Trauma-informed life strategist Elyssa Smith joins me to unpack procrastination, self-sabotage, reparenting, and the art of saying no, topics that shape how we show up every single day. Together we explore how these patterns are rooted in our nervous system from a young age, why they’re often survival strategies in disguise, and how compassion is the foundation for lasting change. As this conversation highlights, “There is another way of being, and I am going to be curious about it.”

Elyssa’s stories and strategies will give you permission to start small, with what I call “turtle steps”, and remind you that self-compassion is always the key. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Procrastination: why it’s more than just a “bad habit” and how it often stems from trauma (4:26)
• Reparenting: practical and surprisingly simple ways we can support our own emotional healing (15:46)
• Self-sabotage: how it shows up, the role shame plays, and the importance of gratitude and self-compassion when facing it (29:59)
• Saying no: why choosing yourself is part of the healing process and how to start saying no without drowning in guilt (43:47)

Resources from this episode:

Elyssa’s Facebook Group: Stress Less Lounge
Elyssa’s website
ElyssaCSmith on Instagram
Existential Kink, Carolyn Elliot PhD (book)

✨Interested in a future Rythmia Ayahuasca retreat with me? I now have details! Drop a DM on Instagram @heyandreaowen or email support[at]andreaowen.com with the subject line “AYA Interested” and I’ll share more information with you.

Book recommendations:
I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

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Elyssa Smith is a trauma-informed life strategist who helps female executives, entrepreneurs and professionals squash their limiting beliefs and heal from hidden trauma so they can stop playing small and get to their next level faster.

Through her own journey of healing from multiple traumas, including an abusive relationship, she studied and developed methods to hack the survival brain, rewiring the limiting beliefs that were keeping her stuck. 

As a nervous system regulation and mindset mastery expert, she now gets to equip other women with the tools and techniques that not only saved her life and skyrocketed her business, but that will actually reprogram their brains to unleash their wildest potential for unprecedented success and happiness. 

She has been featured in Forbes, on the TEDx stage, and is a regular contributor on Fox59 Morning News, sharing the incredible news that getting rid of your blocks and healing from trauma is simpler than you think.