Reimagining Mental Health in Nursing: A Somatic Approach with Emily Knife
In a field that often prioritizes clinical protocols over personal presence, what if the most radical thing a nurse could do... is feel?
In this powerful episode of the RNegade Podcast, hosts Karen and Wendy sit down with Emily Knife—the trailblazing “mother of somatic nursing”—to explore a new frontier in mental health care that nurses need to hear about.
Whether you're at the bedside, in leadership, or burnt out and wondering what’s next, this conversation invites you to rethink how we care—for patients and ourselves.
Why Nurses Should Tune In:
🧠 Mental Health Is Nursing Work
Emily breaks down the four cornerstones of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)—mindfulness, emotional intelligence, interpersonal effectiveness, and crisis intervention—and explains why these skills should be core to every nurse’s training, not siloed off as “someone else’s job.”
🧍♀️ Somatic Nursing: A Return to the Body
More than a buzzword, somatics is about reconnecting with the wisdom of the body. Emily shares her journey of bringing body-based awareness into patient care—and why it’s not just good for patients, it’s vital for nurse well-being and resilience.
🧘 Tools for Stress, Regulation, and Real Connection
From breathwork to boundary setting, the episode is packed with accessible tools for managing stress, navigating difficult emotions, and building authentic connections in even the most high-pressure environments.
👂 Real Talk, Real Stories
This episode isn’t theory—it’s lived experience. Emily, Karen, and Wendy share raw moments from their own journeys in nursing and mental health, making space for the kind of truth-telling our profession needs more of.
The Bottom Line?
This episode is an invitation—to feel more, connect more, and nurse in a way that honors your whole self. If you’re ready to move beyond burnout and practice from a place of grounded presence and emotional clarity, you don’t want to miss it.
🎙️ Listen now on RNegade.pro or wherever you get your podcasts.
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