Episode 2: Understanding Internal Family Systems (IFS): How Parts Work Unlocks Self-Leadership
Release Date: 04/29/2025
12| What Is Your Capacity For Joy?
Paradox and Parts
In this episode, Sarah explores the surprising ways we resist, bypass, or shrink joy—even when life is good. She shares personal stories, nervous system insight, and five reflection prompts to help you expand your emotional capacity and stop bracing when things feel light, fun, or easeful. You’ll hear: – How joy relates to your nervous system and emotional safety – Why many women subconsciously suppress joy – A vulnerable birth + birthday story that redefined celebration – How to invite just 1% more joy into your day (without guilt) If you've ever felt guilty for feeling good,...
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11| Unscripted: When You Forget Who You Are
Paradox and Parts
This one’s raw, real, and straight from the heart. Recorded just after a powerful embodiment call, this unscripted episode is a sacred reminder for the moments you feel stuck, off, or disconnected from your power. Sarah shares a vulnerable reflection on how forgetting who we are pulls us into functional freeze, burnout, or numbness—and how remembering (through embodiment, God, source, and even a Care Bear Stare of wildflowers) can root us back in truth. If you’ve been over-functioning, under-feeling, or just wondering why nothing feels quite right… this one is for you. 🔁 Come back...
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10| Why Boundaries Feel So Hard (And What to Do About It)
Paradox and Parts
In this episode of Paradox & Parts, we’re unpacking why boundaries can feel so hard to hold—even when you know they’re necessary. If you’ve ever said yes when you wanted to say no, spiraled in guilt after setting a limit, or frozen in the moment you needed to speak up… you’re not alone. And you’re not broken. We’ll explore: What boundaries actually are (and what they’re not) How your nervous system and internal parts are trying to protect you Why it’s not about willpower—it’s about wiring, safety, and self-leadership What it means to opt in consciously when change...
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9| Putting It All Together: Inner Work That Actually Transforms
Paradox and Parts
In this recap episode of Paradox & Parts, Sarah Failla connects the dots between the foundational tools that can radically transform how you lead your life: parts work, paradox, nervous system regulation, and thought work. These aren’t just self-help buzzwords. They’re a map to stop self-sabotaging, start leading from within, and build a life aligned with your values—not your fears. You’ll learn: Why conflicting inner voices make sense (and what to do with them) How paradox is the antidote to shame and binary thinking What the nervous system has to do with your patterns, your...
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8| You Are Not Your Thoughts: How to Start Noticing the Scripts Running Your Life
Paradox and Parts
In this episode of Paradox & Parts, we’re talking about the invisible scripts you didn’t know were shaping your life—the thoughts, beliefs, and expectations that influence how you show up, what you assume, and how you relate to others. We explore the difference between a thought and a fact, the “manuals” you may be unconsciously holding others to, and how self-fulfilling prophecies play out in your closest relationships. I’ll also share a personal story from early in my marriage that opened my eyes to how two people can have totally different interpretations of the same...
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7| The Nervous System: Window of Tolerance + Why You Freeze, Snap, or Shut Down
Paradox and Parts
In this episode of Paradox & Parts, we explore the nervous system—not in a textbook or clinical way, but in the way it actually shows up in your life. Like when you overthink a text, shut down in a meeting, or say yes when your body screamed no. I walk you through what the nervous system is, what your window of tolerance means, and how dysregulation often gets mistaken for failure, weakness, or self-sabotage. I also share the practical signs of hyperarousal and hypoarousal—and why understanding this can change the way you lead yourself through life. This one’s grounding, honest, and...
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6| Unscripted: The Parts You Hate, the Love You Crave
Paradox and Parts
In this Unscripted episode of Paradox and Parts, I invite you into a raw, honest reflection from a walk outside—no script, no polish, just what was alive in me that day. We talk about the parts we hate, the ones we try to hide, and the ways we self-abandon in the name of safety, approval, or perfection. I share what’s been stirring in me lately—deep reckoning, tenderness, grief, and the call to radical self-responsibility. This is about gathering the pieces we’ve shoved down and learning to love them… not to fix them, but to finally hold them. If you’re navigating shame, judgment,...
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5| Shame, Judgment, and the Parts We Push Away: The Power of Paradox
Paradox and Parts
In this episode of Paradox and Parts, I dive deeper into how shame and judgment show up when we try to live in black-and-white thinking. We talk about the parts we push away—the ones we think disqualify us—and how paradox invites us to hold them with compassion instead of rejection. I share personal stories around parenting, confidence, overthinking, and spiritual growth… and how learning to hold both/and has softened how I see myself and others. This one is raw, honest, and real. If you’ve ever felt like a contradiction, or wondered why shame hits so hard—this is for you. ...
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4| Unscripted: This Is the Work – Motherhood, Miscarriage, and Midlife Meaning
Paradox and Parts
This is part of my Unscripted series—raw voice notes, reflections, and real-time processing from the middle of life, growth, and everything in between. No script. No polish. Just what’s alive right now. In this episode, I share what surfaced after a powerful embodiment session—grief I didn’t expect, memories I hadn’t visited in years, and the realization that stepping into something new (like this podcast) can stir echoes of what we’ve already lived and lost. I talk about motherhood, miscarriages, movement, and how creativity is often born from the spaces we never meant to reopen....
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3 | Stop Trying to Solve It: How Embracing Paradox Sets You Free
Paradox and Parts
In this episode of Paradox & Parts, Sarah Failla dives into the heart of what it means to be human: complex, layered, and sometimes contradictory. With warmth and honesty, she unpacks how black-and-white thinking keeps us stuck—and how embracing paradox can set us free. Through relatable stories, parts work, and a practical exercise to try this week, Sarah invites you to stop fighting what’s true and start making space for all of you. This is a powerful conversation about self-acceptance, emotional nuance, and how learning to hold two truths at once can expand your capacity for joy,...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Paradox & Parts: Embracing All of You, we dive deep into Internal Family Systems (IFS)—a life-changing framework that's helped me and countless clients find more clarity, peace, and alignment.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in patterns of self-sabotage, torn between different parts of yourself, or frustrated by inner conflict you can't quite explain, this episode is for you.
We’ll explore how understanding your different parts—like your perfectionist, inner critic, or protector—can unlock the path to self-trust, emotional freedom, and personal empowerment. You'll hear real-life examples of how parts show up in everyday life, how to lead from your capital-S Self, and why embracing all of you is the key to deeper healing and lasting change.
Plus, stick around until the end for a guided meditation where you’ll get to experience parts work in real time.
Takeaways:
- IFS helps you understand the internal struggles that hold you back.
- Recognizing your parts can lead to more clarity and self-trust.
- Your parts have different agendas and stories that need to be understood.
- Self-leadership involves mediating between your internal parts.
- All parts of you have a positive intention, even the ones that frustrate you.
- Integrating your parts can lead to a more peaceful and harmonious life.
- Communication with your parts can improve relationships with others.
- IFS can help decode moments of self-sabotage and internal conflict.
- The journey of self-discovery takes time and compassion.
- Every part of you is worthy of love and understanding.
Resources Mentioned:
• No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
• You Are the One You've Been Waiting For: Applying Internal Family Systems to Intimate Relationships by Richard Schwartz
Connect on Instagram: Coach Sarah Failla
Book a call to learn more about working with me: 1:1 Coaching