An Interview with Dermot Casey

Dermot Casey is a psychologist, author, based in Cork City, Ireland. Like many, he has navigated his own winding journey through life – complete with traffic jams and roadworks – but each time, he’s dusted himself off and continued moving forward.

A long-standing interest in the science of resilience has shaped his personal and professional life. His exploration into what makes people strong in the face of adversity continues to inspire his work and fuel his commitment to helping others on their own paths. Over time, he has also come to recognise the importance of self-support – often the most vital piece of the puzzle.

Dermot currently runs a private practice, having worked for thirteen years in public services as part of community-based family support teams. He has designed and led workshops on building self-esteem and cultivating resilience, always focusing on practical, compassionate tools for real-life challenges.

At the heart of his work is a belief in the power of our relationship with ourselves. He sees this connection as the foundation for meaningful change and the key to true strength, well-being, and resilience.

Outside of his professional life, Dermot is grounded by his family, who always come first. He enjoys photography, music, and watching soccer in his spare time.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Living to Relate is a reflection of the way that I work each day as a psychologist in that everyone that comes to me has some type of relational problem. I know that how we live our lives is through relating. This is how we get all our needs met.

I am also very aware, personally and from my clients over the last number of years, that the way we live (relate) has changed so much and at warp speed that we have not kept up. Thus, a lot of our needs are not now being met, and as a result, around the world, people are much more anxious, depressed, and lonelier.

So it’s time for us to reevaluate how we live our lives through relating, as we are not going back to the old way, and the rapid change that we are all experiencing at the moment is not going to change but increase as AI becomes a much more dominating factor in all our lives.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was excited when I saw it as it was now becoming real and I could see what others would see.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I feel that the messages that I get from clients every day are consistent and profound. And I wanted to get these messages out there that we are all feeling, and that we can all as individuals do something about it, e.g. improve the relationship with ourselves.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked for multinationals in the past including thirteen years with Apple. And before that I was making shoes, so I have a good range of experiences and have knowledge of the workplace and how it impacts people’s overall well-being.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Bringing what I wrote to a finished article that was presentable for people to see.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Love Me Like You Love Yourself

Relate Like Your Life Depends On It

Be Your Best Relationship

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

That the most important relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I am just finishing my second book, and I am working on a program that mirrors the key messages of Living to Relate. Hopefully I will get people to fund me to work on this program so that I can pilot it in 2026.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere on producing a wonderful book was so rewarding. Know what you want to achieve in getting your book published and then work with the professionals at Atmosphere to achieve this outcome.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.