23/09/2026
I recently had an empowerment photoshoot with Suzanne from The Legacy Lounge by Suzanne Toal
There’s something quite vulnerable about allowing yourself to really be seen.
However, Suzanne’s calm presence, warmth and incredible attention to detail put me at ease. She created a space where I could relax and just be myself. It was amazing 😍
Looking at this photograph has made me reflect on who I am and what I bring into the therapeutic space.
As children, our early relationships help shape how our Nervous System learns about safety, threat and connection.
I grew up in a turbulent home, in a border village during The Troubles. Safety wasn’t always guaranteed.
Looking back, I can see how this shaped my Nervous System.
Fear became the driver.
Now, in my 40s, through my own inner work, I’m beginning to understand my learned behaviours, patterns and limiting beliefs differently.
This is why Nervous System regulation, Somatic work and Functional Testing are important to my approach — looking at the whole person: Mind, Body, Soul and Nervous System.
And then I look at the photograph…
Who do I see?
I see the runaway teenager, the angry young adult, the chaos.
I also see someone who has walked the path.
I’ve made choices that some might call mistakes, but I see them as part of life’s learning. I’ve loved, lost, laughed, grown and kept going.
And I now hold all those versions of myself with tenderness, because each one has played a part in who I am today.
I see the mother, Kinesiologist, Life Coach, Functional Naturopath and Therapist — bringing curiosity, empathy, compassion, knowledge and lived experience into the space.
Perhaps most importantly, I understand how powerful it can be to have someone sit with you, without judgement, while you begin to see yourself differently.
The work begins with believing you are worthy of being understood and worthy of a different way of living.
I’m still learning, still growing and I certainly don’t have all the answers!
I see that change is possible for everyone when we begin to believe we are worthy of it.
Sometimes that takes a safe space, the right tools to unlearn, learn and adapt alongside a willingness to believe you deserve it 🥰