Meet Grainne

 Hi, welcome to Solas-RTT and thanks for stopping by! 

I’m Gráinne, my friends call me Grá, which means Love in Irish, and that’s good with me! 

I’d like to introduce myself and tell you a little more about what I do and why.. and the unconventional story behind my Solas~Hypnotherapy & Holistic Coaching practice. 

Launching ‘Solas’ as I embark on what I like to call my “third half” of life, in my 60’s and actively aging (dis)gracefully , I chose the name to represent my work

“Solas” means “Light” in Irish, and I truly believe that there is a light inside each of us, which often reveals its beauty through the cracks and faults on the surface!

Working with the tools of Rapid Transformational Therapy -created by the inspirational teacher and therapist Marisa Peer* my aim is to be your guide to shine a light on your own inner mind, helping to reveal the way towards your unique  wellbeing .

Especially when working with children up to the age of 7 or 8, I was struck by the power of their imagination. By telling them a ‘story’, we could transform their experience of fear to one of calm. I observed that how they felt and reacted was down to the narrative they heard and internalised from those around them, and we could change their feelings about their dental treatment by telling a different story about what was happening. 

I wondered if the power of the imagination was so potent, why then couldn’t we also tap into it as adults and make life much easier? 

As adults, many of us are carrying long-held anxiety and fears, which has a pervasive effect on our ability to engage with life, often preventing us from getting the care we need to stay well, in our physical, mental and emotional health.

In the dental office, I often got the sense that there was a deeper reason holding my patients back from being fully able to relax and trust the dentist or in their own ability to get through that ‘needle’ or procedure. 

Our ‘BS’ and how Hypnotherapy helps: 

This all makes sense now, as I learned from my recent training with the marvellous Hypnodontics teacher, Beryl Comar* 

We all have our inner ‘BS’ that is running 24 hours a day, programming our feelings and behaviour…. Our inner “Belief Systems” 🙂

Hypnosis techniques create a deeply relaxed yet focused state of mind, allowing access to our inner BS. 

This allows us to acknowledge that this part of our inner mind is always working in our best interests, but we no longer need it as an independent adult.

 We  can now  let it go, and upgrade our Inner Operating Systems (the IOS!) that is running the show.

Aware that many people did not even make it to the door of the dental clinic, I recognised the signs of absolute terror that kept grown adults from seeking care. The consequences of avoidance (of both dental and medical care) are well-known, often leading to avoidance of social contact, even holding people back in work and relationships. 

We are wired to connect as human beings, and we suffer isolation which is known to lead to depression if we are deprived of this basic need. 

I developed a reputation for creating a calm environment, and helping patients who were very nervous to get their much-needed dental work done, and smile without embarrassment. 

Getting to the ‘root cause’ in both senses became my daily work! 

It especially gave me great pleasure to work with women who had spent their lives looking after everyone else in the family and were now prioritising their own wellbeing, and investing in their dental (and mental!) health. 

I believe your Heath really is your Wealth.

On a personal level, meanwhile, I struggled with some health issues of my own. Despite my career success as a dentist, my body was talking to me and complaining about chronic back pain, along with severe allergies which had plagued me since my teenage years. 

In the end, I needed surgery to deal with the sinus issues, and when I asked (after my third operation) about how to prevent the allergies from creating recurring problems, my Doctors told me “We have no magic wand to help you ”

This was my cue to become my own ally and investigate what was causing my symptoms , leading me on a pathway of natural healing , following my body’s signals I was curious to find out “what lies beneath”.  

I am so grateful to have received the support and healing touch to  at different points in my healing path from physiotherapists, osteopaths, acupuncturists and herbal medicine..

I am fascinated by human nature and like to find the good in any situation. 

Understanding humans are governed by circadian rhythms, a fundamental need for connection and the requirement for the superpower of good sleep! … I am always curious, so this was my open door into combining all I had learned in my studies of human anatomy and physiology with a deeper understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions, healing and harmony within. That we are really Human Beings, not Human Doings. 

I love being able to benefit from my experiences, to hold a safe space to help my clients to navigate the patterns of their ‘inner mind’ that are subconsciously holding on to outdated systems. Understanding the impact of their belief systems on their relationship with themselves and their loved  ones..the magic unfolds from there! 

Along the way I studied traditional Irish herbal medicine, and discovered how to make my own medicinal tinctures and salves.. Always stopping along the way when out for a walk to take photos and get to know our local plants and herbal friends… I love having remedies on hand for my family and friends. 

Over the years, I also found myself coping through episodes of severe back pain, which limited my life in so many ways. 

I navigated a long and exhausting struggle with getting good sleep, looking for help to heal my own pain while caring for my family and my patients.

I knew the frustration of a racing mind that refused to settle as the lights went out at night.

At the same time, I was gripped by a paralyzing fear of flying. Logically, of course, I knew I was safe, and absolutely wanted to go on holiday and explore the world… I realised that subconsciously my *IOS must still be running on an outdated “danger” script. 

So,  determined to travel and see the world, enjoying new experiences , I made a promise to myself that flying had to become one of those ‘enjoyable’ things!

Learning to listen to and trust my inner voice, my precious intuition was the first step to changing the script My answer lay in diving deep into the study of the subconscious mind. I credit the creator of Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), Marisa Peer, for her unique teaching and method, based on the ‘Rules of the Mind’ and teachings from Hypnosis knowledge of the subconscious mind, NLP and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

My ‘golden thread’ through my adult life has been the practice of yoga… as a lifelong student, I found my tribe wherever I lived and even on trips abroad. Thanks to the gift of great yoga teachers I developed a love of the weekly oasis of deep release, a heart-centred community and quieting of my busy mind (by stretching the body!)  

I love that ‘yoga’ means unity or wholeness, and it works its magic by just engaging with it and going with the flow.

The good news is that thanks to RTT and learning the tools of mindfulness and thrive, I no longer need to hold on to anxiety, and look forward to the joy of travelling regularly. I have no sinus headaches, and can manage any allergies…I now understand the overactive immune system that gave rise to them, and can ease the subconscious ‘Root Cause’ ie Hypervigilance through accessing my subconscious treasure chest in Hypnosis .

In my mid 40’s I found myself going through the profound heartbreak of divorce. This chapter brought me through many ‘dark days and nights of the soul’… and at the same time I had the joy of being a mother to my two delightful daughters, aka my ‘Girlies’ 

We made it through, and I am so proud of who they have become, and very happy to always be their Mam. During this time, I made the bold choice to relocate, returning to my home-town, Cobh, in Cork Harbour – my eldest daughter having set off to college life in Dublin, and my younger one starting her secondary school in a new environment.  I knew I would miss my life in Clare, with amazing friends and family nearby, and I still feel connected to that great place near the West coast and full of music.

My fabulous family and friends back in Cobh also helped us settle in and re-orientate, making us so welcome and surrounding us with a gentle web of support. 

Truth be told, we all had to dig deep, and many lessons brought me (some) wisdom …e.g. How to navigate the choppy waters, and course-correct. Daily if necessary!Resilience is the best result to come from the experience… Along with a deep compassion and feeling of sisterhood for the women-folk who keep body and soul alive and thriving, despite what circumstances and changes we encounter.

When I am not at work, or out walking with my new hobby (devouring audiobooks) or sea-swimming, or chatting with friends, or listening to music…I love nothing more than escaping into the world of cinema. 

Not long after my move back ‘home’ an annual date with my BFF to the Cork Film Festival led by chance to meeting my Beloved.

He brought me to more movies, and taught me to sail, learning the ropes on the way. We both agreed life was better together… and we are now three years married, making our new home in the surroundings of Cork harbour. 

I have the joy of being the ‘Fairy step-mother’ to a new son and daughter. We have a happily blended family, with the addition this year of a gorgeous grandson. 

Starting to mend the relationship with myself, led to being open to new and nurturing love, and I remind myself daily that it is a choice and I am so grateful I get to choose connection and companionship. 

It helps the harmony in the house that I married a man with green fingers, who has created my happy place in the back garden, and spoils the finches and other feathered friends ,attracting them with their preferred food to gather on the branches. Luckily they can dodge the furry ones, who love watching/stalking them on ‘cat tv’ !!

In our house, we are the proud butlers of our two feline fur-babies, who keep us entertained while suiting themselves of course 🙂 Sadly, we said goodbye recently to our 22 year old calico queen, and now the 4 year old twin ‘kitties’ have no-one to put manners on them!

I continued to work in dental practice after relocating my home, finding locum work and a contract in the public health service, all involving a long commute. 

My back pain returned, to nudge and remind me that I was neglecting my body signals.. So I listened to her, paid attention and realised that this was my opportunity for change.

 I found myself seeking a new way to approach 

Retirement from dental practice became an option, so I took the opportunity to take a few weeks off, and invest in further training as a Holistic Health Coach… after all it was a natural continuation of my work with the dental service and holistic healing interests. 

As I approached retirement from dentistry, while finding my way towards better wellbeing, I discovered the value of Ayurvedic self-care when I was gifted the book “Body Thrive” by my daughter!

Written as a modern blend of ‘bio-hacking’ science and ancient wisdom of Ayurveda  by Cate Stillman* I took a deep dive into the habits of thrive within the pages, which eased the way through the new ‘post-menopause’ chapter of my life-long learning and adapting to change..  

I certified in Coaching the 10 step  ‘Body Thrive’ system, designed to create Ease in the Body-Mind-Spirit (i.e. the opposite of Dis-ease!) and then started coaching groups in seasonal living, allied with  benefits of living in harmony with circadian rhythms . 

Nutrition of body and mind, living well-rested and prioritising daily movement & digestion is an integral part of this habit change method. 

So I set off on my next 30 years of work in the world…right as the Pandemic, Covid-19 arrived! 

The world has really never been the same since the global pandemic upended our lives, and I find that conversations often end in ‘lost time’ asking was that BC (before covid) or after? Only now can we begin to know the long-term effects on all age groups, particularly of the fear and isolation, not to mention grief it brought in its wake.

My Dad had just passed away, and I was happy to be near my Mother. She is a very bright & healthy 87 year old, who inspires us all with her commitment to being pro-active in her approach to healing from life’s ups and downs,including  daily exercise for ensuring mobility despite a leg injury, great home cooking and her deeply held spiritual beliefs. The power of a good breakfast and prayer is never far away! 

As we came out of the ‘lock-down’ I worked on the front line in a dental practice, to help with the backlog of patients affected by the delays in treatment..wearing full PPE, exhausted and finally ready to hand over the baton to the next generation of dentists and the new world!

At this point, I trained in Rapid Transformational Therapy, with Marisa Peer. One of the better outcomes of the Covid pandemic was our new global connectivity on Zoom… we all learned a new verb! And maybe even engaged in virtual quiz games (anyone?) 

*The beauty of this is that RTT works perfectly for clients Online, sometimes even better, because they are in the comfort of home, no need to drive anywhere after the 90-minute session, which can be an emotional experience, where 

I fully embrace the healing power of the release & flow of long held emotions. 

To quote Marisa Peer –

you can’t heal what you don’t feel

This therapy is the missing piece of the jigsaw for me: we know that ‘Information is not transformation’ meaning we might know what we want to do, and even how to go about change.. But end up with the best of intentions, self-sabotaging our progress because the subconscious blueprint that is running our behaviour is not addressed. 

Our conscious thoughts, ideas and motivations are only about 10% at most of our mind. Like the tip of the iceberg. With the Root-cause therapy of RTT, I discovered  a way to re-wire and fire the mind so that we no longer need to repeat feelings and unwanted behaviours that have caused us to suffer for so many reasons.