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
• The healing power of accepting help and community
• The unexpected role of an EMDR training in Hannah's healing
• How EMDR and IFS worked together in her recovery
• Why therapists need to prioritize their own inner work
• Lessons Hannah learned personally and professionally through her experience
• Creating a life that allows for more rest, support, and authenticity

About Hannah Smith

Hannah Smith is a Cincinnati-area therapist specializing in women's mental health. She is an EMDR- and IFS-informed therapist who offers weekly and intensive EMDR therapy, helping clients reconnect with themselves and become more authentic and joyful versions of themselves. Hannah is also the co-host of Hysterical Women, a podcast exploring women's mental health crises and how they are portrayed and treated in the media.

Ways to Connect

Website: https://hannahsmithcounseling.net/

Instagram: @hannahsmith.counseling

Podcast: Hysterical Women

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Want to work with Natalie for Intuitive Parts/IFS Therapy or Spiritual/IFS Consultation? Contact her below

Website: https://www.ndwellnessservices.com/

Contact: https://www.ndwellnessservices.com/contact

Instagram: @nataliedeering

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