Healing Gals Podcast

Award-winning Irish comedian Sophia Wren joins Molly for a funny, honest and heartwarming conversation about life on and off the stage.
From winning Show Me The Funny within two years of starting stand-up to becoming a finalist in So You Think You're Funny?, Sophia shares how she found comedy, the challenges of being a woman in the industry, dealing with hecklers, and why therapy and living according to your values have shaped both her career and her life.
The conversation also explores motherhood, postnatal depression, protecting your children's privacy while using personal stories in your work, and the lessons Sophia wishes she'd learned sooner. Naturally, there's plenty of laughter along the way, finishing with some fun quick-fire questions.
• How Molly and Sophia met
• Getting started in stand-up comedy
• Female comedians and misogyny
• Therapy and personal growth
• Values-based decision making
• Handling hecklers
• Comedy audience etiquette
• Young motherhood
• Postnatal depression
• Margot's Got Money Problems
• Sharing personal stories while respecting family privacy
• Advice for aspiring female comedians
• Quick-fire questions
🎟️ Sophia's new stand-up show, The Luckiest Girl in the World, is on sale now.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and share it with a friend—it really helps more people discover the show.
Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.
Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.
Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠
Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

Part two of Molly's conversation with psychotherapist, sociology lecturer and accidental activist Karen Sugrue explores one question that affects thousands of women every year: What happens when women complain?
Karen shares the research behind When Women Complain, a University of Limerick project investigating workplace misogyny, sexism, harassment and the way complaints procedures often retraumatise the very people they're meant to protect.
Together, Molly and Karen discuss why speaking up can come at such a personal cost, how patriarchy continues to shape workplaces, and why making complaints is one of the most important forms of activism available to women.
In this episode we discuss:
The When Women Complain research project
Workplace misogyny, sexism and harassment
Bullying and toxic workplace cultures
How complaints procedures can become another form of abuse
The impact of workplace discrimination on women's health
Why women experience higher levels of retaliation after speaking up
The Women of Honour movement
How patriarchy divides women
The role of activism in creating change
Beauty standards and rejecting impossible expectations
Books and ideas from Sarah Ahmed and Caitlin Moran
Karen's message is simple:
"Make more complaints."
If you have experience you'd like to contribute to the research, you can contact Karen at:
📧 whenwomencomplain@gmail.com
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠⁠www.daramats.com⁠⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.
Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.
Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠⁠
Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

In this powerful episode of Healing Gals Podcast, I’m joined by psychotherapist, sociology lecturer, and accidental activist Karen Sugrue for a deeply honest conversation about motherhood, feminism, activism, and the urgent fight for trans rights and reproductive justice in Ireland.
Karen shares her experience as co-chair of Mammies for Trans Rights alongside Claire Flynn, speaking candidly about the fears many parents carry when raising trans children, the harmful pressures around “passing,” and why protecting trans lives and dignity matters now more than ever.
We also talk about Karen’s activism in the fight for reproductive rights through Together for Safety, and the campaign for safe access zones with voices like Evie Murphy, Jan O’Sullivan, and Annie Hoey helping to push this work forward.
This conversation goes far beyond policy. We explore the emotional and social realities women are carrying right now — from the devastating impact of Covid, to the unequal burden of care placed on women, to the importance of honouring our bodies, trusting ourselves, and believing other women.
We also unpack the rise of the far right, the power of speaking up, and why, as Karen says, the act of complaining can be an act of power.
We touch on the work and writing of feminist thinkers including Mona Eltahawy, Kimberlé Crenshaw, bell hooks, and Sarah Ahmed, and discuss the links between misogyny, racism, dehumanisation, and the violence women continue to face online and offline.
This is a conversation about courage, care, resistance, and what it means to keep showing up for each other.
In this episode, we discuss:
Karen’s work as a psychotherapist, sociology lecturer, and activist

Parenting, fear, and advocacy when your child is trans

Mammies for Trans Rights and the fight for trans safety and dignity

The pressure and politics of “passing”

The rise of far-right narratives and anti-trans rhetoric

Reproductive rights activism and the campaign for safe access zones

The unequal burden women carried during Covid

Care work, emotional labour, and honouring our bodies

Believing ourselves and believing other women

Feminist texts and thinkers shaping this work

Racism, dehumanisation, and violence against women in digital spaces

If this episode resonated with you, please share it, rate the podcast, and send it to someone who needs to hear it.
Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.
Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.
Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠
Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

What is it really like to work as a stripper? And how do you let go of the shame society places on women who own their sexuality?
In this episode of Healing Gals Podcast, I sit down with Daria Decollette—former stripper, burlesque performer, and founder of All That Glitters—to talk about her journey from dancer to stripping, and ultimately finding purpose, confidence, and creative freedom through burlesque.
Daria shares the realities of working in the stripping industry, including financial exploitation, the lack of protections for sex workers, and the stigma that often follows women long after they leave the industry. She also opens up about body confidence, embracing her sexuality without shame, and how being rejected from her dream opportunities ultimately led her to a life that felt far more aligned.
This is an honest conversation about resilience, self-acceptance, healing, and learning that sometimes life's biggest setbacks become our greatest redirections.
✨ In this episode, we discuss:
From dancer to stripper to burlesque performer
Body confidence and self-acceptance
Owning your sexuality without shame
The realities of stripping and sex work
Financial exploitation and lack of workplace protections
Releasing shame from your past
Rejection as redirection
Finding purpose through unexpected opportunities
Building All That Glitters, a burlesque cabaret in Drogheda
If this conversation resonates with you, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs this reminder: your past doesn't define your future.
💛 Subscribe for more conversations on healing, authenticity, and reconnecting with the woman beneath society's conditioning.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both onand off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠www.daramats.com⁠and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively forHealing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.
Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medicaladvice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcareprofessional or trusted support service.
Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠
Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.

#HealingGalsPodcast #BodyConfidence #Burlesque #SelfAcceptance #SexWork #HealingJourney #FemaleEmpowerment #Confidence #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealth #WomenSupportingWomen #Authenticity

Molly chats about her experience of Festival Mná and why every woman in Ireland could go there and enjoy such a powerful, special day!
In honor of Father's Day, Molly discusses blending families and how she navigated this.
Molly introduces a new segment called "What's Online?", where she discusses some reels/TikToks she has seen online that raise important points for the gals.
Then Molly explores how one of the Love Island contestants seems to be suppressing healthy anger. Molly talks about how she manages her anger and ensures she expresses it and takes care of her health in this regard.

Season 6 of the Healing Gals Podcast is proudly sponsored byDARA Mats — luxury yoga mats designed to support your wellness journey both on and off the mat. You can explore the full collection at ⁠⁠www.daramats.com⁠⁠ and follow along on Instagram at @daramats for wellness inspiration, newlaunches, and more. There’s also a special discount code exclusively for Healing Gals listeners shared at the end of Episode 1.
Healing Gals Podcast is intended for entertainment andinformational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, therapy, or mental health support. If this episode brings upanything difficult for you, please reach out to a qualified healthcare professional or trusted support service.
Ireland Support Services: • Samaritans – Call 116 123 (24/7support) • Pieta – Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 • Text About It –Free text HELLO to 50808 • HSE Mental Health Supports: ⁠⁠HSEMental Health Services⁠⁠
Remember, you are good enough exactly as you are.