Episode 21

Mothering Through Threat & Uncertainty

How do mothers find the strength to raise safe, connected, and hopeful children when their own sense of safety is deeply shaken by forces beyond their control?

In this episode of the Facing the Moment podcast, host Toufic Hakim, PhD, is joined by Ana Morante, LMFT, CFLE—an IFS and EMDR trained marriage and family therapist, certified family life educator, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) assistant trainer. Together, they explore the deeply human, intimate experience of parenting amidst acute environmental threats, immigration instability, and economic hardship.

The conversation delves into the internal and external resources that help mothers protect their children without transferring fear, the cultural expectations of mothers as the "savior" of the family, and how accepting a "good enough" approach can foster resilient connections and secure attachment.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Impact of Environmental Uncertainty: How chronic external threats—such as immigration status, economic instability, and fear of deportation/ICE—impact the nervous system and intimate family dynamics.
• The "Family Savior" Trap: The psychological cost of cultural mandates that place the burden of family survival solely on mothers, and how running on empty leads to anxiety, detachment, or system overload.
• Accessing Generational Resilience: How to connect with the internal "wisdom of life" passed down through generations, utilizing simple quieting practices like conscious breathing and meditation.
• The Power of Safe Connections: The critical role of external resources, including safe relationships, community-building, and shared moments of joy, play, laughter, song, and dance.
• Deciphering Children's Silent Language: How children energetically sense their mother's emotional state from birth, and how they express fear differently across development (externalized outbursts vs. internalized super-compliance/stomach aches).
• Creating a Safe Emotional Harbor: Why parents are not meant to solve all of life's challenges for their children, and how validating a child's pain and perspective can heal relationship blockages and foster secure attachment.

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"Look and find moments of joy. Look and find moments where you can connect with the beauty of life."

Guest: Ana Morante, LMFT, CFLE

Ana Morante is a bilingual and bicultural Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist (Level 3), Certified IFS Consultant, IFS Assistant Trainer, Certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist, and a Certified Family Life Educator. Born and raised in Lima, Perú, Ms. Morante earned her bachelor's degree in Clinical Psychology before immigrating to the United States, where she completed a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from San José State University.

Since 1993, Ms. Morante has worked extensively in various mental health and community-based settings, with a particular focus on serving low-income Latino immigrant populations. For over 25 years, she has been a Family Wellness Partner and Trainer, delivering trainings to numerous instructors both nationally and internationally.

In addition to her global training work, Ms. Morante has maintained a private psychotherapy practice since 1995. Through her clinical work, she has developed a deep awareness of the long-term impact of childhood trauma and strongly believes that healing is a multidimensional process. Accordingly, her professional approach integrates both psychotherapy and psychoeducation.

After extensive training in multiple trauma-informed modalities, Ms. Morante found a profound personal and professional alignment with the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. She is deeply grateful for the transformative role IFS has played in her life and the lives of her clients. As part of her commitment to the model, she actively supports the expansion of IFS in Latin America and currently serves as a leader in the IFS Latinx Circle, a group dedicated to promoting the IFS model across Latin American communities.

Driven by her passion for “Intentional Motherhood,” Ms. Morante founded Resilient Families Gilroy in 2017—a mindfulness-based, trauma-informed, community-led initiative designed to foster intergenerational healing in low-income immigrant communities. Following her IFS training, she began incorporating IFS principles into the program’s follow-up components, such as monthly support groups and listening partnerships. These additions have proven to be pivotal in supporting the ongoing healing journeys of participating mothers.

Inspired by a workshop at the 2023 IFS Conference, Ms. Morante partnered with IFS practitioners Ann-Katrin Bockmann, Mary Petro, and Samar Rahme to co-found Global Motherhood Network (www.globalmotherhood.network). This global initiative, which now includes over 150 members across various countries, aims to support mothers at all stages of their journey by applying the principles of IFS to cultivate more Self-led parenting experiences.

Currently, Ms. Morante is participating in a 2-year program with Thomas Hubl called “Timeless Wisdom Training.” This program is aimed at supporting individual, family, community, ancestral and societal healing.

Ms. Morante also offers lectures and trainings on mental health and family well-being to organizations and communities around the world on an ongoing basis.

Episode 20

Holding on Through Physical Illness

This episode of Facing the Moment explores the profound impact of physical illness, chronic conditions, and disability on the human experience

Host Toufic Hakin, PhD, welcomes Nancy Sowell, MSW, LICSW, a lead Internal Family Systems (IFS) trainer and psychotherapist, to discuss how individuals can maintain their identity and find meaning when their bodies no longer cooperate as expected.

Throughout the conversation, Nancy shares her personal journey with psoriatic arthritis, offering a unique perspective that blends professional expertise with lived experience. The discussion delves into the deep connection between physical pain and emotional suffering, noting that both activate the same regions of the brain.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

Befriending the Body: Shifting from a mindset of "fighting" an illness to one of curiosity and validation, specifically learning to befriend the fear that naturally arises with medical uncertainty.

Navigating Identity and Shame: Addressing how illness can alter one's sense of self and why many people experience unexpected feelings of shame following a diagnosis.

Practical Wisdom for Caregivers: How families and colleagues can support loved ones by asking rather than assuming what is needed, and how caregivers can avoid depletion by listening to their own needs.

Finding Balance: The importance of internal "parts work," setting boundaries by learning to say "no," and engaging in practices like nature, art, or yoga to restore a sense of equilibrium.

This episode serves as a guide for anyone living with illness, caring for a loved one, or seeking to understand the internal wisdom and resilience available within the mind-body system.

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

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"There is always a certain validation that can be available inside. And that is what IFS Health Therapy is about: helping people find that within themselves."

Guest: Nancy Sowell, MSW, LICSW

Nancy Sowell is an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Senior Trainer for the IFS Institute, and a Teaching Associate of Harvard Medical School at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion in Cambridge where she teaches IFS to multidisciplinary staff and students. She specializes in the use of psychotherapy to treat physical health problems affected by toxic stress, unmet needs, shame, and trauma. Nancy has a book coming out on September first with Martha Sweezy and Richard Schwartz entitled IFS Health Therapy. Nancy says she regularly witnesses the healing power of compassionate relationships – with the body, oneself and other people that can support well-being and the open-hearted risk of living courageously.

Episode 19

Upholding Dignity Through Racial Tension

In this episode of Facing the Moment, we explore the fundamental human need to be seen, respected, and treated with dignity, a right too often denied throughout history due to race and identity

Toufic Hakim, PhD sat in conversation with Requina Barnes, MSW, an IFS-trained social worker, legacy healing coach, and former board member of the Foundation for Self-Leadership

Together, they dive deep into the complexities of racial tension in 2026, discussing how to preserve our humanity and pursue justice without surrendering compassion

Requina shares personal insights on navigating systemic racism in the workplace and legal system, and how the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) can help individuals differentiate between "young parts" driven by childhood programming and "adult parts" capable of courageous advocacy

Whether you are looking for practices to stay grounded in emotionally charged moments or seeking to become a more trustworthy ally, this conversation offers a roadmap for cultivating resilience and hope for future generations

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

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"As a people, we've gone through many cycles of suppression, injustice, and racism—of not being honored. Once that fear takes over, it breeds hatred, it breeds conflict. But in time, what arises is a new version."

Guest: Requina Barnes, MSW

Requina Barnes, MSW, is a social worker, educator and legacy healing coach with more than 20 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and communities. She holds a Master of Social Work and has served in roles including adjunct professor, social work advisor, assistant IFS trainer, facilitator, and community-based practitioner.

Through her coaching and consultation practice, Requina helps women—particularly BIPOC women and professionals—identify inherited beliefs, strengthen boundaries, break unhealthy cycles, and create healthier legacies for themselves and their families. Her work integrates relational healing, family systems principles, empowerment and practical strategies for sustainable personal growth.

As a coach, trainer, workshop facilitator, and educator of a Legacy Healing framework, Requina designs transformative learning experiences focused on legacy burdens and gifts, cycle-breaking, boundaries, relationships and self-leadership. Her mission is to help people move from survival and inherited limitation toward intentional choices, emotional wellness, and a legacy of stability, freedom, and possibility.

Episode 18

Understanding Autism & Engaging Differently

In this episode of "Facing the Moment," we dive into the misunderstood world of autism, moving beyond the framework of "deficit" or "disorder" to explore it as a unique neurological architecture for feeling.

Host Toufic Hakim, PhD, engages in a conversation with Sarah Bergenfield, MACAS, an IFS-trained consultant, somatic awareness expert, and co-author of Wired to Feel. Together, they discuss the science of predictive processing, the crucial distinction between nervous system arousal and anxiety, and how the autistic brain navigates a world of overwhelming sensory "noise" and "signals"

Sarah shares her lived experience as a diagnosed autistic individual and a parent, offering a deeply personal look at the importance of routine, the power of sensory reduction over "fixing," and the profound wisdom found in the autistic body's natural methods of self-regulation.

The episode offers insights into fostering compassionate understanding and highlights the importance of honoring human dignity by creating safe, welcoming spaces that prioritize authentic connection over the pressure to conform.

Join us for this moving and highly informative discussion on how to listen to the innate wisdom of the autistic brain and body with curiosity, hope, and humanity.

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

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"My hope comes from my clients. I think from knowing how resilient we are as a group, despite some of the challenges and the pain that we may experience. We are a very resilient group. We are the problem solvers of the world. We always have been. And that's what gives me hope, is that we just need to keep creating spaces in which we can flourish."

Guest: Sarah Bergenfield, M.A., CAS

Sarah is an autistic writer, educator, and Certified Level 3 IFS Practitioner. Her work supports autistic individuals—and the people in relationship with them—to make sense of how the autistic mind, body, and nervous system experience the world. Sarah integrates Internal Family Systems, Predictive Processing, and the science of constructed emotion. Her approach bridges lived experience with emerging neuroscience to reveal not what’s broken, but what’s working—often in beautifully complex ways. As a writer and educator, Sarah offers workshops, talks, and resources that challenge pathologizing narratives and invite more nuanced, respectful understandings of neurodivergence. Sarah is the co-author of Embodying Autism, written with Martha Sweezy, to be published by New Harbinger in January 2026.

Episode 17

Becoming Whole After Combat

For many military veterans, the war does not end when they come home. The survival instincts, suppressed pain, and invisible wounds of combat follow them into civilian life, reshaping relationships, identity, and hope. In this powerful conversation, we speak with Beau Laviolette, LCSW and former U.S. Marine, about what it truly takes to heal after combat. Drawing on Internal Family Systems therapy, EMDR, and the restorative power of nature, Beau shares how veterans can reconnect with their inner compass, confront their deepest fears, and find that wholeness, however hard to imagine, is possible.

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

"There's a law of gravity. What goes up must come down, but there's a law of emotion. What goes down must come back up, right? And so what we push down eventually comes back up."

Guest: Beau Laviolette, LCSW

Beau Laviolette, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker based in Baton Rouge, LA, where he resides with his wife and two boys. He is an EMDRIA-approved consultant, an IFS Consultant, and an IFS-EMDR lead trainer with the Syzygy Institute. He provides therapy intensives for clients, consultations for therapists, trainings, and nature retreats for military veterans, with a focus on integrating IFS and EMDR. He is also the President & Founder of Healing Protectors, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that supports military veterans.

Episode 16

Transforming Grueling Conflicts

In this episode of "Facing the Moment," we dive into the complex terrain of conflict, exploring its roots, impact, and transformative potential.

Host Toufic Hakim, PhD, engages in a conversation with Chady Rahme, PhD, a professor of philosophy and psychology, IFS-trained psychotherapist, and expert in conflict mediation. Together, they discuss the nature of conflict, the role of fear, identity, and culture, and how trauma shapes responses to conflict.

The episode offers insights into fostering compassion, humility, and resilience and highlights the importance of self-awareness and community in transforming conflicts into opportunities for growth.

Join us for this inspiring and thought-provoking discussion on how to face conflict with courage, hope, and humanity.

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

"The real peace comes from within. And this is not poetry. When you are in peace on the inside, you would really understand what peace on the outside is, even without knowing how to explain it."

Guest: Dr. Chady Rahme, PhD

Dr. Chady Rahme, PhD is a faculty member in psychology and philosophy at Notre Dame University, Lebanon and brings more than 20 years of experience in counseling. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and a Master’s degree in clinical psychology.

He also worked on Trauma healing for many years. At Ithraa-Lebanon, a center for relational enrichment, Chady conducts counseling, training and consultation on relational enrichment for professionals, executive managers, as well as people seeking individual growth.

Chady is also an Internal Family Systems therapist, where he recently became a co-lead trainer with the the IFS institute. He gave several workshops to help people find their inner conflicts and transform them into energy to deal with anger and anxiety, helping them heal the wounds from their past, and he was a speaker for three times at the international IFS conference.

In 2012, Chady started a youth leadership camp, where teenagers come to learn about their inner world, mastering the art of relationships, and finding the leadership within. The program of the camp is slowly becoming an academy where youg members meet across the year, following different training sessions, more and more inspired by IFS.

Chady also participated in many programs on conflict transformation in areas of deep societal tensions and violent clashes, like Syria and the Western Sahara. Healing legacy burdens to help the new generations live in more harmony is an area of special interest for him.

Episode 15

Moving Forward Through Grief

In this episode of Facing The Moment, we explore the complex landscape of grief and emotional resilience with Ty Cutner, an IFS (Internal Family Systems) trained coach and founder of Well-Dressed Academy. Moving beyond the traditional definition of loss, the conversation examines how to navigate the "unshakeable sadness" of losing loved ones, relationships, and even visions for the future.

Ty shares his personal journey of navigating profound loss—including the death of his mother when he was just 15—and how he used the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model to transform his relationship with his "parts." Listeners will gain a deep understanding of the multiplicity of the mind, learning practical techniques like "unblending" to gain space from overwhelming emotions and the "fire drill" approach to preparing for life's storms.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

• The "Second Wave" of Support: Why reaching out months after a loss is more critical than the initial outreach.
• The Illusion of "Getting Back to Normal": A critique of how societal pressure to be "strong" can lead to exiling our grieving parts.
• Global Healing through Internal Harmony: Ty’s vision for a world where war and racism become relics of the past by fostering internal leadership and seeing the "shared humanity" in everyone.

This conversation is a powerful invitation to stay present in grief without being consumed by it, offering a "systems upgrade" for the human experience that emphasizes community, curiosity, and compassion.

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

"If you have somebody who supports you and gives you a hug, that's the real cure for a lot of these (depression, anger, jealousy). But in our fast world, we have to get back to work, look normal to the outside world, and we feel the need to be accepted. We do all those things."

Guest: Ty Cutner

Ty Cutner is the Founder of Well Dressed Academy and an IFS-trained coach supporting men, families, and youth through personal healing and self-leadership. He has worked with over 4,000 individuals and has served as a consultant to the IFS Institute, an IFS Leadership Fellow, and an advisor to the Foundation. Ty’s current work focuses on building emotionally intelligent families, leaders, and communities through coaching, training, and media.

Episode 14

Sustaining Community Under Stress

How does a community hold together when faced with sudden, extreme external pressure? In this episode of Facing the Moment, host Toufic Hakim, PhD, explores the human dimension of crisis with Jody Nelson, EdD, LMFT, a veteran family therapist and senior advisor to Change, Inc..

Together, they discuss through a humanistic lens the "Metro Surge" in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where the arrival of thousands of federal agents for mass deportations has created a climate of intense fear and social strain. Jody describes the internal toll of this environment, noting how individuals—especially educators and vulnerable families—experience a protective "numbness," "chaos brain," and "moral injury" when their core values of safety and care are violated.

Drawing on her decades of experience and the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, Jody offers a roadmap for Self-leadership. She explains how to navigate “internal curtains" of rage and fear to find the clarity needed to act. The conversation highlights the inspiring rise of "neighboring as a verb," where hyper-local communities utilize mutual aid, upstander training, and even simple whistles to stand up to bullies with goodness.

From the physiological importance of "the happy juice" (serotonin and dopamine) for resilience to the power of being "the water" that eventually beats the rock, this episode is a profound look at staying human in challenging times. As Jody reminds us, citing the late Paul Wellstone, "we do better when we all do better".

Support this podcast: Your donation supports production, outreach, and the continuation of meaningful conversations on Facing the Moment. ⁠⁠www.FoundationIFS.org/support⁠⁠

"It is okay to not be okay. Particularly when you're talking about helpers, teachers, and therapists—folks who feel like they’ve gotta have it all together all the time—it’s just… it is okay to not be okay. I think people need to hear that."

Guest: Jody Nelson, Ed.D., LMFT

Jody Nelson, Ed.D., LMFT is the Senior Advisor for Change Inc., a non-profit agency in the Twin Cities, MN building community through education, mental health supports, advocacy and workforce development. Nelson provides professional development for area school staff on such topics as trauma & learning, community trauma & resilience and gettting serious about humor.

Episode 13

Emerging from Suicidal Despair

Suicide is a devastating reality that touches millions, yet it often remains shrouded in silence and stigma. Today, the crisis is more pressing than ever: nearly 50,000 individuals died by suicide in the U.S. in 2023, and it has become the second leading cause of death for younger Americans. In this episode of Facing the Moment, host Toufic Hakim speaks with Dr. Bill Geis, a clinician with over 40 years of experience and 55,000 therapy hours, who has dedicated his career to suggesting better ways to assess, care for, and help those wrestling with suicidal ideation.

Together, they explore the critical limitations of current detection methods—noting the tragic discovery that 70% to 80% of individuals who end their lives do not reveal their intentions during their last medical or mental health contact. Dr. Geis sheds light on the internal world of the "suicidal imagining," explaining the concept of "psychache"—an unbearable emotional pain fueled by feelings of failure, self-hatred, or the malignant belief that one is a burden to others. He also discusses the biological vulnerabilities, such as systemic inflammation and sleep deprivation, that can contribute to what he describes as a "suicide attack."

Drawing on his clinical research and Internal Family Systems (IFS) training, Dr. Geis introduces a transformative perspective: viewing suicidal thoughts not as a rational choice of the whole person, but as "extreme parts" or "firefighters" desperately trying to rescue the individual from incineration-level emotional pain.

This conversation offers a clear-eyed, compassionate look at a profound crisis while pointing toward hopeful, restorative possibilities.

"When you truly engage suicidal parts with open-hearted curiosity, you quickly learn that dying is often the last thing on their minds. They tend to show up when the pain is high, and the access to love is minimal or nonexistent."

Guest: Bill Geis, PhD

Dr. Geis has spent a 42-year career addressing suicide, trauma and substance abuse as a clinician, researcher, teacher and psychiatry professor. Working at the University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Medicine, he has enjoyed a diverse background as the Clinical Director of a 20,000-patient mental health center, past Clinical Division Director of the American Association of Suicidology, Director of Behavioral Research, and Lead Trainer at the Enhanced Suicide Care Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. He has provided training to over 10,000 clinicians in enhanced suicide care throughout the United States and in Asia, Europe, Canada and South America. The fact that suicide prevention is failing (suicide is up 37% in the last 20 years), Dr. Geis argues, challenges us to reach for improvements in assessment, triage, intervention, pharmacogenomics and novel approaches. To this end, Dr Geis believes, improvements in therapeutic care may come from Internal Family Systems parts-work, a novel intervention that can lead to better assessment, better therapist-client support, and sustained healing of deep wounds that underlie the most lethal suicidal states.

“Suicide prevention is failing. Despite
sincere efforts by clinicians, families,
crisis lines, and community supporters,
suicide rates continue to climb. We have
to re-think what we are doing.”

Episode 12

Healing the Heart of Education

We’ve shared 12 episodes of Facing the Moment, and we’d love your feedback. Your response to this quick poll helps us grow and serve you better. We’re always looking to bring voices that truly fit the heart of Facing the Moment.

"Our young people are traveling through this time, side by side with us… they’re witnessing how we respond when we open the news, how we handle unkindness, and how we navigate differences of opinion."

Guest: Joanna Curry-Sartori, LMFT

Joanna Curry-Sartori, LMFT, is an educator, family therapist, and founder of the Self Leadership Collaborative (SLC). After years as a school-based family therapist and consultant, she developed PAUSE for Self-Leadership™, an IFS-informed, trauma-sensitive framework that helps educators reflect, relate, and respond from their best selves. Her work empowers schools to cultivate emotional well-being, collaboration, and resilience across classrooms and communities. Joanna’s book, The Self-Led Educator (PESI, 2025), offers educators a roadmap for integrating Self-leadership into everyday school life, starting with their own wellbeing.

Episode 11

Weathering the AI Storm with Dilara Ally

In this episode of Facing the Moment, Toufic Hakim speaks with Dilara Ally, a clinician-researcher who works at the intersection of mental health, about the emotional, societal, and psychological stakes of artificial intelligence. Drawing on her work in trauma recovery, digital mental health, and natural language processing, Dilara explores how AI is reshaping human connection, influencing well-being, and changing the way we understand intuition, presence, and the therapeutic relationship.

This conversation illuminates both possibility and peril: the biases embedded in AI systems, the emotional cost of predictive technologies, and the alarming rise of anxiety, self-harm, and disconnection in young people growing up in the smartphone era. At the same time, Dilara highlights the irreplaceable qualities of human attunement, vulnerability, and repair—and why moral imagination and “living in the question” may be our most important tools in an AI-driven world.

We’ve shared 11 episodes of Facing the Moment, and we’d love your feedback. Your response to this quick poll helps us grow and serve you better. We’re always looking to bring voices that truly fit the heart of Facing the Moment.

"We don't control everything that happens to us, but we do have agency in how we respond—and that space is where wisdom lives."

Guest: Dilara Ally, PhD, LCSW

Dilara Ally, PhD, LCSW (she/her) integrates machine learning, AI and clinical expertise together in her mental health research at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School's Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. Specializing in trauma, depression and anxiety, her research explores how compassion-based therapies influence insight, compassion, and movement beyond self-referential thinking in trauma recovery. Dilara is guided by person-centered intervention development, leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to study self-related processes underlying treatment effectiveness, with a focus on amplifying patient voices.

Episode 10

Mitigating the Climate Crisis with Natalie Thomas

In this episode of Facing the Moment, host Toufic Hakim engages Natalie Thomas, PhD—philosopher, psychotherapist, and environmental ethicist—in a candid exploration of the climate crisis. Moving beyond the polarized political debates, the conversation examines the crisis’ tangible impacts on ecosystems, human communities, and mental health.

Natalie unpacks the science behind global warming, the psychological roots of climate denial, and the shared values often hidden beneath divisive rhetoric. She offers hopeful signs from community-led initiatives, innovations in green technology, and mental health support networks. The dialogue highlights “climate distress” and its varied emotional toll—particularly on younger generations—while exploring strategies to foster resilience, from climate cafés and nature connection to compassionate activism and bridge-building conversations with skeptics.

Listeners are left with both a sobering grasp of the crisis and practical ways to connect, adapt, and act collectively for a livable future.

"A lot of people have a view that resiliency is pushing through stuff, being tough and hard. But resiliency doesn't actually mean that. It means being able to recover from a tough thing."

Guest: Natalie Thomas

Natalie Thomas is a Canadian Professor of Philosophy, Registered Psychotherapist and Level 3 IFS Therapist, and Executive Committee Member of the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America. She is dedicated to reducing the suffering of humans, animals and nature through her research, teaching, writing and the development of therapeutic supports that are IFS Informed and that are fundamentally compassion-centered. You will find her painting, in the garden or sharing in the joy of her dogs to fill her cup with the beauty and joy in life, alongside the grief and complexity of it all.

Episode 9

Wising Up to Anger: Reclaiming a Misunderstood Force

Anger is everywhere—in our homes, on our roads, and across the news cycle—but how well do we really understand it? In this powerful and timely episode, IFS-trained therapist Ted Riskin joins Toufic Hakim to challenge conventional thinking about anger. Rather than suppress or fear it, what if we learned to listen to it—and even welcome it?

From the internal tensions of personal triggers to the collective storms of cultural rage, Ted unpacks the anatomy of anger: its roots in boundary violations, its role as a smoke alarm for deeper emotions like grief or shame, and its potential as a protective force when wisely guided. Drawing on decades of therapeutic experience and Internal Family Systems (IFS) theory, Ted shows us how to shift from impulsive reaction to grounded reflection.

This episode is both a deep dive into emotional Self-leadership and a gentle call to action in an increasingly reactive world. If you've ever been caught in the jaws of anger—or lived in fear of expressing it—this conversation offers a way forward: from fragmented reaction to integrated response.

"Wising Up to Anger: Reclaiming a Misunderstood Force"

Guest: Ted Riskin, LCSW

Ted Riskin, LCSW combines his IFS training with experience in a number of other modalities, including EMDR, hypnotherapy, and Integral Breath Therapy. A Holotropic Breathwork facilitator since 1997, he has led workshops in numerous locations around the galaxy and served for nine years on the Board of The Grof Foundation (five years as President). In addition, he taught on the faculty of the Institute of Core Energetics for 12 years. Ted developed a Group KAP program (www.groupkap.com) and has been co-leading it since 2022. He currently resides in Asheville, NC, where he maintains a private practice, teaches the IFS model to practitioners via a course called Essentials of Internal Family Systems, leads three IFS process groups, and facilitates ecstatic dance.

Episode 8

Bridging Family Chasms

In this deeply personal and universally resonant conversation, educator and organizational healing consultant Mona Sullivan reflects on her journey of navigating family estrangement shaped by cultural expectations, religious beliefs, and rigid traditions. Raised in a Muslim Egyptian household in the U.S., Mona shares how her search for belonging led her through painful seasons of shame, conditional acceptance, and profound loss—including the passing of her father and her former beloved mother-in-law just days apart during a difficult phase of estrangement from her family. Through therapy, spiritual grounding, and compassion, she found a path toward healing, reclaiming her self-worth, and fostering interdependent relationships. This episode offers an intimate look at resilience, the courage to live one’s truth, and the delicate art of keeping the door open for reconciliation—without surrendering one’s wholeness or core self.

"My experiences have helped me understand that we don't need to judge religion by the faults of the humans trying to practice it the best they can, through their humanity, through the parts of them that are hurt."

Guest: Mona Sullivan

Mona Elleithee Sullivan is the Founder of Renewed Harmony, an organization that helps leaders bridge their people with systems for sustainable success. A sought-after educator, consultant, and coach with over twenty years of experience, Mona designs professional learning that balances research-based strategies with compassionate coaching, guiding educators across the country to reflect on their leadership, discipline, and teaching practices without shame or judgment. After completing a Level 1 Internal Family Systems training in 2023, Mona was invited to join the inaugural cohort of IFS Leadership Fellows. This lens informs her work with leaders and teachers - supporting them to reconnect with calm and clarity, so they can lead from their true selves and restore harmony within their teams and classrooms. A National Board Certified Teacher and certified cognitive coach, Mona blends deep instructional expertise with a gift for authentic dialogue, equipping educators to lead with confidence and care while creating environments where both students and staff can thrive. When she's not making harmony at work, Mona serves as Board Chair of the Sandlapper Singers in Columbia, SC and delights in singing karaoke with her theatrical 15-year-old son, Omar, and talented 13-year-old daughter, Dina. She is the proud wife of Dale Sullivan.

Episode 7

Overcoming Loneliness

In this powerful and timely episode of Facing The Moment, we explore the silent epidemic of loneliness—a condition that affects people of all ages and cuts across cultures, relationships, and social structures. Sarah Oswald, Executive Director of the Relational Life Foundation, joins us for an intimate and illuminating conversation on the roots, manifestations, and healing paths for loneliness.

Together, Toufic and Sarah unpack loneliness not just as isolation, but as a societal wound—linked to trauma, individualism, patriarchy, and the breakdown of community. They reflect on the mental and physical health tolls, the generational impact, and how modern life—despite hyperconnectivity—has left many feeling unseen and unheard.

Sarah offers a hopeful vision rooted in intentional connection, self-awareness, and community-building, and shares practical and deeply human ways we can respond: by slowing down, listening, showing up with presence, and reclaiming our common humanity. This conversation is an invitation to both acknowledge pain and ignite renewal, for ourselves and for others.

If you or someone you care about is wrestling with disconnection, this episode is both compassionate guide and call to action. Tune in to remember: you are not alone.

"Disconnection begets disconnection. The more withdrawn we become, the more withdrawn the people around us become. And then it becomes harder to engage."

Guest: Sarah Oswald

Sarah Melissa Oswald is dedicated to building thriving communities and advancing a Relational Movement. She is the founding Executive Director of the nonprofit Relational Life Foundation and a certified relationship coach in Relational Life Therapy and MatrixWorks Group Leadership. Currently training in Gestalt Therapy, Sarah is also a seasoned wedding officiant. She teaches a living-systems approach to relational sustainability—an approach she discovered during her Resilient Leadership master’s program at Naropa University. Sarah lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband and five-year-old son.

Episode 6

Finding Our Way Through Wars

In this deeply moving episode of Facing the Moment, we explore what it means to live, work, and nurture hope in the midst of war. Ukrainian psychologist and university educator Anastasiia Shyroka shares her firsthand experience since the 2022 invasion—from the shock of the first days to leading humanitarian efforts, teaching students under siege, and guiding communities through trauma. She reflects on the daily balancing act between survival and professional purpose, the losses carried by individuals and society, and the quiet, persistent ways people create “islands of safety” for one another.

Drawing on her research and practice, Dr. Shyroka offers profound insights into resilience—rooted in purpose, coping skills, and humanity—and the need to pass on not only the burdens of history but also the gifts of courage and care. She also describes her work with others bringing Internal Family Systems therapy to Ukraine, creating healing spaces through cultural initiatives, and preparing for the immense task of post-war recovery.

A conversation about pain, persistence, and the power of small acts, this episode invites listeners to witness the human spirit’s capacity to endure, connect, and keep building toward a better future.

"Coping has different faces under unbelievably stressful conditions. For some, it’s humor and laughter; for some, it's connection with God; still for some, it's becoming more rational than emotional; yet for others, tapping into deeper humanity, actually, helping and giving love to those suffering like them."

Guest: Anastasiia Shyroka, PhD

Anastasiia Shyroka, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy and serves as Deputy Dean for International Academic Relations at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ukrainian Catholic University. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, her main focus has been on integrating diverse trauma-sensitive practices and approaches into professional communities and local networks. She actively collaborates with community organizations and initiatives to raise awareness about mental health, the impact of traumatic experiences, and ways to nurture collective resilience. She is a co-author of the project Music for Healing the Wounds of War. Since 2023, she has been involved with the Ukrainian Relief Initiative launched by the Foundation for Self-Leadership, initially as a translator, and now plays an active role in developing the IFS professional community in Ukraine—coordinating monthly meetings with IFS experts, implementing PAUSE model training in cooperation with the Self Leadership Collaborative, and expanding access to IFS training for Ukrainian specialists. She is convinced of the importance of building more resilient and compassionate professional communities—capable of showing greater understanding and care both for themselves and for others who are in great need at this time.

Episode 5

Navigating Cultural Wars

In today's deeply reflective episode, we explore the emotional and ideological battleground often referred to as the "culture wars." Host and Foundation Executive Toufic Hakim, PhD and guest Guthrie Sayan, PhD—scholar, coach, and founder of the Institute of Healing and Awakening—delve into the psychological and spiritual dynamics fueling the tensions across society.

Drawing from the Spiral Dynamics model, Guthrie unpacks how differing value systems—traditional, modern, and progressive—clash and misunderstand one another, each believing it holds the singular truth. Together, they ask: How can we engage with those who see the world differently without losing ourselves? What does it take to shift from reaction to response, from fear to compassion?

This episode offers a nuanced framework for understanding today's cultural climate, along with practical wisdom on navigating anger, uncertainty, and disconnection. It invites listeners into a place of humility, empathy, and self-reflection—with the goal of building bridges rather than bunkers.

"While we need principles, rigid rules can actually gum things up. So we're looking for flexibility, functionality, spontaneity as a way of responding to problems. We also need perspective-taking."

Guest: Guthrie Sayen, PhD

Guthrie Sayen, PhD, is the founder of The Institute for Healing and Awakening, which is dedicated to evolving global wellbeing by training coaches, therapists, healers, and seekers in applied consciousness. The institute’s two main programs are Coaching with Spirit, a presence-based training in the fundamentals of coaching, and Coaching with IFS, a series of courses covering beginning, intermediate, and advanced training in Internal Family Systems.

Episode 4

Seeing Others Beyond Labels

In this powerful and timely episode, we welcome Fatima Finney, LMHC—therapist, educator, and thought leader—for a deep and courageous conversation about the rising tide of othering and systemic oppression in today’s world. Together, we explore the ways individuals and groups are reduced to stereotypes, stripped of unique experiences and nuanced perspectives, and often dehumanized in the name of ideology, fear, or false superiority.

Fatima offers grounded, soul-filled insights into how systemic "isms" like racism, Islamophobia, and sexism are crafted, internalized, and perpetuated. Drawing from her personal experience as a Black Muslim woman, she highlights the psychological, emotional, and spiritual toll of being persistently othered—and what it takes to resist that reduction with dignity and rootedness.

Listeners will find tools for rehumanizing conversations, disrupting unconscious bias, and creating space for stillness, curiosity, and courageous connection. With wisdom, empathy, and clarity, this episode invites all of us to step beyond the crisis and into deeper dialogue—toward liberation, for ourselves and each other.

"There is something in our human spirit that allows us to show up and find ways to love, even when the system is bent on making sure that we are seen as other."

Guest: Fatimah Finney, MA, LMHC

Fatimah Finney, MA, LMHC is a serial goal-setter, lover of new ideas, and imaginative thinker. She is a skilled certified L3 trained IFS therapist and lead trainer at the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute. She is also the associate director of IFS Programs and a Senior Instructor at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School(HMS) teaching hospital.

She is a highly sought after speaker and thought leader who's been featured on podcasts, including IFS Talks, where she discusses the intersection between IFS and Intercultural Competence. Her chapter on using IFS with Black Clients is published in the book Altogether US. Fatimah is a firm believer in the power of collective healing through community care and seeks to eradicate the systems of oppression that block the possibility of it.

Fatimah is an effective Intercultural competence consultant who have helped people around the world build their capacity and skills in centering diversity, equity, inclusion. As a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), Fatimah uses this tool to help her clients gain insight into their strengths and growth edges for navigating differences and to offer strategies for better cross-cultural interactions.

Episode 3

Repairing Broken Dialogue

In a world increasingly marked by polarization, rigidity, and division, is it still possible to have meaningful dialogue across difference?

Join us for a deeply human conversation with community organizer, therapist, and founder of the Center for Grounded Action, Jen Wofford, MSW. We explore why our capacity for dialogue is fracturing—and how to repair it.

From technology’s role in our disconnection to global tensions and personal ruptures, Jen brings a powerful blend of experience in nonviolent communication, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and community healing practices. She shares: how to calm our nervous systems in moments of reactivity; what it takes to create emotional and psychological safety in group dialogue; and how empathy for self and others opens doors to deeper connection.

This episode is a guide for anyone yearning for real connection, even in the face of painful difference. It’s about listening to understand—not to win. And it starts with each of us.

"There will be conflicts. Our challenge is to handle them with deep respect, empathy and nonviolently, recognizing and honoring that you have a need and I have a need, and they're not the same at the same time. How might we meet yours and mine?"

Guest: Jen Wofford, MSW

Jen Wofford is a Clinical Social Work Therapist, in practice for 25 years. She brings a unique skillset having also worked in a first career as an organizer and campaign director of mission-driven social justice organizations for 17 years. Jen worked at the community, state, and national levels leading campaigns and leading organizations. As a Clinical Social Worker, Jen completed advanced post-graduate clinical training at the Washington School of Psychiatry and holds multiple certifications. Jen has been a student at the Washington Center for Consciousness Studies for a dozen years, studying Dzogchen Buddhism, Phenomenology, and Psychotherapy. Jen has completed advanced training in a therapeutic methods including Internal Family Systems (level 2), Imago Relationship Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Imagery and Ego State, Intimacy From the Inside Out, Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, AEDP, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. She has had the good fortune to have trained directly with Dick Schwartz, Sue Johnson, Diana Fosha, Tara Brach, and the Gottman’s, and is also a certified Yoga Teacher (YTT 200). As a consultant, Jen works with national organizations on organizational assessment and strengthening, and holds a certificate in Organizational Change and Change Leadership from Georgetown University. In recent years, Jen has founded and launched the Center for Grounded Action. www.CenterforGroundedAction.org with a model of Grounded Resilience training which the Center has been offering at no cost to Federal workers who’ve lost jobs under the cuts to programs.

Episode 2

Fostering Wellbeing for Youth: First, Sensing Their Struggle

Around the world, youth are confronting unprecedented uncertainty—facing political division, climate anxiety, economic despair, and a deepening crisis of belonging. But amidst this turbulence, many are also carving bold, hopeful paths forward. In this moving conversation, we speak with Fadi Petro, a U.S.-born Palestinian-Jordanian youth advocate and practitioner, about how young people are navigating pain, rediscovering purpose, and building community. Exploring questions such as what does peace mean without justice, this conversation offers a powerful call for healing, grounded connection, and intergenerational listening.

"To be happy is to have my voice heard, to be treated with respect and seen as an equal human being, to feel part of this world."

Guest: Fadi Petro

Fadi Petro is a cross-cultural trainer and Internal Family Systems (IFS) Practitioner. With a background in organizational development, Fadi has worked with individuals and teams in navigating complex dynamics, bridging cultural divides, and fostering meaningful growth within organizations. Since being trained in IFS, he has been working with Ithraa Training Center, which is an international partner of the IFS Institute, facilitating the training of individuals participating in healing and growth journeys.

Episode 1

Healing Community Trauma

In this deeply reflective episode, Aizaiah Yong, PhD, a theologian, educator, and trauma scholar, shares his wisdom about the nature of individual and collective trauma, and pathways to healing and renewal. He emphasizes that trauma is relational—its effects ripple beyond individuals to families and communities. Healing, therefore, must also be collective and relational, involving support systems, storytelling, and a shared willingness to face suffering together. Drawing on his personal spirituality and interfaith studies to explore how spiritual practices, cultural traditions, and ancestral wisdom offer resilience, he highlights the importance of rituals, creativity, compassion, and cultural diversity.

"Healing is a communal activity…
We need each other; we belong to each other in that."

Guest: Aizaiah Yong, PhD

Aizaiah is an award-winning scholar, international communicator, and visionary leader, with an extensive experience in organizational consulting, fundraising, keynote speaking, congregational and spiritual care, faculty teaching and scholarship across theological institutions. An ordained pentecostal minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and with deep ties to The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, he has dedicated the past decade to holistic healing and social advocacy work in collaboration with Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color. As a public intellectual, his work has been featured in highly regarded networks such as the National Benevolent Association, the Foundation for Self-Leadership, the Global Compassion Coalition, and National Public Radio. He currently calls central Minnesota home where he serves as the Executive Director of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research.