How Your "Internal Family" Reflects Your External Family

Send us Fan MailWhat if 90% of the intensity we feel in a marital argument has almost nothing to do with what just happened? Jim and Meghan sit down with Dr. Peter Malinoski, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Souls and Hearts, for something completely different: a live, guided exercise into the unconscious patterns that shape how we react to the people we love most. Using Internal Family Systems therapy, Dr. Peter walks Jim and Meghan through a real conflict from their own week, uncovering how childhood wounds still echo in their marriage today. With honesty, humor, and real vulnerability, this episode reveals how understanding our internal world can transform our external relationships.What’s in this episode:Dr. Peter's background in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapyWhy so much of our present conflict is rooted in unresolved past painA live, in-the-moment exercise walking Jim and Meghan through real conflictThe backstory behind a tense night over dishes and a sick catHow childhood wounds around "not being enough" resurfaced for both hostsSaint Thomas Aquinas on grace, nature, and the good we're really seekingThe connection between unresolved patterns and purgatoryA simple, priest-taught practice for apology and forgivenessResources Mentioned:Souls and Hearts – Hundreds of resources including courses, podcasts, and Catholic human formation communitiesResilient Catholics Community – A community for individuals, couples, and families doing deep human formation workFormation for Formators – A community supporting the human formation of priests, therapists, coaches, spiritual directors, and seminary formatorsInterior Integration for Catholics podcast – Dr. Peter's podcast; episodes 157-159 explore Internal Family Systems in depth Looking for meaningful ways to deepen your family’s connection with God outside of Sunday Mass? Download our free guide to discover 10 practical and fun faith-based activities that will bring your family closer to Christ—no matter how busy life gets. From sharing gratitude at the dinner table to watching faith-filled media together, these ideas make living your faith easy and enjoyable.