When The Body Says Slow Down: EMDR, IFS & the Healing Power of Rest, with Hannah Smith

What happens when your body forces you to slow down?

In this episode, I sit down with therapist Hannah Smith for a deeply honest conversation about her unexpected experience with three strokes—and the profound personal and professional lessons that emerged from her healing journey.

Hannah shares what the experience taught her about the costs of striving and productivity culture, the importance of listening to our bodies, accepting help, and allowing ourselves to rest. We also talk about the incredible support she received from her physical therapist and how community became an essential part of her healing.

As an EMDR- and IFS-informed therapist specializing in women's mental health, Hannah also shares how volunteering during an EMDR training unexpectedly shifted the trajectory of her healing and how integrating EMDR and IFS supported her recovery.

Together, we explore what it means for therapists to do their own inner work, recognize when we're overriding our needs, and create more space for rest, connection, and nervous-system regulation.

In This Episode We Explore:

Hannah's experience of having three strokes and the unexpected impact on her life

The silver lining of being forced to slow down

Productivity and striving culture—and the pressure to always be doing more

Learning to listen to the body and recognize our needs

The importance of rest and downtime for the nervous system

Letting go of the belief that we have to do everything ourselves