The One Inside: An Internal Family Systems (IFS) podcast

• You're Not Broken: An IFS Client's Story with Ronda Bonfanti

  In this episode I talk with Ronda Bonfanti, an IFS client, memoirist, and self-described "IFS cheerleader," who reached out to me earlier this year to share her beautiful memoir, Talk to the Trees: From CPTSD to Loving Me. Ronda has been on a healing journey for more than 25 years. She's done "all the therapies," read over 250 self-help books, and spent years trying to understand why she felt so broken inside, even though her life looked beautiful on the outside. When she found IFS, something finally clicked. We explore: Her early years in therapy and why CBT helped a little but never stuck How discovering IFS gave her a whole new relationship with her inner world Writing her memoir with the support of Frank Anderson and Lissa Rankin The healing power of humor and why she sees it as medicine Journaling as a doorway into parts work What it means to write a letter to shame  Loneliness on the healing path, and her longing to build IFS-aligned community Her dream to combine IFS and pickleball  She also reads one of my favorite chapters from her memoir — a hilarious, moving piece about her early days in therapy, banana splits, and her first meeting with Dr. Frank Anderson.  Ronda is one of those guests who reminds me why we do this work. Her story is tender, courageous, and full of hope. It's a perfect episode for a holiday week. Learn more about Ronda here. About The One Inside I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.  Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, extended interviews, meditations, and more. Find Self-Led merch at The One Inside store. Listen to episodes and watch clips on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger. I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach. Resources New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start. Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away. Sponsorship Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy. 

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• IFS Therapy for Gay and Queer Men with Max Littman

  In this episode, I talk with Max Littman, an IFS therapist, consultant, and writer. Max's new book, Internal Family Systems Therapy for Gay and Queer Men: A Companion for After Coming Out, launched the morning we recorded this conversation. His work centers on attachment, attunement, cultural burdens, and the relational impact of trauma — especially for gay and queer men who are still healing the parts shaped by growing up without safety, guidance, or representation. We talk about why this book matters, the parts that continue to carry burden even after coming out, and the places where Queer identity, family dynamics, and IFS meet.  "Unburdening offers an opportunity to reclaim a personal embodied sense of spirituality, one that honors our inherent worth and belonging." Max shares his own story of growing up without language for his identity, the isolation he felt as a teen, and how those experiences shaped his clinical work. He describes a part he calls "teen without guidance," and the insight that came from recognizing how much that part still needed care. Together, we explore: What coming out doesn't automatically heal The "teen without guidance" part and why it matters How cultural, religious, and family burdens live in the system The longing for belonging and its impact on relationships How IFS helps gay and queer men reclaim sexuality, connection, and choice The role of community, experimentation, and attunement in healing The challenge of navigating adulthood with fewer developmental and relational experiences than many same-aged peers received  Be sure to check out Max's blog that I keep hearing so much about.  And don't miss my extended interview with Max over on Substack for paid subscribers.  About Max Littman Max Littman is an IFS therapist, consultant, and writer based in Oakland. He works at the crossroads of Queer healing, trauma recovery, and attachment. His debut book, Internal Family Systems Therapy for Gay and Queer Men, is available now. Learn more or connect with him at maxlittman.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Unblend.me web app. You know those moments between sessions when something comes up and you need a gentle nudge to pause, slow down and go inside? The Unblend app helps you do just that. It's IFS informed, HIPAA compliant, and guides you through checking in with your parts to calm your nervous system. Learn more and try it for free at Unblend.me About The One Inside I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.  Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, extended interviews, meditations, and more. Find Self-Led merch at The One Inside store. Listen to episodes and watch clips on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger. I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach. Resources New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start. Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away. Sponsorship Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy. 

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• Unburdening Motherhood with Angele Close

  In this episode, I talk with Dr. Angele Close, a clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, and certified mindfulness meditation teacher. Her work weaves together Internal Family Systems, mindfulness, and matrescence to help mothers reconnect with themselves and embrace the process of becoming. She opens up about her own season of disconnection in early motherhood and how discovering IFS helped her find language, clarity, and compassion for the parts within. Her upcoming book, Unburdening Motherhood: A Guide to Breaking Cycles, Healing Trauma, and Becoming a Self-Led Mom, offers that same roadmap to others. Together, we explore the parts that push us to be the "good mom," the ones that try to do it all, and how IFS can help us lead ourselves and our families with more Self Energy. In this conversation, we explore: Matrescence is the process of becoming a mom, and why naming it matters The "good mom" parts that push us to do it all How IFS helps mothers understand the parts activated by parenting The tension between control, exhaustion, and letting go What happens when protectors soften and play, pleasure, and community return Whether you're a parent, therapist, or simply curious about how our systems respond to change, this conversation is a gentle invitation to lead with more Self energy in every season of life. About Dr. Angele Close Angele Close is a clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, and certified mindfulness meditation teacher. For more than a decade, she's helped women move beyond fear, perfectionism, and people-pleasing to find confidence and ease in motherhood and beyond. Her work is deeply guided by Internal Family Systems, which she describes as "a roadmap for understanding ourselves, addressing our pain, and finding a pathway to healing." Her new book, Unburdening Motherhood: A Guide to Breaking Cycles, Healing Trauma, and Becoming a Self-Led Mom , is available for pre-order and will be out in January 2026. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Unblend web application. You know those moments between sessions when something comes up and you need a gentle nudge to pause, slow down and go inside? The Unblend app helps you do just that. It's IFS informed, HIPAA compliant, and guides you through checking in with your parts to calm your nervous system. Learn more and try it for free at Unblend.me About The One Inside I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.  Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, extended interviews, meditations, and more. Find Self-Led merch at The One Inside store. Listen to episodes and watch clips on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger. I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach. Resources New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start. Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away. Sponsorship Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy. 

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• The Courage To Be Your Self with Caitlan Siegenthaler

  In this episode, I chat with Caitlan Siegenthaler, a Level 2 IFS licensed therapist and podcast host who specializes in IFS and Human Design. What I love about Caitlan's work is how she treats both frameworks as paths home to Self. She shares how Human Design entered her life and how she integrates it with IFS to help clients befriend their parts. She recently led a Human Design reading session with Dick Schwartz, founder of IFS.  In this conversation, we explore: How IFS and Human Design work together to help us return to our authentic Self How understanding your Human Design chart can help you connect with your internal system in a whole new way The five Human Design energy types and what they can teach us about our systems How Human Design mirrors IFS as a spiral — a way of returning, again and again, to Self Why curiosity matters more than mastery when exploring new systems We also recorded an extended interview with Caitlan for our paid Substack community about supervision and consultation — why it matters, how to find it, and how it helps therapists bring more of themselves into the room.  You can connecct with Caitlan at caitlansiegenthaler.com, listen to her Return podcast, and check out her free five-episode series on navigating indecision using Human Design and IFS. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Pisgah Coaching Institute: Founded by IFS-trained master coach Brian Jaudon, a pioneer in the integration of IFS and coaching for more than two decades. Brian and his faculty teach a blended methodology for clarifying and living into a vision of any kind. pisgahcoaching.com About The One Inside I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.  Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, live events, meditations, and extended interviews. Find merch at The One Inside store. Listen to episodes and watch clips on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger. I co-create The One Inside with my colleague and friend, Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and creative collaborator. Resources New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start. Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away. Sponsorship Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy. 

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• Self as Medicine: IFS and Psychedelics with Nick Brüss

  How can Internal Family Systems help us prepare for, experience, and integrate psychedelic journeys in a truly Self-led way? And what if Self itself can be the journey, without medicine at all? In this episode, I talk with Nick Brüss, an IFS practitioner and licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in psychedelic-assisted therapy. What I loved about this conversation is how grounded and humble Nick is about the work. He reminds us that psychedelics can open the door, but Self is what does the healing.  Why listen: Many people are curious about how psychedelics and IFS intersect. This conversation goes deeper into integration, humility, and what it really means to let Self lead before, during, and after expanded states. In this conversation, we explore: How IFS can guide and ground psychedelic experiences through Self Energy Why integration, not the journey itself, is where true healing happens How to meet expanded states with curiosity, consent, and care for all parts How to partner with the medicine to turn toward what needs our attention, bringing the same kind of compassion and curiosity we bring to our parts The nervous system and trauma dynamics that often surface after psychedelic experiences How Self can open the same sense of connection and wonder that psychedelics reveal The risks of spiritual bypass and how to stay Self-led  What an ethical, Self-led approach to psychedelic healing looks like Favorite Quotes: "The real question is, are we partnering with the medicine, or are we giving it all the power?" — Nick Brüss "Psychedelics don't heal anyone. They open a window. What heals is the relationship with Self." — Nick Brüss Connect with Nick at www.apracticeoffreedom.com Episode Sponsor Pisgah Coaching Institute: Founded by IFS-trained master coach Brian Jaudon, a pioneer in the integration of IFS and coaching for more than two decades. Brian and his faculty teach a blended methodology for clarifying and living into a vision of any kind. pisgahcoaching.com About The One Inside I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do. Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, live events, meditations, and extended interviews. Find merch at The One Inside store. Listen to episodes and watch select clips on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger. I create The One Inside with my friend, Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner who loves helping clients create with confidence and clarity. Resources New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start. Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away. Sponsorship Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy. 

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