Dr Maddie Smith
Embodied Change Guide, Multidisciplinary Misfit, & creator of The Pain-Passing Framework
Obsessed with pain-passing, transformation, exploration, & guiding people home: to themselves, to others, & to a new world.
Greetings, Change-Makers! Welcome to my site, where I blend education, healing & connection in service of personal & collective growth.
Although my work takes many different forms, it all emerges from the same mission: to help people understand how pain shapes our lives & systems, develop the skills needed for lasting transformation, & connect with their capacity to co-create the future they want to live in. I practice what I preach, so everything I create here (whether that’s educational material, healing resources, guided walking tours, or something else entirely!) embraces my own unique skills, interests & background, & is designed to meet one or more of the following aims:
Education
To spread awareness of how unprocessed emotional pain moves, & shapes our personal & collective experience – because we can’t change what we don’t see.
Inner Change
To guide people through the work of pain-transformation & into the embodied change of self-empowerment – because we can’t heal what we don’t feel.
Outer Impact
To help people change how they show up in the world, turning pain-passing into conscious connection – because our pain ripples out, but so does our healing.
Collective Action
To facilitate connection with others so that we can create a just, compassionate & caring world for all – because together we are stronger.
So… what do I actually do?
Whether it’s as part of The Pain-Passing Framework, Maddie’s Walking Tours, or other educational & creative endeavours, I…
…create a range of digital resources – from journals & long & short courses, to healing materials & audio guides.
…provide ready-made & live online workshops. Coming soon: Group & organisational coaching programmes.
…host in-person events, such as healing circles, community workshops, & walking tours.
…write content! From blog posts to academic texts & even a forthcoming fiction book on – you’ve got it – pain!
My multidisciplinary expertise
Holistic therapies – I hold qualifications in massage therapy, aromatherapy, NLP, & psychology, alongside certifications in energy healing, internal family systems, & somatic practices.
Education – With a degree in Film Studies & a PhD on vigilantism in American history, society & culture, specialisms include identity, injustice, trauma, & strain… & what people do with their pain!
Teaching – I’ve lectured at degree level in screen studies & American studies, with additional experience in tourism, law, & marine biology.
Tour guiding – I have accrued tour guiding experience in several fields from marine life & conservation to city tours in Paris & beyond.
Personal studies – An avid knowledge seeker & systems thinker, I study systemics, sociology, criminology, activism, cosmology… etc!!
Featured Products
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YouTube Workshop – Pay What You Can
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The Personal Pain-Passing Course
£97.00 -
It’s Global – The Fifth Pain-Passing Journal
£22.00 -
It’s Societal – The Fourth Pain-Passing Journal
£22.00 -
It’s Interpersonal – The Third Pain-Passing Journal
£22.00 -
It’s Generational – The Second Pain-Passing Journal
£22.00
The Pain-Passing Framework is for ANYONE seeking to expand in 1 or more of the following:
1 – Those seeking a comprehensive way to understand human experience & its organising structures.
2 – Those seeking to transform their experience of life through deeply integrated personal healing.
3 – Those seeking to connect & co-create with others to build a more compassionate, equitable, & caring world.
Whether we come seeking understanding, healing, or change, the framework provides a common foundation upon which we can learn, grow, & create together: it’s from this place that we truly are stronger.
Digital & audio tours: Deepen your connection with self & other
1 – Experience the wonder & joy of exploration & discovery across Europe.
2 – Find a deeper understanding of yourself as you move through the world.
3 – Develop profound connection with others through time & place.
Blog posts & articles
Testimonials
Coaching Services Testimonial
I had the pleasure to work with Maddie on Redirected Aggression & to say it made an impact is an understatement! Understanding that how I react to others impacts how they react to other people too was ground-breaking for me professionally, & in my home, helping observe & break pain-passing cycles for my family too. As a beaver scout leader, I also extended this into my community, devising games to show the children how anger transfers & how to stop it from happening. I’m looking forward to improving more as a person, dad, & scout leader by continuing to work with Maddie.
James B, UK
It’s Personal: The 1st Pain-Passing Journal Testimonial
Working through the Personal Pain-Passing Journal really allowed me to work with my emotional ups and downs, face my fears, process painful thoughts, and better understand my reactions. I used to laugh off people’s comments about how strong I am for surviving some really awful times in my life, always replying “What doesn’t break you makes your stronger!” But working through this journal helped me really appreciate my resilience and inner strength. I struggled at first to relax into this new way of working with myself but I’m so glad I stuck with it! I now feel ready to step into my next chapter feeling lighter and open to what the future holds for me.
Michelle B, UK
It’s Generational: The 2nd Pain-Passing Journal Testimonial
I found the Generational Pain-Passing Journal by Dr Maddie Smith to be a gentle and comforting guide through the difficult emotions of generational pain. The prompts are thoughtful without being overwhelming, and they helped me slow down, reflect honestly, and release what I was holding onto. I appreciated how the journal validates emotional pain while still encouraging healing and growth. It feels supportive, calming, and easy to return to whenever things feel heavy. I would recommend this journal to anyone looking for a compassionate tool for self-reflection and healing around inherited wounds.
Selene S, UK
It’s Generational: The 2nd Pain-Passing Journal Testimonial
After working with the Personal Pain-Passing Journal, which allowed me to process some deeply suppressed feelings, emotions and memories from really painful experiences and events in my childhood – I felt ready to take my healing a step further with the Generational Pain-Passing Journal. Working with this second journal really helped me go deeper into my healing, allowing me to truly feel and release things I’d suppressed for so long – particularly the anger I felt. Working with this journal allowed me to see where some patterns had followed into my own parenting, and adjust accordingly. I feel so happy that I’ve released these patterns!
Michelle B, UK