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

On today's episode I welcome psychotherapist and author Meg Josephson to the podcast.
Her book Are You Mad at Me? names something so many of us feel but rarely say out loud: Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?
Meg and I talk about the fawn response, people-pleasing, and the parts of us that learned early on to stay ahead of conflict. We explore how "being nice" can disconnect us from ourselves, why grief and anger are essential to healing, and how mindfulness helps us slow down enough to notice what's really happening inside.
If you've ever swallowed your needs to keep the peace, felt resentful after saying yes, or worried that one mistake could cost you connection, our conversation will resonate.
We Explore:
• Why "Are you mad at me?" isn't really a question, but a feeling. • The difference between being nice and being compassionate. • How grief challenges the hope that if we try harder, we'll finally be seen. • Small corrective experiences that help our parts learn we're actually safe.
Here's a link to the workshop she mentioned in the episode.
About Meg Josephson
Meg Josephson, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Are You Mad at Me?, which has been translated into over 20 languages. In her private practice, she specializes in trauma-informed care through a mindfulness-based, compassion-focused lens. She holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia University.
Episode Sponsor: Cape Cod Institute
Deepen your IFS practice at the Cape Cod Institute this summer, now in its 46th year.
Choose from 38 half-day courses, either in person on Cape Cod or live online. Spend your mornings learning, and your afternoons applying insights, connecting with colleagues, or exploring the Cape.
If you use IFS, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from the people shaping the model. A dedicated IFS Week features Richard Schwartz and IFS practitioners teaching couples work, addictive processes, leadership, disordered eating, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Learn more and register at cape.org, and use code theoneinside2026 for $50 off.
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.

In today's episode, I welcome my friend Marcella Cox back to the podcast.
Marcella is a certified IFS therapist, approved consultant, and somatic IFS assistant trainer. She's also a certified Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and Rest and Restore provider, and the lead author of the new guidelines for integrating IFS with these listening therapies.
We talk about:
The basics of polyvagal theory

How our nervous system states impact our parts

Why co-regulation is central to healing

The difference between SSP (connection to others) and Rest and Restore (connection to Self)

How listening therapies can support safety in the body and allow more Self Energy to emerge

I also share my own experience trying SSP with Marcella. I experienced some surprising physical shifts and insights that came up after a few short listening sessions.
If you're curious about nervous system regulation and how it can deepen your IFS work, I think you'll really appreciate this conversation.
About Marcella Cox
Marcella Cox, LMFT, is a therapist, author, and presenter devoted to exploring the intersection of embodiment, trauma healing, and eating disorder recovery. She is a Level 3 Certified IFS Therapist, an Approved IFS Clinical Consultant, and an Assistant Trainer for Somatic IFS, the model developed by Susan McConnell.
She provides consultation and leads workshops, trainings, and retreats for professionals on IFS for disordered eating, Somatic IFS, and integrating IFS with the Safe & Sound Protocol and is the lead author of the IFS and Listening Therapies (Safe and Sound Protocol and Rest and Restore Protocol) Combined Delivery Guidelines, published through Unyte in January 2026.
Marcella is the founder and executive director of Kindful Body, which provides online therapy and nutrition counseling for eating and body concerns in California. She is also the co-founder of the IFS Consultation Collective, offering weekly consultation with IFS lead trainers. 
To learn more about combining IFS and Unyte's listening therapies: https://integratedlistening.com/resources/ifs-and-listening-therapies/
Marcella's SSP & IFS groups: https://www.kindfulbody.com/somatic-ifs-and-ssp-group/
Sign up for Marcella's newsletter to find out about upcoming offerings
Kindful Body on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kindfulbody/
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Therapy Training Boston.
Therapy Training Boston offers live, in-person, and online workshops, plus consultation for therapists and other helping professionals, designed to support you as a whole person while satisfying your CE requirements. All of their offerings are taught with an eye toward context, power, and relational justice, and draw on the family systems theories and best practices that shaped the IFS model. They also offer an Intensive Certificate Program in Couples and Family Therapy to help you build confidence and capacity in community. 
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.

On today's episode I chat with Keith and Courtney, cohosts of the podcast Tripping Over Love. Keith is licensed therapist and a Level 3 IFS Consultant, and Courtney is journalist and podcaster. They joined me to share their beautiful, messy love story.
We dive into the courage it takes to start over, the "trauma" of the dating apps, and how they've used Internal Family Systems (IFS) and psychedelics to navigate the "breakups, breakdowns, and breakthroughs" of their relationship .
We discuss:
Starting relationships with truth instead of performance.

Radical transparency — "starting with the ending" — as a foundation for trust.

Why telling the truth early can save a relationship later.

Loving someone while still grieving a past life.

Speaking for parts instead of from them in moments of conflict.

Finding the courage to try again after loss and heartbreak.

Dating is messy: Getting honest about the "thrift store shopping" energy of dating apps.

The difference between loving someone and being "in love."

IFS as "four-wheel drive": Turning toward the model when relationships get stuck.

How psychedelic-assisted journeys helped unlock grief — and create space to love again.

Extended Interview
At the end of our chat, I asked them each for one piece of advice for couples. This extended interviews is available for paid subscribers over on The One Inside Substack. 
Connect with Keith and Courtney:
Podcast: Tripping Over Love

Substack

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.

On today's episode I welcome my friend David Stern to the podcast. This conversation feels so perfect right now. It's full of the kind of hope we all need. David has this beautiful way of seeing the spiritual dimension in everything we do.
David calls us to remember our "Pure Soul"—the part of us that is already peaceful and cannot be destroyed. He talks about parts as "angels in disguise," the ones inside that have taken on difficult roles to protect that inner light. If you're looking for a way to stay connected to yourself in a chaotic world, this episode is a sacred reminder that your essence is always already okay.
We Explore:
Why David looks for the unbridled aliveness in every person he meets.
Reimagining our parts as refractions of a primal, divine intelligence.
How to hold the "horrors" of the world while still choosing to love our people and stay present.
Practicing "remembrance" to help shift out of the noise and back into your heart.
About David
David Stern, Psy.D. is a licensed psycholgoist, certified IFS consultant, dedicated teacher, and the creator of the Thinking Heart IFS Intensive. He also co-founded IFS Healers, an online Community of Practice designed to foster connection, deepen learning, and build community among IFS practitioners. David has trained hundreds of students worldwide and has presented at the IFS International Conference and consults with practitioners globally.
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.

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Daphne Fatter for a timely and honest conversation about what so many of us are navigating right now, as therapists, as parents, and as humans living in a polarized and chaotic time. We talk about nervous system overwhelm, numb and checked-out parts, news consumption, activism, community connection, and how to stay grounded when things feel "too much." We also touch on Daphne's new book: Integrating Internal Family Systems Interventions into EMDR Therapy.
In this episode:
Why so many of us feel numb, frozen, or checked out right now

Normalizing survival responses and protectors during times of stress

How polarization shows up both culturally and inside our own systems

Staying curious about people with different political perspectives

Finding ways to stay informed without burning out on the news

Why connection, shared humanity, and community matter so much right now

I get blended a few times in this episode and say, "I can't believe I said that." This is such a great example of how quickly any of us can blend with passionate and opinionated parts when navigating stressful topics. 
Be sure to check out my extended interview with Daphne over on Substack.
About Daphne
Daphne Fatter, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, integrative trauma consultant, author, and international speaker specializing in integrative trauma-informed therapies. She is the author of Integrating Internal Family Systems Interventions into EMDR Therapy and is widely recognized for her expertise in blending parts work with evidence-based trauma modalities.
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.