Listening to the Wound: Where Trauma Meets Tenderness

Listening to the Wound: Where Trauma Meets Tenderness

Listening to the Wound is a podcast for the quietly exhausted. Hosted by Shumaila Hemani, Ph.D.—a trauma-informed coach, multi-award-winning artist-scholar, and immigrant voice navigating systemic erasure—this series offers reflections, meditations, and musical fragments to hold space for what hurts. Whether you’re living through burnout, healing from immigration precarity, or longing for a place to belong, this podcast invites you to slow down, feel, and listen. Because the wound isn’t just a source of pain— It’s a portal to deeper presence, power, and love.

Episodes

August 14, 2025 5 mins

What happens when you give your best and the systems you work within still fail to see you? In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani shares stories of erasure and resilience, offering Sufi-inspired wisdom and practical tools for honoring your worth when institutions overlook you. Learn how to protect your gifts, challenge diminishing narratives, and create spaces that truly see you. Listen to my song “Anticipating” created for the Suic...

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What happens when the talents that make you unique are misread, minimized, or rejected? In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani shares personal stories and Sufi-inspired wisdom on honoring your gifts even when others can’t see them clearly. Learn how to navigate the hurt of misrecognition, why your gifts may challenge existing narratives, and how to protect and nurture your creative spirit. Listen to my song “Anticipating” created for...

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When life feels heavy, unkind, or relentlessly unfair, how do you keep your heart open? In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani shares Sufi-inspired wisdom and personal reflections on finding tenderness in the midst of cruelty. Learn practices to stay grounded, acknowledge pain without losing hope, and embrace compassion as a form of strength. Listen to my song “Anticipating” created for the Suicide Prevention & Hope Tour Canada, ...

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What if rest wasn’t something you had to earn? In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani challenges the cultural and personal narratives that make you feel guilty for slowing down. Discover why rest is essential for healing, how guilt around rest is shaped by systemic pressures, and ways to reclaim rest as a sacred, life-affirming choice. Listen to my song “Anticipating” created for the Suicide Prevention & Hope Tour Canada, read my...

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Ep 15 — The Sacred Story of You | Listening to the Wound. Your wounds hold wisdom. In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani explores how listening deeply to your life’s hardest moments can reveal your sacred story, restore your voice, and transform your sense of belonging. Learn how to turn pain into purpose, heal through silence and listening, and reclaim your story from diminishing narratives. Listen to my song “Anticipating” created...

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When despair feels endless, remember the light is still here, even if you can’t see it yet. This letter is part of the Love Letters to the Wounded Heart series for Suicide Prevention Awareness. Listen to my song “Anticipating”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bopNf_jTJnA. Read my memoir “Writing in the Wound”: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FLH1R399. Download your Rest Planner: Kindle https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FB49S3PS or Physical htt...

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Your worth is not in their hands. This letter speaks to the pain of invisibility and reminds you of your inherent value. Part of the Love Letters to the Wounded Heart series for Suicide Prevention Awareness. Listen to my song “Anticipating”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bopNf_jTJnA. Read my memoir “Writing in the Wound”: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FLH1R399. Download your Rest Planner: Kindle https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FB49S3PS o...

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Episode 3: When Systems Fail to See UsWhy do we work so hard to prove we belong?In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani explores the worthiness wound—the pain of being unseen in institutions that reward performance but not truth. She speaks to the quiet ache of being tolerated instead of celebrated—and how burnout often hides a deeper story of invisibility.💔 For anyone who’s felt invisible, overextended, or unseen despite their brill...

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You are not alone. In this episode of Listening to the Wound, Dr. Shumaila Hemani shares a tender reflection on navigating emotional pain and finding light in the dark. Part of the Suicide Prevention and Awareness series, this love letter speaks directly to the wounded heart—reminding you that your life matters and your presence in this world is not a mistake. Listen to my song Anticipating, featured in the Suicide Prevention and H...

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This love letter is for the days when you're barely holding on—for moments the world feels too heavy. You're not alone. Listen to my song “Anticipating” at shumailahhemani.bandcamp.com. Read my memoir “Writing in the Wound” (Amazon). Download my Rest Planner (Amazon). For my course “Creating Hope with Healing Trauma,” email shumaila@deeplisteningpath.ca.

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Learn how to take back your energy after emotional leaks and boundary crossings. Discover how to recognize energy drains, release what isn’t yours, and use somatic practices to restore calm and balance. Join my 6-week live course Break Free from Burnout starting Aug 10. Email: shumaila@deeplisteningpath.ca | Memoir: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca/writing-in-the-wound | Offerings: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca

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Learn how to set compassionate boundaries with family without guilt or conflict. Discover why family dynamics trigger boundary challenges, how to recognize emotional and somatic cues, and gentle scripts to protect your energy. Join my 6-week live course Break Free from Burnout starting Aug 10. Email: shumaila@deeplisteningpath.ca | Memoir: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca/writing-in-the-wound | Offerings: https://www.deeplisteningp...

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Learn how to protect your energy without guilt as an HSP. Discover the difference between soft and rigid boundaries, somatic cues of overwhelm, and a gentle practice to stay open yet protected. Join my 6-week live course Break Free from Burnout starting Aug 10. Email: shumaila@deeplisteningpath.ca | Memoir: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca/writing-in-the-wound | Offerings & Rest Planner: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca

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Learn to express your limits clearly and compassionately without guilt. This episode guides you through identifying your needs, somatic cues, and gentle scripts for boundary-setting. Join my 6-week live course Break Free from Burnout starting Aug 10. Email: shumaila@deeplisteningpath.ca | Upcoming memoir: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca/writing-in-the-wound | Offerings & Rest Planner: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca

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What happens when systems reward performance but not truth?
In this episode, Dr. Shumaila Hemani explores the silent injuries of being unseen in academia, the arts, and community spaces. This one’s for those who’ve been overlooked, minimized, or tolerated instead of celebrated.

Why do we work so hard to prove we belong?
Dr. Hemani unpacks the worthiness wound—the deep belief that our value depends on perfection, performance, or extern...

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🎙️ Episode 6: Spotting Boundary Crossers – Learn to recognize subtle energy drains before burnout takes over. Discover the 3 types of boundary crossers, your body’s early warning signals, and a simple practice to reclaim your energy. Join my 6-week live course, Break Free from Burnout, starting Aug 10. Email: shumaila@deeplisteningpath.ca | Upcoming memoir: https://www.deeplisteningpath.ca/writing-in-the-wound | Other offerings: h...

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Welcome to Listening to the Wound: Where Trauma Meets Tenderness with Dr. Shumaila Hemani. This space is for the quietly exhausted—those navigating burnout, displacement, and the longing to belong. In this episode, I guide you to listen to your body’s signals that you need a boundary. Learn to recognize physical, emotional, and energy cues that whisper for care before burnout hits. Practice a short guided reflection to honor your i...

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Welcome to Listening to the Wound: Where Trauma Meets Tenderness.I’m Shumaila Hemani, and this space is for the quietly exhausted—those navigating burnout, displacement, and the longing to belong.In this second episode, we are initiating the Healthy Boundaries Series and explore how to say no without guilt—so you can protect your energy, support your nervous system, and make your yes more meaningful.You’ll learn:How to recognize th...

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In this opening episode, I ask a question that lives quietly in the bones of many of us: Is rest a privilege? Drawing from my own journey of burnout, displacement, and creative resurgence, I explore how rest has been withheld, feared, and—eventually—reclaimed.This episode is not a prescription. It’s a soft invitation to examine your relationship with rest:Do you allow it? Do you resist it? Has rest ever felt unsafe, indulgent, ...

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