Inner Soothers: Healing Addictive Behaviours with the IFS model with Cece Sykes

In this profound episode of Your Soul’s Therapist, Vlada de Sousa is joined by Cece Sykes, LCSW, ACSW — a founding trainer at the IFS Institute and a pioneer in healing trauma and addiction through the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model.
Together, they explore the intersection of spirituality and IFS, the compassionate understanding of addictive processes, and the pathways to healing the shame, loneliness, and protective patterns within.
This conversation invites listeners to see themselves — and those around them — with greater kindness, clarity, and hope.


In this episode, they explore:

How addictive behaviors are, at their core, attempts to self-soothe and survive.

The natural intersection between IFS and spiritual traditions.

Recognizing firefighters and managers with deep compassion.

Moving from blame and shame to understanding and honoring inner protectors.

How trust and hope can be rebuilt within our internal systems.

The transformational power of seeing ourselves through the lens of self-energy.


Chapters:
00:00 Exploring IFS and Spirituality
04:47 Understanding Self Energy in IFS
13:49 Transformative Moments in IFS Therapy
19:24 Addictive Processes and Their Impact
30:04 Compassion in Healing Soothing Behaviors
32:57 The Role of Firefighters and Managers in Our Lives
34:53 Finding Balance: Work and Rest
37:43 Understanding Our Parts: Firefighters and Exiles
40:06 Patterns of Behavior: The Cycle of Self-Soothing
44:24 Compassion and Understanding in Therapy
48:08 Hope and Healing: The Role of IFS
52:36 Trust and Hopelessness: Navigating Relationships
54:45 Building Trust Between Self and Parts
58:03 Transforming Self-Blame into Compassion
01:00:59 Spirituality: A Double-Edged Sword
01:05:11 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing

Listeners will discover why addictive tendencies are not signs of weakness, but reflections of wounded parts seeking care — and how true healing begins when we bring compassion, not criticism, to our inner world.

Resources Mentioned:
⁠Visit Cece Sykes' Website⁠
⁠Get the Book: IFS Therapy for Addictions⁠
⁠Sign up for Cece Sykes' Newsletter⁠

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