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

The Courage To Be Your Self with Caitlan Siegenthaler

Oct 21, 2025

Caitlan Siegenthaler, a Level 2 IFS therapist and host of the Return podcast, shares her journey of integrating Internal Family Systems with Human Design. She reveals how Human Design can unlock parts of ourselves previously hidden, transforming self-judgment into compassion. Caitlan outlines the five energy types and their significance in understanding our inner systems. Curious exploration is emphasized over mastery, making this conversation a blend of depth and accessibility, perfect for anyone seeking authentic self-connection.

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ANECDOTE

Client Unlocks Parts With Human Design

Caitlan describes a client whose Human Design reading unlocked parts that felt seen and accessible in therapy.
That validation let the client reframe a "lazy" part as normal energy rather than a flaw.

ADVICE

Use Centers To Unblend Quickly

Pull your Human Design chart and notice your open and defined centers to test whether emotions or beliefs belong to you.
Use your heart or defined centers as quick self-energy checks to unblend from others' activation.

INSIGHT

Human Design As An Integrative Map

Human Design blends astrology, chakras, I Ching, Kabbalah and modern physics into a chart that maps personal energy and purpose.
Caitlan says the chart gives language and a visual map to explain felt experience and where we pick up others' energy.

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In this episode, I chat with Caitlan Siegenthaler, a Level 2 IFS licensed therapist and podcast host who specializes in IFS and Human Design. What I love about Caitlan's work is how she treats both frameworks as paths home to Self.

She shares how Human Design entered her life and how she integrates it with IFS to help clients befriend their parts. She recently led a Human Design reading session with Dick Schwartz, founder of IFS.

In this conversation, we explore:

How IFS and Human Design work together to help us return to our authentic Self
How understanding your Human Design chart can help you connect with your internal system in a whole new way
The five Human Design energy types and what they can teach us about our systems
How Human Design mirrors IFS as a spiral — a way of returning, again and again, to Self
Why curiosity matters more than mastery when exploring new systems

We also recorded an extended interview with Caitlan for our paid Substack community about supervision and consultation — why it matters, how to find it, and how it helps therapists bring more of themselves into the room.

You can connecct with Caitlan at caitlansiegenthaler.com, listen to her Return podcast, and check out her free five-episode series on navigating indecision using Human Design and IFS.

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Pisgah Coaching Institute: Founded by IFS-trained master coach Brian Jaudon, a pioneer in the integration of IFS and coaching for more than two decades. Brian and his faculty teach a blended methodology for clarifying and living into a vision of any kind. pisgahcoaching.com

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, live events, meditations, and extended interviews.
Find merch at The One Inside store.
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Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger.

I co-create The One Inside with my colleague and friend, Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and creative collaborator.

Resources

New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start.
Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away.

Sponsorship

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