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

When The World Feels Too Heavy with Daphne Fatter

Jan 30, 2026

Daphne Fatter, a licensed psychologist and trauma consultant who blends parts work with EMDR, joins to discuss nervous system overwhelm and numb, checked-out parts. They cover polarization inside and outside us, how to stay curious with differing perspectives, managing news intake, and finding grounding through connection and local action.

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ANECDOTE

Ice Day In Dallas

Daphne describes an unusual ice and sleet scene outside her Dallas window with kids home from school.
She uses this local detail to situate the conversation in current, shared realities.

INSIGHT

Numbness As An Adaptive Protector

Daphne normalizes numbness and protector activation as adaptive responses to current threats rather than failures.
She highlights connection and life-force activities as essential routes back to Self during overwhelm.

INSIGHT

Survival Needs Suppress Higher Functions

Survival-level needs naturally suppress higher-level activities like activism or spiritual practice.
Practicing self-compassion toward numb or numbing parts helps reduce shame and preserve functioning.

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In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Daphne Fatter for a timely and honest conversation about what so many of us are navigating right now, as therapists, as parents, and as humans living in a polarized and chaotic time. We talk about nervous system overwhelm, numb and checked-out parts, news consumption, activism, community connection, and how to stay grounded when things feel "too much." We also touch on Daphne's new book: Integrating Internal Family Systems Interventions into EMDR Therapy.

In this episode:

Why so many of us feel numb, frozen, or checked out right now
Normalizing survival responses and protectors during times of stress
How polarization shows up both culturally and inside our own systems
Staying curious about people with different political perspectives
Finding ways to stay informed without burning out on the news
Why connection, shared humanity, and community matter so much right now

I get blended a few times in this episode and say, "I can't believe I said that." This is such a great example of how quickly any of us can blend with passionate and opinionated parts when navigating stressful topics.

Be sure to check out my extended interview with Daphne over on Substack.

About Daphne

Daphne Fatter, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, integrative trauma consultant, author, and international speaker specializing in integrative trauma-informed therapies. She is the author of Integrating Internal Family Systems Interventions into EMDR Therapy and is widely recognized for her expertise in blending parts work with evidence-based trauma modalities.

About The One Inside

I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.

Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, extended interviews, meditations, and more.
Find Self-Led merch at The One Inside store.
Listen to episodes and watch clips on YouTube.
Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger.

I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach.

Resources

New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start.
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Sponsorship

Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy.