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Unburdening Motherhood with Angele Close

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

Release Date: 11/03/2025

Externalizing IFS for Neurodivergence and Complex Trauma with Irina Diyankova show art Externalizing IFS for Neurodivergence and Complex Trauma with Irina Diyankova

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

Today I welcome Irina Diyankova back to the podcast. Her last episode,  was one of our most popular.  This time we explore what happens when "going inside" during an IFS session becomes hard for clients. She finds this is especially true with neurodivergent and C-PTSD clients.  Irina shares why externalization can be so helpful in these cases. Instead of relying only on what’s happening internally, bringing things outside, like mapping, speaking out loud, connecting visually or relationally, really help. We also talk about how IFS isn’t a cookie-cutter model. We all...

info_outline IFS for Everyday Life with Joanna Curry-Sartori show art IFS for Everyday Life with Joanna Curry-Sartori

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

On today’s episode, I talk with Joanna Curry-Sartori, founder of the Self-Leadership Collaborative and author of The Self-Led Educator. We explore this idea of how to bring IFS into everyday life, to invite more Self Energy into our conversations and interactions.  Joanna teaches us her PAUSE model, a five-step process to help you slow things down and notice what’s happening inside before you respond. Sometimes it's in moments where you can feel yourself starting to react, or a conversation begins to shift. Instead of pushing through, you pause, get curious about your parts,...

info_outline An Army of Healers with Nitsan Joy Gordon show art An Army of Healers with Nitsan Joy Gordon

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

On today’s episode I welcome Nitsan Joy Gordon, a dance movement therapist, IFS practitioner, and peacebuilder who lives in Israel. Nitsan shares about growing up in Israel, living near the border, and what it’s like to live in a place where war and trauma have been part of daily life for generations. She also tells the story of how Internal Family Systems changed her own life. A powerful experience at Esalen with Dick Schwartz inspired her to use IFS in her work back home. Nitsan leads an organization bringing Israelis and Palestinians together to transform pain through deep listening...

info_outline Are You Mad At Me? with Meg Josephson show art Are You Mad At Me? with Meg Josephson

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...

info_outline Integrating IFS and Listening Therapies with Marcella Cox show art Integrating IFS and Listening Therapies with Marcella Cox

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

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...

info_outline The Courage to Start with the Ending - with Keith Miller and Courtney Corona show art The Courage to Start with the Ending - with Keith Miller and Courtney Corona

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

On today's episode I chat with Keith and Courtney, cohosts of the podcast . 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”...

info_outline Our Parts Are Angels In Disguise with David Stern show art Our Parts Are Angels In Disguise with David Stern

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

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...

info_outline When The World Feels Too Heavy with Daphne Fatter show art When The World Feels Too Heavy with Daphne Fatter

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

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...

info_outline Integrating IFS and EMDR with Bruce Hersey, David Polidi, and Joanne Twombly show art Integrating IFS and EMDR with Bruce Hersey, David Polidi, and Joanne Twombly

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

Today I welcome David Polidi, Bruce Hersey, and Joanne Twombly on the podcast to talk about their new book, We talk about why this book is needed, what it took to bring together more than 20 contributors, and why integrating these models can create more options, more flexibility, and more hope for clients.  We talk about: Bringing together 21 contributors and creating a true community project Why integration can help when clients get stuck in one modality The idea that there is a natural, underlying healing process beyond any single model  Coping skills, resourcing, and the...

info_outline Inside IFS with Richard Schwartz and Jeanne Catanzaro show art Inside IFS with Richard Schwartz and Jeanne Catanzaro

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

Today’s episode is a little different, in a really wonderful way. I sit down with Dick Schwartz and Jeanne Catanzaro, President and Vice President of the IFS Institute, and partners in both leadership and life. This isn’t a traditional interview; it’s more like listening in on friends and colleagues talking about the things they care about, the serious, the personal, and the very human. I’ve been feeling curious about what’s happening inside IFS leadership right now. The model keeps growing, reaching more people, and carrying more responsibility with it. I wanted to hear directly...

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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. 

I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach.

Resources

Sponsorship

Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy.