and that this too is starting to make a change, with golf enjoying a lot of attention at the moment.  Mary's advice to young and aspiring golfers was to get out on the course, try all the different types of the game that you can and find your niche.  And of course, keep practicing!

The WAG's

Then GTB decided we would have a discussion about a very interesting aspect of the World Cup, the WAGs, an intricate part of English squad. Apparently WAGS have been around for a while, since 1960's in fact when Bobby Moore and his wife Tina were considered the golden couple. But how did they become such a media draw in 2006? We at GTB reckon they are a bit of a distraction from the game and for the players, and if they are distracting us, then realistically they must be distracting them also! But then again these sports stars are payed millions because of their talent so surely they should be able to deal with whatever comes there way!!!

Roy Keane claimed that the English side had lost the hunger for the game in 2006 and had become too involved with their wealth and material aspects of their fame. WAG fever is now spreading into other areas of the British media, we now have the RAGs Royals and Girlfriends and of course the WWAGs Wimbledon Wives and Girlfriends, among others. Really, really ladies??? WHAT DO YOU DO? And why do the Media put so much emphasis on what you are doing and wearing? Do you think maybe if the media stopped caring then the public would to????




Another great week for GirlsTalkBack, hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did and talk to you same time next week,

GTB xx