What if the very thing you’ve been praised for your entire life… is the very thing quietly holding you back?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy sits down with Kate Hastings to unpack the concept of “softening”—and why it may be the missing piece for so many high-performing women.

From being raised to push harder, achieve more, and stay in control… to living in a constant state of stress, rigidity, and disconnection—this conversation explores what happens when strength becomes survival, and survival becomes a prison.

Maddy shares her personal journey through burnout, hormonal dysfunction, and loss of her cycle—and how learning to soften, slow down, and rebuild trust with her body ultimately led to true healing.

Kate expands on this through the lens of identity, femininity, and emotional safety ...