Clairvoyance, Intuition, and IFS: A Conversation with Catherine Cope
Intuitive Self: IFS + Intuition + Spirituality with Natalie DeeringShow Notes
In today’s intuitive conversation, I sit down with my friend and fellow IFS therapist Catherine Cope, a clinician and clairvoyant who beautifully bridges Internal Family Systems, somatic awareness, intuitive development, and spiritual presence. Catherine and I first met while serving as program assistants in an IFS Level 1 training, where a moment of vulnerability opened a doorway between us: I shared with the group that I’m clairvoyant… and Catherine shared that she is too. From there, an entire inner world of resonance opened. Together, we explore our early experiences with intuition and the spiritual realms, the parts of us that feared being seen—and being seen seeing—and how both of us gradually learned to trust our inner vision. Catherine also shares about her four years at the Berkeley Psychic Institute, where she trained in clairvoyance, grounding practices, energetic boundaries, and the art of inhabiting the human body as a conscious, intuitive being. This episode moves through the ways intuition naturally supports IFS therapy, how to fine-tune your inner instrument, and how to invite guidance—internal and spiritual—into the healing process. We also talk about the courage it takes to let intuitive gifts come forward, especially when parts hold fear, skepticism, or concern. This is a grounded, expansive conversation about intuition, psychic development, parts work, and learning to trust the deeper knowing inside each of us.
Topics We Cover
Early life experiences sensing the spiritual realm and intuitive information
Parts that feared being seen and being seen seeing
Catherine’s four years of clairvoyant training at the Berkeley Psychic Institute
Grounding cords, visualization, and why the body believes the pictures we see
Tools for living fully in the human body and claiming it as your own
Closing the eyes during IFS sessions to deepen connection, centering, and clarity
What clairvoyance is—and a discussion of the other clairs
Why everyone has intuitive access (and which clairs you naturally tune into)
Understanding intuition as an instrument each of us tunes differently
How to strengthen intuition through IFS, meditation, grounding, and embodiment
Using intuitive information ethically and skillfully in IFS work
Discerning what belongs to the client vs. what belongs to you
Asking internal and external guides for support in session
Addressing Protector Parts who fear intuition or visibility
About Catherine Cope, LCMHC Catherine Cope is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in New York and North Carolina with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals on their healing journeys. She is a Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist, an IFS Approved Clinical Consultant, a Certified EMDR Therapist, and Hakomi-trained, integrating somatic, trauma-informed, and mindfulness-based approaches into her work. Catherine’s clinical training is complemented by decades of contemplative and intuitive study. She spent four years at the Berkeley Psychic Institute and has worked for more than 30 years with intuitive counselor Christen McCormack, whose teachings continue to shape her meditative and intuitive practices. She is also married and the mother of two rapidly growing children, whose presence brings both unpredictability and deep love into her daily life—further enriching her understanding of human complexity and connection. Catherine is a grounded, attuned, and deeply intuitive therapist and guide.
Connect with Catherine Website:www.catherinecope.com IFS Institute:https://ifs-institute.com/about-us Hakomi Institute:https://hakomiinstitute.com/ Berkeley Psychic Institute:https://www.berkeleypsychic.com/ Christen McCormack:https://www.christenmccormack.com/
______________________________ Want to work with Natalie? Contact her below Website: https://www.ndwellnessservices.com/ Contact: https://www.ndwellnessservices.com/contact Instagram: @nataliedeering __________________
More from Intuitive Self: IFS + Intuition + Spirituality with Natalie Deering
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: