Experiencing Life from the Inside Out: A Deeper Look at IFS Therapy & the Wisdom of the Body
Have you ever noticed how your body reacts when you're under stress? Maybe your chest tightens, your jaw clenches, or your mind spins into overdrive. What if instead of trying to push those sensations away, you got curious about them?
In Episode 133 of The Art of Speaking Up podcast, "Navigating Stress, Finding Inner Stability Amidst Chaos, the Magic of Going Slow, Confidence, and the Inner Critic", host Jess Guzik and guest Richelle Ludwig dive into these very themes—blending somatic wisdom, Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, and nervous system regulation in a way that feels both accessible and transformative.
Why I Recommend This Podcast
As a trauma-informed therapist, IFS and nervous system work are central to the healing I witness with my clients. This episode does a beautiful job exploring what IFS looks like in real life. Richelle explains how we’re meant to experience life from the inside out, but many of us are conditioned to focus only on external reactions and expectations.
She speaks to how stress and trauma live in the body and how the autonomic nervous system responds by cycling through different states—fight, flight, freeze, fawn. She distinguishes between self-regulation and co-regulation, and how both are necessary tools when navigating stress or discomfort.
Trauma, Parts, and the Body
One of the most powerful takeaways from this episode is the idea that when we feel stuck, it’s often because a part of us is holding an unmet need. That part may not even know its needs are acceptable—let alone that they can be met.
Richelle gives some real, grounded examples of how the body might try to complete a stress response:
Pushing away (activating a boundary)
Shaking or trembling (releasing survival energy)
Screaming or saying "Stop!" (reclaiming power)
These responses may seem small, but in the context of trauma healing, they can offer major relief. The action itself can help move us from frozen to flowing, from powerless to present.
What You Can Do to Begin
One gentle, powerful phrase IFS teaches us to use is:
“I’m noticing a part of me that is feeling ______.”
For example:
“I’m noticing a part of me that is feeling rejected, or lonely, or insignificant.”
This simple act of noticing without judgment allows us to shift from being blended with the part (overwhelmed or consumed by it) to observing it with curiosity. It’s a way of saying, I see you, I hear you, and I want to understand you—which is often the first relief that part has ever received.
But What If I Don’t Like That Part?
Now, is it normal for us not to like certain parts of ourselves?
Absolutely.
But what does that mean?
Often, our dislike toward a part is actually a signal that we are blended with another part—a protective one that holds concerns or fears about what might happen if we allow that other part to speak, feel, or lead. Before we can work with the part we don’t like, we need to get curious about the part that’s judging it.
What is our experience with the part we dislike?
Why do we feel uncomfortable around it?
What is its intention?
IFS teaches us that there are no bad parts. While some may carry out harmful behaviors or lead to painful consequences, their intentions are rooted in protection, survival, and care. These parts have often been working tirelessly for years, unaware that the environment has shifted—that you’re safe now, supported now, and no longer in the conditions that required such extreme strategies.
Through the compassionate lens of IFS, we can help these parts unburden, update, and evolve.
When Parts Can’t Accept What’s Happening
Another beautiful insight Richelle offers is this: Sometimes a part of us isn’t ready to accept a truth or realization, even if our adult self understands it intellectually. This can create more internal tension or activation—not because we’re resisting healing, but because a part of us isn’t ready.
Rather than pushing it away or trying to force acceptance, IFS invites us to slow down and ask:
Why is this part struggling to accept what I now know?
Is it because this new idea feels unsafe?
Or is it just unfamiliar?
Both can feel the same in the body—tightness, discomfort, anxiety—but their roots are different. And how do you tell the difference?
You ask your body.
You ask the part.
You listen.
This is a subtle, powerful skill that takes time and guidance to develop. For many, it's nearly impossible to do alone—especially if no one has ever modeled this kind of internal relationship before. That’s why working with an IFS-informed therapist can be so supportive. We don't force acceptance—we get curious about the resistance, and from there, healing can begin.
What is IFS Therapy, Really?
IFS invites us to notice our internal world—our sensations, emotions, thoughts, impulses, images—and to get to know the parts of us that are carrying burdens. These parts might show up as:
The inner critic
The perfectionist
The planner
The avoider
The angry protector
The young, wounded child
These are just a few ways they can show up. IFS categorizes these into Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles, and teaches us how to build a relationship with each. But we don’t do this work alone—we do it with the guidance of our Self Energy.
How Do I Know I’m in “Self Energy”?
Self Energy is the healing agent in IFS therapy. You’ll know you're in Self when you embody some of the 8 C’s:
Compassion
Curiosity
Connectedness
Clarity
Calm
Confidence
Creativity
Courage
Not all need to be present, but when even a few of these qualities are active, your adult Self is leading, and your parts will begin to trust and soften the more you allow yourself to enter this state.
The Healing Begins with Acknowledgment
Just acknowledging a part is a profound first step. When we say to a part, “I see you,” that part often begins to feel relief. It doesn’t need to run the show—it just wants to be heard.
And from there? We listen. We ask what that part needs. Sometimes the need can be met in the moment. Other times, you can let the part know, “I hear you, and I’ll bring this to our next therapy session,” because support is essential.
IFS reminds us that healing doesn’t require fixing the part or eliminating the part—it asks us to relate to it differently.
Final Thoughts
This podcast is a beautiful entry point into the deeper layers of therapeutic work. Whether you're in therapy now, considering it, or just curious about how to understand yourself better, I invite you to listen to this episode.
➡️ Listen to Episode 133: Navigating Stress, Finding Inner Stability Amidst Chaos
You might just discover that your body has been trying to speak all along—and that there's a whole world of wisdom waiting within.
If something in this episode stirred something in you—maybe a part that felt seen or curious—I encourage you to explore this further. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Sometimes we need guidance, support, and safety to explore our internal world with compassion.
Working with an IFS-informed therapist can help you deepen your understanding of your parts, unblend from the voices that feel overwhelming, and connect to the calm, confident Self that already lives within you.
This journey takes time—but you don’t have to take it alone. If you’re ready to begin or continue this work, IFS offers a gentle yet profound path forward.
You are worthy of healing, and all your parts are welcome here. 💛