Welcome to Season 2, podcast #6 in a series which is about how to lead our lives from the inside out - instead of living tossed around by emotions or circumstances. The secret to making this happen is all in the way we think about ourselves, how we think about the pieces of our personality, our centered inner self - and where we go to find power to make things better when we need help.

The mental framework being discussed views humans as being made up of an Inner/Core Self and many Parts (or sub-personalities).  We have parts of us who operate like managers (running the show), firefighters (who numb and distract us) and child-like exiles, who are buried underneath the surface due to shame, fear, guilt, sadness or anger.  The managers and firefighters are called protectors, because they are busy trying to prevent emotional distress (the managers ) or they help eliminate emotional distress once it has occurred (these are the firefighters).  Finally, emotional distress can exist in any of our parts in the form of burdens, which are extreme beliefs, thoughts, feelings or sensations.  

Just like we can't operate and remove a part of our body without it affecting other areas of our body - when we heal or address emotional pain in one part, it effects other parts of our system as well.  This podcast talks specifically about the relationship between our Manager and Firefighter parts.  How do these personalities within us relate to each other, and how does that effect how we move them from their extreme roles into healthy, cooperative roles connected to our Inner self?

You can find me on FB. (www.fb.com/withlisacoaching) or on my website…. (withlisa.com)

I would also encourage you to read the resources I'm referencing for this podcast.
Spirit-Led Life by Mary Steege, Boundaries for your Soul, by Dr. Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller, and Internal Family Systems Therapy by Richard Schwartz

After learning about our internal "protectors", (firefighters and managers) last week, this week's episode presents the last category of a person's internal parts, the Exiles.  The definition of burdens is also explained, as well as a 12-step process to UN-burden.

What is an exiled part and how does it show up in our lives?
What is a burden and where does it come from?
How do we unburden parts and create space for our spirit-led inner-self to lead us from the inside out?
Join me to learn these answers and more!

If this is resonating with you, if you'd like to learn more.... I'd love to have a free discovery call with you. You can actually schedule directly on my website now! www.withlisa.com

This podcast was informed by:
"Internal Family Systems Therapy" by Richard Schwartz
"Boundaries for Your Soul" by Alison Cook, Phd and Kimberly Miller
"The Spirit-Led Life: A Christian Encounter with Internal Family Systems" by Mary Steege

Episode 2.4 teaches us more about our internal parts - specifically, our "protectors". These parts are called protectors because just like Superman, Scarface, Dirty Harry, or the Terminator….  We have parts which can act like each one of these characters… well, at least I do…

Protector parts have a goal of hiding our vulnerabilities, our soft spots, and making sure we don't get hurt or that we don't spend our days stuck in overwhelming feelings.

There are two key types of protector roles, and everyone has both types of protector parts within them.  This episode walks through them both (managers and firefighters).  I'll explain how to recognize them, what they want for us or their intentions, and how we can work with them. 

Working with our protectors from our inner selves with the Spirit of God, will change the way we think, act and feel in our daily lives. 

If this is resonating with you, if you'd like to learn more.... I'd love to have a free discovery call with you. You can actually schedule directly on my website now! www.withlisa.com

This podcast was informed by:
"Internal Family Systems Therapy" by Richard Schwartz
"Boundaries for Your Soul" by Alison Cook, Phd and Kimberly Miller
"The Spirit-Led Life: A Christian Encounter with Internal Family Systems" by Mary Steege

This is the 3rd podcast in a series which is about how to lead our lives from the inside out - instead of living tossed around by emotions or circumstances. It's about how we can feel healing where we need it, and drive change where we most want it.  And none of this is possible without a connection or relationship to God's Spirit within us.

This episode will answer the following questions:

1. What is your "inner/core self"?
2. How can you tell if you're in SELF?  
3. How can you be sure you're in SELF and not just in another PART?
4. What are the 8 C's of SELF?
5. So what do you do to get to know your CORE SELF?

This podcast was informed by:
 "Internal Family Systems Therapy" by Richard Schwartz
 "Internal Family Systems Therapy Meets Evangelical Christianity: Integration of Diverse Communities and Theories" by William J. Richardson, Ph.D.
"The Spirit-Led Life: A Christian Encounter with Internal Family Systems" by Mary Steege

Why do we know what we should do, and then we don't do it?  What's going on in our brains when that happens?  And further, how can we possibly find ourselves lovable or acceptable when we act this way?

This episode is about our mental "PARTS" and self-consciousness.  Humans have the ability to self-reflect, self-witness, self-communicate, self-monitor, etc..  But who is our SELF reflecting to?  Witnessing to? Communicating to?  Our "SELF" is communicating to our parts - and we have a LOT of them.  Parts make up our system, and they intend good for us, but they don't see the whole picture.  Learn more about your mental "PARTS" in this episode, why it's important to identify them, how to identify them, and what to do next. 

Starting with an understand of our mental "parts" is critical if we are ever going to be successful at reconciling our inconsistent thoughts with actions, and making lasting behavioral change.

This podcast was informed by:
 "Internal Family Systems Therapy" by Richard Schwartz
 "Internal Family Systems Therapy Meets Evangelical Christianity: Integration of Diverse Communities and Theories" by William J. Richardson, Ph.D.
"The Spirit-Led Life: A Christian Encounter with Internal Family Systems" by Mary Steege

This first episode in Season 2 will bring you an introduction into the most impactful therapeutic technique and spiritual and personal growth technique I've experienced to-date.

You'll hear it talked about it the Psychology world as "Internal Family Systems" or IFS therapy.  I call it "Christian IFS" or living a spirit-led life. 

The fantastic thing about this framework, is that it can be used not only in therapy, but also in personal and professional coaching.  This episode will share the benefits to living a spirit-led life, and get you thinking about how you experience the divine in your life!

The way we think is really what we're considering when we're talking about how to change habits. (as we discussed in Ep1.9)  Psychologist, Jordan Peterson, captures a unique viewpoint on thinking in his book, 12 Rules for Life, which then led me to remember another book by Edward DeBono called, Six Thinking Hats.  Hats provides a guide for how to practice parallel thinking, instead of typical Western point-counterpoint conversation.  

This episode begins with a little Jordan Peterson to ponder, and then spends the majority of time on explaining the six thinking hats, why you might want to use them, and how you could benefit from them.

January's virtual book club (www.withlisa.com/events) was about the Charles Duhigg book, The Power of Habit, Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.

This week's podcast will share the key highlights from that conversation:

• how the habit loop works
• how to change a habit loop
• willpower as a muscle
• how to get people to try something new, and
• keystone habits and their benefits

In this podcast, I take a look at what social community has looked like in the recent past, and how it has shifted in the last 50 years. I believe that WE, as humans, are MEANT for community!! Always have been, always will be.

So, stop thinking you don't need it, or that you don't deserve it - or that it's more admirable if you "make it" on your own. The only way we're going to find belonging is if we take one step towards connecting.

SPECIAL GUESTS Sara Ernstmeyer and Chara Sype join me for this week's podcast to have a heartfelt, yet humorous discussion about how we so easily fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others.  

We talk about the negative emotions we create when we think of others as better, smarter, or more beautiful than we are. We discuss how to end the crazy comparison game by looking at a couple verses from the Bible (weird verses for this topic, if you ask me, but I can't wait to hear what you think!).  Everything from Tim Tebow to a 3-part harmonic rendition of Jingle Bells shows up in this 'New Year' podcast, so I'm really excited for you to hear it!!