Before she was an author, Melanie Smithson was a psychotherapist — one who never thought she’d write a book. But after years of repeating the same lessons to clients about stress and self-regulation, she found herself saying, “I really should write a book on this.”

Years later, a workshop with author Jack Canfield finally pushed her over the edge. “He had us yell at ourselves for something we hadn’t done,” she laughs. “I realized I’d been saying I’d write this book for ten years — and hadn’t done it.” Six months later, Stress Free in 30 Seconds was written.

The Power of the Body

Her newest book, Shake Yourself Free, grew out of decades of work in somatic psychotherapy — therapy that includes the body as part of healing. “Letting go isn’t pretending you’re fine,” Melanie says. “It’s moving through where you’re stuck, so it can actually release.”

The book, which emerged on the dance floor, offers short, accessible body-based exercises anyone can do at home. “I wanted something for the everyday frustrations,” she says. “Not just trauma, but the moments you’re mad at your mother-in-law or can’t get out of your head.”

Practicing What She Teaches

Melanie laughs that while writing the book, she used the same techniques it teaches: “When I got stuck I’d literally swivel in my chair or shake my body out. My book reminded me how to move my energy instead of sitting in it.”

She emphasizes that somatic work isn’t complicated — it’s simply about meeting yourself where you are. “When you feel stuck, don’t fight it. Move with it. The body already knows how to let go.”

Healing Through Movement

Her first book, Stress Free in 30 Seconds, offers quick practices like the 30-second breath — five seconds in, five out, and five to pause. “You can do it twice in under a minute,” she says. “It resets your system fast.”

Her upcoming book expands on that philosophy through dance and movement. “Shaking, bouncing, or even imagining movement breaks mental loops,” Melanie explains. “It’s hard to hold on to bad thoughts when you are bouncing.”

Her Mission: Everyday Emotional Literacy

What drives Melanie now is teaching people — and especially children — how to feel their emotions fully. “If I could change one thing about the world, it would be teaching children to feel and understand their emotions,” she says. “Most bullies never learned how to feel.”

Her approach blends somatic therapy, mindfulness, and humor to help readers connect body and spirit. “Letting go is how we reconnect to Source,” she says. “It’s how we remember who we really are.”