boy meets therapy Understanding Your Inner Parts: IFS Therapy, Trauma, and Self-Energy with Ryan Austin
In this episode, hosts Dustin Oliver and Ryan Austin, a licensed professional counselor, dive deep into the world of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. Together, they explore how IFS helps individuals understand their inner parts, navigate emotional trauma, and reconnect with their core Self-energy for lasting healing.
Ryan shares insights from his clinical work, including his experience with accountability courts, and discusses how childhood patterns, coping mechanisms, and numbing behaviors like addiction impact adult relationships and mental health.
The conversation also touches on the privilege of setting boundaries, cultural views of therapy, and the critical role of trust in the therapeutic process. Whether you're a therapist, someone in therapy, or curious about how IFS can help you heal, this episode offers a thoughtful, accessible introduction to one of today’s most transformative therapeutic modalities.
Connect with Ryan Austin:
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Instagram: @boymeetstherapy
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Website with Free Resources: boymeetstherapy.com
Episode Guide & Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Name Struggles
01:49 Ryan's Journey as a Licensed Professional Counselor
05:22 Understanding Accountability Court
10:04 Introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
17:23 The Deeper Meaning of Therapy and Self-Care
22:46 Navigating Financial Fears and Self-Validation
24:32 The Impact of Cultural Perspectives on Therapy
26:13 The Privilege of Setting Boundaries
28:21 The Importance of Therapeutic Relationships
30:29 Understanding Core Self-Energy
36:05 Using IFS to Treat Trauma
40:25 Patterns from Childhood and Relationship Dynamics
45:28 Breaking Patterns: The Journey of Self-Discovery
51:06 Numbing and Addiction: Coping Mechanisms Explored
56:24 Listening to Our Parts: A Path to Self-Understanding
01:00:14 The Importance of Trust in Therapy
01:05:32 Sitting in the Slow: Embracing the Journey
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver