In this episode of Going Inside, John Clarke answers live questions about the nuances of practicing Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, from distinguishing parts with shifting emotions to working with clients who experience limited interoception or sudden activation. He explores why IFS and trauma therapy require slowing down, following the client’s system, building a clear working agreement, and protecting client agency rather than rushing into techniques or trauma processing.

In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Wolynn, leading expert in inherited family trauma and author of It Didn’t Start With You, to explore how trauma can be passed through generations and show up as anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviors, and unexplained fears. We dive into Mark’s approach to identifying trauma language, distinguishing attachment wounds from generational trauma, and using body awareness, healing sentences, and ritual to uncover and work with what may not have started with us.