The Day My Body Told Me My Career Was Over

How Alexandra Hewett left therapy, embraced creativity, and built a new life through improv, grief storytelling, and humor.

Author

David Whiplash
May 06, 2025

Most of us ignore it when our body starts resisting our work. Alexandra Hewett didn’t.

After 15 years as a therapist, she found herself physically aching through her sessions. Her shoulders caved. Her head throbbed. Her butt hurt. That’s when she realized it wasn’t just discomfort. It was a sign.

In this episode of Whiplash Nation, Alexandra shares how she left her therapy career and built a new path where creativity became an outlet and a survival strategy. She now produces the hilarious and healing storytelling show Mortified, teaches grief writing workshops, and uses improv’s "Yes, And" philosophy to help others overcome life’s most challenging transitions.

Key takeaways:

  • Why listening to your body is the first step to change

  • How humor and creativity can turn grief into community

  • The importance of saying Yes, And—and knowing when to say no

If you’ve ever felt trapped in a job that no longer fits, Alexandra’s story is a reminder that your next chapter might begin with simply listening to what your body is telling you.

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