No Bad Puppets: Parts Work, Play, and IFS with Mark Saltzman

What if your Human Design chart could offer a map to both your authentic Self and the parts of you that have learned to adapt and protect? In this episode of Intuitive Self, I’m joined by Caitlan Siegenthaler, an IFS-trained therapist and Human Design Guide, to explore the intersection of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Human Design. We discuss how Human Design can deepen self-understanding and serve as a powerful tool for identifying parts, accessing Self-energy, and cultivating greater compassion for ourselves and others.

What happens when shame becomes part of how we see ourselves—and what changes when we begin meeting it with compassion? In this episode I am joined by Executive Coach and certified IFS Practitioner Trevor Bird for an honest conversation about shame, masculinity, vulnerability, and IFS. Trevor shares his own story of shame, including how it fueled the managing parts that helped him find success in the restaurant industry. He also opens up about his strained relationship with his father, the shame his father carried, and how it impacted their relationship.

In this episode, I sit down with Kay Gardner, one of the original “mothers” of Internal Family Systems (IFS), to discuss her new book, Calling Ourselves Back Home: The Spiritual and Energetic Lens of IFS. Kay shares her journey with IFS and what it has been like to finally take the “lid” off the spiritual and intuitive aspects of her work. We explore legacy and cultural burdens, the historical oppression of the divine feminine, and how these burdens can impact our ability to trust and express our intuition. We also talk about the power of imagination, reconnecting with our innate intuitive nature, and what it means to remember the spirituality that has always been within us. Kay and I dive into guides—what they are, how we might notice them, and how they can support our journey. And in a fun and unexpected moment, we discover that Kay and I share a guide!

What happens when your body forces you to slow down? In this episode, I sit down with therapist Hannah Smith for a deeply honest conversation about her unexpected experience with three strokes—and the profound personal and professional lessons that emerged from her healing journey. Hannah shares what the experience taught her about the costs of striving and productivity culture, the importance of listening to our bodies, accepting help, and allowing ourselves to rest. We also talk about the incredible support she received from her physical therapist and how community became an essential part of her healing. As an EMDR- and IFS-informed therapist specializing in women's mental health, Hannah also shares how volunteering during an EMDR training unexpectedly shifted the trajectory of her healing and how integrating EMDR and IFS supported her recovery. Together, we explore what it means for therapists to do their own inner work, recognize when we're overriding our needs, and create more space for rest, connection, and nervous-system regulation. In This Episode We Explore:

Is anxiety something to overcome—or could it be inviting us into a deeper relationship with ourselves? In this episode of The Intuitive Self Podcast, I sit down with trauma therapist John Clarke to explore anxiety through the lenses of Internal Family Systems (IFS), nervous system awareness, and trauma healing. Together, we discuss why anxiety is unique to each person, the burdens it often carries, and how approaching it with curiosity and compassion can lead to profound healing. We also explore perfectionism, shame, masking, supporting others with anxiety, and how to discern the difference between fear and intuition. In This Episode We Explore: