In this episode of Humans Raising Humans, Jenny and Brittany begin a two-part conversation about Self-Led Parenting — and why understanding the human behind the parent may be one of the most important places to start.

Parenting has a way of bringing our own parts, triggers, anxieties, and histories right to the surface. So instead of focusing only on how to manage our children’s emotions and behavior, Jenny and Brittany turn the attention inward: What’s happening in us when parenting gets hard?

They talk about recognizing when a part has taken over, the limits of what we can actually control, the ripple effect our emotional states can have within a family, and how slowing down and creating a little space can help us respond differently. They also explore generational patterns, the desire to parent differently than we were parented, and how compassion for ourselves — and even for the generations before us — can exist alongside change.

Most importantly, Self-Led Parenting isn’t about becoming a perfectly regulated parent. It’s about growing our awareness of what we bring into the relationship, learning to come back to ourselves, and continuing to show up — for our kids and for ourselves.

This is Part 1 of our Self-Led Parenting conversation.

References:

Website: humansraisinghumans.com

All social: @humansraisinghumans

Email: [email protected]

Therapy with Jenny: jennymatern.com/therapy 

Consulting with Jenny  jennymatern.com/consulting 

Circle of Security:  Circle of Security International

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Humans Raising Humans, Jenny and Brittany are joined by Cadey Phipps, LMFT, Certified IFS Therapist, for a deeper dive into Internal Family Systems (IFS) — a therapeutic model that has become an important part of how all three of us understand ourselves, our work, and our relationships.

We explore the idea that we all have different “parts” of ourselves, what it means to access Self, and why the goal isn’t to get rid of the parts of us that feel angry, anxious, overwhelmed, or protective. Instead, IFS invites us to get curious about them, understand what they’re trying to do for us, and build a different kind of relationship with our own internal world.

We talk about the qualities of Self, managers, firefighters and exiles, what it means to be “blended” with a part, and why being Self-led doesn’t mean being calm or perfectly regulated all the time.

Most importantly, we come back to one of the ideas at the heart of IFS — all parts are welcome.

Whether IFS is completely new to you or you’re already familiar with parts work, this episode is an invitation to get a little more curious about all the parts that make us human.

References:

Website: humansraisinghumans.com

All social: @humansraisinghumans

Email: [email protected]

Therapy with Jenny: jennymatern.com/therapy 

Consulting with Jenny  jennymatern.com/consulting 

Cadey Phipps https://www.cadeymmft.com/

IFS practitioner directory https://ifs-institute.com/practitioners

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Humans Raising Humans! In our very first episode, sisters Jenny and Brittany are starting at the beginning: who we are, why we're here, and what we hope this podcast can become.

We talk about therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), vulnerability, perfectionism, and why the work we do within ourselves matters so much in our relationships with others. We also introduce the idea of our own “internal humans” — the younger, wounded parts of us that can still show up, get triggered, and sometimes take over.

Mostly, we're talking about what it means to be a human trying to raise humans — both around us and within us — imperfectly, vulnerably, and hopefully with a little more curiosity and connection along the way.

Consider this your introduction to the humans behind the mic — and a little preview of where we're headed.

Connect:

Website: humansraisinghumans.com

All socials @humansraisinghumans

Email: [email protected]

Therapy with Jenny: jennymatern.com/therapy

Consulting with Jenny: jennymatern.com/consulting

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Humans Raising Humans is a podcast about the messy, beautiful work of being human—and what happens when we’re caring for, connected to, and shaped by other humans.

Sisters Jenny Matern, a licensed marriage and family therapist and registered play therapist, and Brittany Bell, a certified wellness coach and mom of two, have honest conversations about parenting, relationships, grief, growth, healing, and everything in between. Inspired by Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts work, they explore how our own wounds, patterns, and younger parts show up in everyday life.

No lectures. No perfect answers. Just curiosity, compassion, humor, and real conversations about being human.

Connect:

Website: humansraisinghumans.com

All socials @humansraisinghumans

Email: [email protected]

Therapy with Jenny: jennymatern.com/therapy

Consulting with Jenny: jennymatern.com/consulting

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.