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The Navigation Coach Coach

30/09/2026

IX

Nine years.

It’s weird to even type it.

Nine years ago, The Navigation Coach began with an idea, a lot of hope, and a belief that as lost as I felt, maybe the things I had learned and could learn through my own life could somehow be used to help someone else navigate theirs.

I could never have imagined where it would take me.

The rooms I would get to stand in.
The stories people would trust me with.
The people who would believe in me when I wasn’t sure I believed in myself yet.
The businesses and organisations that would invite me in.
The products I would create.
The conversations I would have.
The people I would meet❤️

And the thousands of moments, many of which nobody will ever see, when another human being has sat across from me and allowed me into their precious world.

That will never, ever be lost on me.

There have been extraordinary highs over these nine years, and there have been moments when I’ve questioned everything. I’ve grown, changed direction, got things wrong, started again, outgrown versions of myself and learned to trust the next step without always knowing where it was leading.

Maybe that’s what navigation was always supposed to mean.

Not having the whole map.

Just having enough courage to take the next step.

Today, nine years in, I feel less like celebrating what I have built and more like standing back in absolute awe of what has grown from one decision to do it..scared!

And I know with every fibre of me that we’re not finished yet😉

To every person who has booked a session, attended a talk, bought a product, listened to a podcast, shared a post, recommended my name, sent a message, opened a door, trusted me with their story or simply quietly followed along…

Thanks a million 🙏

You have allowed me to build a life and a body of work that means more to me than I could ever adequately put into words.

Nine years of The Navigation Coach.

What an extraordinary privilege it has been.

And what an adventure it’s becoming.

G’wan the Legends, thanks for sticking with me 🫡

T x

30/09/2026

Some rooms stay with you.

Today was one of them.

I had the privilege of speaking at the fifth annual celebration of Recovery Day in Galway, with Compass .recovery led by the wonderful Mags Dillon and the her phenomenal team at Compass, while also marking one year of the Compass Recovery Hub.

And what a room it was.

A room filled with stories of recovery, courage, resilience and extraordinary human beings who have taken some of the most difficult chapters of their lives and used them to create hope for somebody else.

There were awards presented. Stories shared. Laughter. Emotion. Pride. And again and again, I found myself thinking about the same things.

Connection.
Belonging.
Acceptance.
Family.
Community.
Authenticity.

And hope.

I spoke about the brain, our beliefs and our identity. About the language we use internally, the thoughts we repeat, the stories we tell ourselves and how, over time, they can influence how we see ourselves and the choices we make.

But today was also such a powerful reminder that recovery does not happen in isolation and it is not merely what we have lost it is also what we regain, what we retrieve and what we return to.

Human beings need human beings.

We need places where we can be seen without judgement, heard without fixing, accepted without conditions and reminded of who we are becoming, not only who we have been. Places like the Compass Recovery Hub, .recovery.college

Having had addiction touch my own life through my dad, there was something particularly special about being invited into this community today and being able to contribute in some small way.

I left with my heart incredibly full.

To Mags, everyone at Compass and every single person who welcomed me with such warmth and kindness today, thank you.

And to those who stood up and shared their stories, thank you for reminding everyone in that room of what is possible.

Today wasn’t just a celebration of recovery.

It was a celebration of people coming home to themselves.

And I won’t forget it in a hurry. 💜

The beautiful music in this clip is by Back on Track - The Compass Recovery Choir from today

24/09/2026

Today I had the privilege of attending the launch of The Shona Project’s latest Perfect Storm research, alongside the launch of MARK, their new programme created specifically for boys and young men.

And there was one statistic I haven’t been able to shake:

Only 1 in 5 Irish teenagers say they are thriving.

One in five.

The Perfect Storm research gives us an important window into what it actually feels like to grow up in Ireland today. The pressure to fit in. Academic expectations. Social media. Appearance. Identity. The influence of the online world. The things our young people carry that the adults around them may never even know about.

And this year, importantly, the conversation includes our boys too.

I was really struck by the thinking behind MARK. Not another space telling boys what they should be, or trying to “fix” them, but a space where they can talk honestly about strength, success, sport, appearance, belonging, emotions and the expectations they are navigating.

Because our girls need us.

And our boys need us too.

If we want confident, compassionate, emotionally healthy adults, we have to be willing to listen to the young people they are first.

Huge congratulations to everyone at and .ie on work that feels incredibly important and incredibly timely.

An absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to listen to the phenomenal Cian Griffin from Professor Debbie Ging, Dr Laura McEntee, Gavin Costello, Sean Cooke and the breathtaking poetry of

Research like this gives young people a voice.

What we do with what they tell us is up to all of us. 🤍

Poem in audio by Daragh Fleming - If I ever have boys.

MentalHealthIreland EmotionalWellbeing Parenting Education

18/09/2026

Why Palliative Care Isn’t a White Flag

Dr Conor Mitchell is a GP partner at Bayview Family Practice in Ballyshannon, GP lead for CHO Sligo South Donegal, and a long-time collaborator with

In this conversation he offers a warm, practical GP’s-eye view of palliative care, dismantling the idea that it only belongs at the very end of life. Conor speaks about the dual carriageway of treatment and palliative approach running side by side, the importance of having your GP rather than just any GP, and the four domains of need; medical, psychological, social and spiritual, that a good palliative approach holds. With humour, humility and a deep respect for the families doing the daily work at home, he reminds listeners that palliative care is about living longer, living better, and living the way you want.

Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care.

“It’s not a white flag. We’re on a dual carriageway. On one lane there’s palliative care, and on the other there’s the treatment you’re going through.”

“The hardest journey is from the waiting room to the consultation room. Once you go in there to start this journey, every little bit becomes easier.”

Guest: Dr Conor Mitchell, GP Partner, Bayview Family Practice, Ballyshannon
Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach
Show music:

10/09/2026

Supporting People to Stay Where They Feel Themselves

Regina Henry is a public health nurse who has spent her career in community care, walking alongside people from newborns through to end of life.

In this conversation she speaks about the quiet, layered work of supporting someone to stay in their own home - coordinating the team, noticing the small losses, easing the load on family carers, and respecting that the patient must always be at the centre. Regina describes the public health nurse as a bridge, holding the pieces together between GP, hospice team, occupational therapist and family.

Her message is simple: reach out earlier than you think you should, lean on the team, and remember that families are doing far more than they give themselves credit for.

Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by . Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care.

“It’s not about letting things get bad enough or letting somebody get sicker or weaker. It’s about asking for help sooner.”

“We don’t expect them to be experts. They’re somebody’s son, they’re somebody’s daughter. They may never have signed up to be a carer.”

“Their own bed, their own chair beside the range. That’s where we all want to be.”

Guest: Regina Henry, Public Health Nurse
Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach
Show music:

10/09/2026

Dignity, Independence and Everyday Living

Aoiffe McCarroll is a senior occupational therapist with over twenty years of experience across oncology, haematology and palliative care, now dedicated full-time to the inpatient unit at

In this conversation she dismantles the idea that OTis only about discharge planning or equipment lists. Aoiffe speaks about meeting people in the ordinary moments of a day-getting dressed,having a cup of tea, planting a window box, attending a granddaughter’s confirmation - and finding the practical, creative adaptations that let someone stay themselves.

Through stories of a confirmation outing, a non-slip mat at lunchtime and a father playing football with his son in a new way, she shows how OT protects dignity, identity and meaning right through a palliative journey.

Discover The Journey Together, a podcast by North West Hospice Charity. Hear advice, personal stories, guidance and emotional support for patients, families, and caregivers navigating palliative care.

“What’s important to me in a day could be very different to what’s important to you, and what’s important on a Monday might be very different to a Friday evening.”

“We’re meeting people at their most vulnerable, and it always makes me think it’s the small things that matter.”

“By adding in those three little changes — a non-slip mat, a plate with a lip, a wider-handle fork - this gentleman remained independent with feeding.”

Guest: Aoiffe McCarroll, Senior Occupational Therapist, North West Hospice
Host: Tara Rafter, The Navigation Coach

07/09/2026

The fabulous Lynn O’Connor and her passion for palliative care, such a gorgeous conversation about the power of physiotherapy in a palliative care setting. Listen wherever you get your podcasts

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