In today’s fast-paced world, where personal growth and business demands often collide, the need for a more profound approach to personal development has never been greater. That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce today’s guest: Leisha Redmond McGrath.
Leisha isn’t just your typical psychologist. She’s a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Work and Organisational Psychologist, Coaching Psychologist, and Executive Coach with over 26 years of experience working with major Irish and international businesses.
Her expertise lies in helping organisations navigate talent management, leadership development, and change strategies—skills that are vital in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.
But what sets Leisha apart is the unique blend of Psychology and Irish Celtic Shamanism she brings to the table.
After years of focusing on traditional coaching and psychological methods, Leisha realised that the challenges people face today—both in business and in their personal lives—require something deeper, more holistic. That’s where her work as a practising Celtic Shaman comes in, adding an energetic and mythic dimension to her already rich psychological expertise.
A Lifelong Journey of Transformation
Leisha’s path to becoming a transformational coach and shaman was not an overnight one. It’s been a lifelong journey of learning, evolving, and ultimately recognising that true transformation must come from within. While traditional psychology focuses heavily on behaviour, thought patterns, and external strategy, Leisha has found that blending these with ancient spiritual practices helps her clients achieve even more meaningful, lasting changes.
Through her shamanic work, she taps into the energetic realms and mythic storytelling, guiding her clients to uncover their hidden strengths and inner wisdom.
By integrating this deeper understanding into both their personal and professional lives, they’re able to make profound shifts in how they approach challenges, embrace change, and unlock potential.
The Power of Midlife Transformation
One of the areas Leisha is particularly passionate about is helping people, especially women, through midlife transitions.
The period of midlife is often filled with questions about purpose, identity, and what lies ahead. For many, it can be a time of feeling stuck, uncertain, or even overwhelmed by the shifts in life circumstances.
In today’s episode, Leisha shares practical steps to help tap into your own inner strength and wisdom, providing tools to create deeper, lasting change. She emphasises that while external strategies are important, real transformation happens when we look inward, confront our fears, and re-align with our true selves.
Leisha will walk us through strategies that she uses with her clients to guide them in navigating midlife transitions, touching on topics like:
- How to harness the power of your inner voice to guide your next steps.
- Balancing psychology with spiritual practices to create alignment between the mind, body, and soul.
- Shamanic techniques to release old patterns and embrace new opportunities.
Practical Tips for Lasting Change
By the end of the episode, my hope is that you’ll feel empowered to take Leisha’s teachings and apply them to your own life, especially if you’re currently going through transitions or seeking to make meaningful changes.
She offers practical, actionable tips that you can start implementing today, from small mindset shifts to more intentional practices that help align your energy and focus.
In today’s episode, we dive deep into what it means to fully embrace who you are and how you can start transforming from the inside out.
So, grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, and let's get started!
Discovering a Path in Psychology
Leisha's journey began in a unique family setting with two psychologists as parents. Her father was a pioneering business psychologist in Ireland, and she recalls doing occasional work in their practice as she grew up.
Initially, she swore off the field, wanting to carve her own path. However, her interest in psychology remained, leading her to eventually specialise as an occupational psychologist.
For years, she thrived in this profession, applying her skills to help people succeed in the workplace. But as life unfolded, her journey took an unexpected turn. After facing severe health challenges, she began exploring alternative healing practices, a quest that eventually led her to energy medicine and, ultimately, to shamanism.
Healing from Within: Discovering Energy Medicine
When traditional medicine couldn't fully address her health concerns, she sought alternative treatment in a Swiss clinic.
Here, she experienced a pivotal moment in her healing journey—a release of ancestral grief that allowed her to tap into deeply buried emotions tied to her family history.
As part of this healing process, she came to understand how unresolved grief and ancestral trauma could impact our energy and overall well-being.
This transformative experience sparked her curiosity, leading her to study energy medicine and, later, shamanism, training with Slí An Chroí, a husband-and-wife team in Ireland who taught her the ancient wisdom of balancing energies.
This profound shift helped her view both physical and emotional pain differently, understanding it as something not merely to be “fixed” but as a signal to be acknowledged, processed, and ultimately released.
What is Shamanism?
For those unfamiliar with shamanism, Leisha describes it as a “nature-based wisdom tradition” rather than a religion.
Shamanism does not require any particular belief system and can be embraced by individuals from various spiritual backgrounds. It is a philosophy focused on balancing energies, including the divine masculine and feminine energies that we all possess, irrespective of gender.
Shamanism teaches that everything, including humans, is comprised of energy, and any disease or blockage in this energy field can manifest as physical or emotional ailments.
By harmonising with nature, tuning into the changing seasons, and respecting our own energy cycles, we can reconnect with ourselves in a way that promotes inner peace and wellness.
Aligning with Nature’s Seasons
In her shamanic practice, Leisha emphasised living in tune with nature's seasons as a way to cultivate this balance.
In the Celtic calendar, Samhain marks the start of the year, beginning in late autumn. It's a time for reflection, dreaming, and planning while embracing the darkness.
Spring becomes a time to start bringing these dreams to life slowly.
Summer is a season of freedom and joy, a time to fully engage with the world.
Finally, Autumn represents a period of introspection, harvesting, and letting go of what no longer serves us.
When we force ourselves to be in “summer” mode year-round—always pushing and producing without rest—our bodies and minds struggle to keep up, often leading to burnout and other health issues.
Shamanism encourages us to follow the natural ebb and flow of life, respecting our need for rest, solitude, and reflection.
Recognising the Signs: Unease and Disease
One of the key lessons she shares is understanding the link between “unease” and “disease.”
Often, before a full-blown illness develops, we may feel subtle signs of discomfort or anxiety. This unease is our body’s way of signaling that something is out of alignment. It’s an invitation to pause, notice what’s happening within, and explore potential stressors or emotional blocks.
Leisha suggests taking time each day to check in with our physical sensations, emotions, and mental state. By journaling these observations, we can begin to recognise patterns, identify triggers, and start understanding our body’s unique way of communicating.
Cultivating Self-Connection
In today’s world, it’s all too easy to lose touch with ourselves. Especially for women, who are often socialised to put others’ needs first, self-connection can feel elusive.
Leisha recommends making small, intentional promises to ourselves daily and then following through. This could be as simple as taking five minutes to breathe, enjoying a favorite song, or spending a few moments in nature.
The goal is to build trust with ourselves, recognising that honoring our needs is neither selfish nor indulgent but essential for long-term well-being.
Every time we honor a commitment to ourselves, we’re reinforcing this connection and nurturing our inner self.
Rising Above Despair: Keeping Energy Alive Amidst Challenges
Staying positive amidst the challenges and negativity in the world requires a conscious effort to maintain our energy.
Leisha describes her daily practice of meditation, journaling, and connecting with nature as essential to her emotional resilience. Rather than feeling consumed by the darkness, she focuses on the beauty of shared humanity and the simple joys around her.
For those new to this, Leisha suggests setting boundaries around exposure to negative news and instead seeking uplifting activities or moments of stillness. Finding a support system—whether friends, a therapist, or a life coach—can also provide valuable perspectives and encouragement.
Starting Your Own Journey: Embracing Self-Discovery
For anyone feeling stuck or in a place of self-doubt, Leisha offers reassuring words.
Feeling lost or frustrated can be a healthy sign that we’re ready for change. Particularly for women in midlife, this often reflects a need to shift away from constantly putting others first and toward reconnecting with our own desires and goals.
Beginning with small, manageable steps—like setting aside time to notice your body’s signals or engaging in brief self-care activities—can help build momentum.
Embracing emotions such as anger or frustration can also be cathartic, as they reflect a deep yearning for something more fulfilling and meaningful.
The Myth of "Having it All" and Why We Need to Reassess Our Priorities
One of the major insights Leisha shared was the danger of trying to “do it all” without attending to our own needs.
Leisha explained that self-care must be proactive rather than reactive; it’s not about recovering when you’re already burned out, but about preventing the depletion of energy in the first place.
To maintain this balance, she asks her clients—and us—to take a moment to reflect, asking, “What would I do if I had an eighth day in the week just for myself?”
This simple exercise is not only about identifying activities that nourish us but also about prioritising those practices in our daily lives.
As Leisha says, starting small is key: “Even five minutes a day to fill your own cup can make a difference.”
This approach allows us to tap into what truly brings us joy and replenishment, gradually building a foundation of self-trust that honors our limits.
Creating Space: Learning to Let Go
A recurring theme in Leisha’s workshops and shamanic practices is the concept of making space by letting go. She offers seasonal workshops based on ancient shamanic rituals that encourage participants to release old, unneeded energies to make room for new growth.
At her upcoming workshop for Samhain, Leisha will guide participants through reflective exercises designed to help them say goodbye to habits, relationships, or thought patterns that no longer serve them.
Leisha’s focus on endings is especially powerful in a culture that often avoids or sanitises the concept of “letting go.”
She highlights that without the ability to handle small endings, it becomes almost impossible to face larger life transitions. Her workshops give people permission to grieve, celebrate, or release past experiences, creating the mental and emotional space needed to fully engage with life’s new opportunities.
The Power of Shamanic Healing in Addressing Trauma
As a shamanic practitioner, Leisha integrates soul retrieval—a concept stemming from shamanism that involves healing fragmented parts of ourselves after traumatic events.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, which can take multiple sessions to unpack trauma, shamanic healing is said to address deep-rooted issues more swiftly. Soul retrieval is particularly effective, she explains, in helping individuals who may feel “stuck” or disconnected from themselves.
During our conversation, Leisha described how these practices don’t necessarily replace traditional therapy but offer an alternative path toward healing and wholeness.
This approach, combined with her psychological coaching, offers a dual perspective: honoring both the tangible, psychological aspects of trauma and the more spiritual, less visible elements that also affect our mental health.
Merging Ancient Wisdom with Modern Day Leadership
Another inspiring part of our discussion was Leisha’s vision for integrating shamanic principles into the corporate world. Many of her clients come from high-stress work environments, and Leisha offers workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions aimed at fostering well-being, effective leadership, and sustainability.
She believes that shamanism, with its emphasis on interconnectedness, has the potential to reshape how companies view their impact—not only within the organisation but on the communities and ecosystems they touch.
By applying shamanic values to business strategies, leaders can begin to see their organisations as living systems with reciprocal responsibilities to their employees, customers, and the world.
Leisha’s approach serves as a model for creating a balanced, purpose-driven work culture that values both individual and collective growth.
A Peek into Leisha’s Daily Routine
With her many roles—parent, coach, practitioner, and soon-to-be doctoral student—it’s clear that Leisha lives her values by maintaining her own boundaries and rituals.
Her day starts with meditation, nature, and time with her family, while she carefully balances her client work, self-care, and her studies. She’s refreshingly candid about the need to tune in daily, saying that recalibration is essential for avoiding burnout.
A particularly helpful strategy she shared is what she calls “front-loading energy”—putting energy into yourself first so that you don’t run dry.
By looking ahead at her weekly calendar, she identifies areas where she needs to “protect her energy,” ensuring she has enough resources for herself and her family.
Her approach reminds us that maintaining balance is a continuous process, not something that can be perfected.
Final Takeaway: Start Small, Start Now
To close out our conversation, I asked Leisha for her advice on how someone completely new to self-care might begin. Her response was simple: “Start with one small promise.”
This could mean setting aside five minutes each day just for you or exploring one activity that feels genuinely nourishing. Over time, these small practices build resilience and self-trust, empowering us to break cycles of overworking and burnout.
She also encourages us to tap into curiosity rather than judgment: What feels replenishing? What can I do today to honor myself?
By making self-care manageable and compassionate, she reminds us that we all deserve rest, joy, and fulfillment.
Connect with Leisha
If you’re interested in Leisha’s seasonal workshops or corporate training sessions, she can be reached through her website Leisha Redmond McGrath or email her at leisha@leisharedmondmcgrath.com
Leisha’s work combines the best of ancient wisdom and modern psychology, making her a valuable resource for anyone looking to deepen their self-care, embrace change, and live more intentionally.
Whether you’re feeling stuck, seeking to build healthier habits, or want to explore personal growth through shamanic practices, Leisha offers a pathway toward healing and empowerment.
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All my love,
Jessica Cooke