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

Befriending Addictive Parts with Mary Kruger

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Sep 13, 2024

Mary Kruger, an IFS lead trainer and therapist, specializes in addiction and eating disorders. She shares her transformative journey with Internal Family Systems, emphasizing understanding addiction as a system imbalance rather than a moral failure. The discussion highlights how befriending addictive parts can lead to healing and how shame perpetuates addiction cycles. Mary also explores the power of group work in promoting connection, reducing shame, and fostering compassion, ultimately encouraging listeners to view their struggles as teachers on the path to recovery.

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ANECDOTE

Mary's Early Exposure to Addiction

Mary Kruger's early exposure to addiction through family influenced her career path.
A childhood injury involving a beer bottle felt like a foreshadowing of her future work.

INSIGHT

IFS and Addiction Treatment

Mary Kruger developed the Level 2 IFS training for addiction recovery.
She was influenced by Mike Elkin and C-Sykes.

INSIGHT

Shifting the Paradigm

Traditional addiction treatment often demonizes addictive behaviors.
IFS offers a paradigm shift by befriending these parts to understand their intentions.

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My guest today is Mary Kruger, an IFS lead trainer and therapist specializing in addiction and eating disorders. Mary helped develop the IFS Level 2 training for addiction recovery and treatment. This episode is a re-release from Season 2.

Episode Summary: In this episode Mary shares her own story of finding IFS and her personal experience of the healing power of its integration with the 12-step model.

We explore:

How can we shift the way we approach addiction, eating disorders, and shame?
Have traditional approaches to addiction recovery, such as AA or 12-step programs, left us demonizing our behaviors rather than understanding them?
What happens when we stop viewing addiction as a "moral failure" or "genetic defect" and instead see it as a system out of balance
What role does shame play in maintaining cycles of addiction, and how can IFS help us unburden that shame?
How can we learn to work with, not against, our addictive parts?
Can group work enhance healing by reducing shame and helping us feel connected to others with similar struggles?

Favorite Quote:

"What if we stopped demonizing our addictive behaviors and instead asked, 'What are they trying to teach us?' When we befriend the parts of us that struggle, we unlock the door to true healing."

Episode Sponsor: Life Architect

✨ Get access to 3 IFS webinars organized by Life Architect (featuring Einat Bronstein, Kay Gardner & Robert Falconer, and Ann Sinko) and receive a 30% discount on selected IFS workshops: https://lifearchitect.com/tammy/ ✨

Watch video Clips from select episodes on The One Inside Podcast - YouTube

Follow Tammy on Instagram @ifstammy: Tammy Sollenberger (@ifs.tammy) • Instagram photos and videos and on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger: The One Inside: Internal Family Systems with Tammy Sollenberger | Facebook.

Jeff Schrum co-produces The One Inside Podcast. He is an IFS Level 1 practitioner.

Are you new to IFS or want a simple way to get to know yourself? Tammy's book, "The One Inside: Thirty Days to your Authentic Self" is a PERFECT place to start. You can purchase it here: The One Inside: 30 Days To Your Authentic Self: Sollenberger, Tammy: 9780967688756: Amazon.com: Books or wherever books are sold.

Do you want to befriend the parts of you who impede your meditation practice? Check out this FEEE workshop:

Loch Kelly's Free 90 minute workshop

Tammy is grateful for Jack Reardon who created music for the podcast. Jack is a graduate of Derek Scott’s IFS Stepping Stones Program.

If you are interested in sponsoring an episode or two of The One Inside Podcast please contact Tammy at tammysollenberger@comcast.net