That Wellness Podcast with Natalie Deering: Internal Family Systems (IFS) with a Twist

What happens when the healing world of Internal Family Systems meets the imaginative art of puppetry?

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Saltzman, LMP — a self-proclaimed puppet nerd, bodyworker, grief educator, and IFS practitioner — to explore how puppets can bring our inner parts to life in the therapy room and beyond.

Mark and I chat about the serendipitous way we met at the IFS Conference, and how puppetry became a playful ...

Fresh from the 2025 IFS Conference and in celebration of the podcast's 100th episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow IFS enthusiast, Tammy Sollenberger, for a lively and heartfelt debrief. In true synchronicity, we somehow kept signing up for the same seminars—without ever comparing notes beforehand. We talk about our parts, our paths, and maybe a touch of destiny.

Tammy opens up about what it’s like to be an “IFS celebrity” ...

In this episode, I sit down with one of my IFS mentors Chris Burris, LMFT, Senior Lead Trainer for the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute, to explore one of the most challenging and misunderstood aspects of our inner world: the inner critic.

Chris shares his personal journey with IFS and how the model offers a radical permission to approach ourselves—and our parts—with more love, kindness, and curiosity. Together, we discuss:

My guest today is Jenny Hayo (she/her)—teacher, guide, and practitioner of wisdom traditions for over 25 years—to explore the living, breathing experience of Self-energy and how it shapes our inner and outer worlds.

Together, we dive into:

• What it means to embody Self-energy instead of holding it as just an idea.

• The many ways people describe Self-energy, and how language can both help and limit us.

• A playful, unexpecte...

In this episode I sit down with Heather Smith—Certified IFS therapist and founder of The Moxie School®—to explore the profound intersection of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and psychedelic-assisted healing.

Heather shares her deeply personal path into both IFS and psychedelics, sparked by a lifelong inquiry: How do people truly heal? Together, we dive into the ways psychedelic experiences can deepen parts work, the essentia...

What happens when Internal Family Systems meets the mystical? In this episode I’m joined once again by therapist, teacher, and spiritual guide Chris Hancock to explore Transpersonal Internal Family Systems (T-IFS)—a sacred weaving of parts work with direct connection to the Divine.

Together, we explore how T-IFS opens portals to higher realms of healing, the many expressions of Divine love and light, and how spiritual beings—includ...

What if our inner parts weren’t just fragments of the psyche—but vessels designed to receive divine love?

My guests today are Chelsea Odhner, Robert Falconer, and Jonathan S. Rose—co-authors of the new book Opening the Inner World: Spiritual Healing, Internal Family Systems, and Emanuel Swedenborg. Together, we explore the playful spirit that brought this project to life and the profound insights that emerged at the intersection of...

What if your insomnia isn't a problem to fix, but a part of you that needs your attention?

In this insightful and compassionate conversation, I’m joined by somatic IFS and leadership coach Katie LaCelle to explore the deep connection between sleeplessness and our inner system. Katie shares her personal journey with chronic insomnia and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) offered a radically different way of relating to wakefulness—on...

What happens when a couple says “yes” to deep healing together—guided by MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and parts work?

In this soulful and honest conversation, I’m joined by Steph and Craig, co-hosts of The Steph & Craig Show, to explore their transformative journeys with MDMA-assisted therapy through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS). Together, we talk about what it’s like to prepare for these powerful sessions, working ...

In this deeply personal episode, I sit down with my brother, Sam Deering, to explore the layered journey of identity—how it forms, evolves, fractures, and heals over a lifetime.

Sam shares openly about his search for belonging through many identities. We dive into big questions like Who am I? and Where do I belong?, weaving in the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to understand how parts of ourselves are shaped by survival, soc...

What happens when you’ve had two open-heart surgeries before the age of 40, and you’re still fighting the healthcare system—every single day?

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, I’m joined by Dr. Jacob Kendall, healthcare advocate and metagerontologist, to talk about what it means to advocate like hell—for yourself, your loved ones, and the millions of people navigating chronic illness and a broken healthcare system.

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What if your birth chart could help you find the parts of you longing to be witnessed? What if the stars weren’t about prediction—but about reflection?

In this rich and expansive conversation, I’m joined by Sarah Temel, licensed trauma therapist, IFS practitioner, and founder of No Bad Charts, to explore the deeply supportive intersection of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and evolutionary astrology.

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We d...

Longing and heartache—two deeply human experiences that touch us all. In this conversation with Susan Poznyansky, LICSW (they/them), founder of Heart of Caldera (HOC), we explore the tender terrain of what it means to long, ache, and hold space for the parts of us that carry these emotions.

Susan and I share a love for lakes—their stillness, their depth—and reflect on the parts of us that feel more cautious around the vastness of...

What if the key to clarity, aliveness, and deep relaxation was already within your body—waiting to be awakened? In this episode, I sit down with my long-time mentor and friend, Jessica Lichaa, a fascia and nervous system specialist, to explore the profound connection between fascia, stored energy, and nervous system regulation.

We dive into the body’s role in healing, the impact of tension and unresolved energy, and how awakening t...

What if creativity could become one of your most powerful tools for self-discovery and healing?  In this episode, I sit down with Lynn Motley, a licensed mental health therapist and Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner, to explore the powerful intersection of Soul Collage® and parts work. We dive into how Soul Collage® serves as a creative and intuitive practice to externalize and connect with different parts of ourselves...

Do you find yourself constantly striving, doing, and achieving—only to feel exhausted, unfulfilled, or out of alignment? In this deeply relatable and thought-provoking episode, I sit down with therapist and life coach Allyson Blythe to explore the "Accomplisher" part within us—a part I personally relate to and deeply share in.

Together, we unpack the cultural and personal forces that drive us to wear busyness as a badge of honor, s...

In this powerful and enlightening episode, I sit down with Natalie Hoffman, author of All the Scary Little Gods, to discuss her journey of deconstructing from emotional and spiritual abuse, and helping others do the same.

We explore the deep work of deprogramming from rigid belief systems and aligning your faith with your core values. Natalie Hoffman shares insights on alleviating shame tied to mental health and faith, and how writ...

In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Christina Jelesky to discuss our journeys of becoming sober curious. From wild college nights to the reflective moments in our 20s and 30s, we explore the evolution of our relationship with drinking and the profound impact it has had on our lives.

Together, we delve into the health challenges that pushed us to reexamine our choices, the sometime...

In this special episode, Tammy Waldron, founder of Towanda Wellbeing, leads a calming and transformative guided meditation designed to help you connect with your intuition for deep healing. Tammy invites you to tap into your inner wisdom, quiet the mind, and align with your True Self. Whether you're new to intuitive practices or looking to deepen your connection, this meditation offers a supportive space to release blocks, cultivat...