IMAGE The Motherload

The truth about coercive control and why women aren't being protected with Lisa Wilkinson

Lisa Wilkinson has spent almost three decades standing beside women.A barrister specialising in family law and coercive control, she has also been an entrepreneur, doula, yoga teacher, childcare provider and wellbeing pioneer. While those careers may seem worlds apart, they are all driven by one purpose: making women's lives safer, healthier and fairer.In this powerful episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique and Lisa discuss coercive control, domestic abuse, family courts, birth rights, informed consent, childcare, motherhood and why so many of the systems women rely on continue to let them down.Lisa explains why abuse often escalates after separation, how coercive control can continue through legal processes, the warning signs every woman should know, and why listening to women's lived experiences has never been more important.This is a difficult conversation in places, but an essential one.If this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available through Women's Aid on 1800 341 900 or at womensaid.ie.IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

What Ailbhe Smyth wants for our daughters and sons

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with one of the most influential figures in modern Irish history, Ailbhe Smyth.As Ailbhe celebrates her 80th birthday, she reflects on a life spent challenging injustice, campaigning for equality, and helping to shape the Ireland we live in today.Together they discuss motherhood in 1970s Ireland, surviving some of the darkest periods of her life, becoming a grandmother, coming out as a lesbian in a very different Ireland, and the social movements that transformed the country, including Marriage Equality and Repeal.Ailbhe also shares her thoughts on modern motherhood, the invisible labour still carried by women, why progress should never be taken for granted, and what gives her hope for the generations to come.IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Kim O'Sullivan on taking the leap

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with entrepreneur, beauty founder and mother-of-three Kim O'Sullivan.Today, Kim is the founder of Brow Aid and The Dublin Makeup Academy, but her journey began as a young single mother determined to build a better future for her son.In this inspiring conversation, Kim reflects on the challenges of early motherhood, the leap of faith that saw her leave a secure job with Armani, and the mindset that helped her build two successful businesses from the ground up.She shares why she credits motherhood with much of her success, the surprising role manifestation has played throughout her life, and how writing down her goals helped turn dreams into reality, from career milestones to meeting the man she would eventually marry.IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

The mental load we carry in our bodies with Michelle Flynn

What happens when motherhood doesn't just change your life, but changes your nervous system?This week, Dominique McMullan is joined by psychotherapist Michelle Flynn, who specialises in maternal mental health, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma and somatic therapy.Together they explore matrescence, the profound identity shift that accompanies motherhood, and why so many women feel unprepared for the emotional and psychological transformation that follows having children.Michelle shares both professional expertise and personal experience as they discuss perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, rage, resentment, burnout, perimenopause and the challenges of being constantly "on" as a mother.Most importantly, they dive into the role of the nervous system and the growing field of somatic work, exploring how stress and trauma can become embodied and why healing often requires more than simply talking.IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

From a cult to unfiltered motherhood with Laura O’Connell

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by Laura O’Connell, a familiar face to many as the creator behind the viral Irish midwife sketches on Instagram, and co-host of the podcast Oh Right, Yeah.In this episode, Laura shares the story behind the humour. She opens up about growing up in a religious group, the loss of her mother at a young age, and how those early experiences shaped her sense of self. She also speaks candidly about an unplanned pregnancy, postpartum depression, and her experience of anxiety, including a period in psychiatric care last year.Together, Dominique and Laura explore the pressure many mothers feel to keep going, even when they are struggling, and the difficulty of slowing down in a world that rewards constant doing.This is an honest, layered conversation about mental health, motherhood, identity and what it means to ask for help.Listen now to IMAGE The Motherload, powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.