The One Inside: An Internal Family Systems (IFS) podcast

Integrating IFS and Listening Therapies with Marcella Cox

Feb 23, 2026

Marcella Cox, LMFT — a therapist and author specializing in IFS, somatic work, and listening therapies. She explains polyvagal basics and how nervous system states shape parts. They explore co-regulation, differences between Safe and Sound Protocol and Rest and Restore, and how filtered music can open bodily safety and increase Self energy.

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INSIGHT

How Listening Therapies Retune The Nervous System

Listening therapies use the auditory portal to access and retune the nervous system rather than relying on cognitive processing.
SSP filters frequencies in music to give the nervous system cues of safety and reduce trauma-driven threat orientation.

INSIGHT

Polyvagal States Are The Soil For IFS Parts

Polyvagal theory frames three nervous system states: dorsal vagal (collapse), sympathetic (mobilize), and ventral vagal (social engagement).
Ventral vagal supports therapeutic work and Self Energy because it signals safety above the diaphragm and in facial/social cues.

INSIGHT

Co-Regulation Is Learned Not Automatic

Co-regulation skills are learned in early relationships and, when absent, people develop auto-regulation strategies like overworking or hyperactivity.
Nature, animals, and other people can still co-regulate us; therapy recreates that relational regulation.

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In today's episode, I welcome my friend Marcella Cox back to the podcast.

Marcella is a certified IFS therapist, approved consultant, and somatic IFS assistant trainer. She's also a certified Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and Rest and Restore provider, and the lead author of the new guidelines for integrating IFS with these listening therapies.

We talk about:

The basics of polyvagal theory
How our nervous system states impact our parts
Why co-regulation is central to healing
The difference between SSP (connection to others) and Rest and Restore (connection to Self)
How listening therapies can support safety in the body and allow more Self Energy to emerge

I also share my own experience trying SSP with Marcella. I experienced some surprising physical shifts and insights that came up after a few short listening sessions.

If you're curious about nervous system regulation and how it can deepen your IFS work, I think you'll really appreciate this conversation.

About Marcella Cox

Marcella Cox, LMFT, is a therapist, author, and presenter devoted to exploring the intersection of embodiment, trauma healing, and eating disorder recovery. She is a Level 3 Certified IFS Therapist, an Approved IFS Clinical Consultant, and an Assistant Trainer for Somatic IFS, the model developed by Susan McConnell.

She provides consultation and leads workshops, trainings, and retreats for professionals on IFS for disordered eating, Somatic IFS, and integrating IFS with the Safe & Sound Protocol and is the lead author of the IFS and Listening Therapies (Safe and Sound Protocol and Rest and Restore Protocol) Combined Delivery Guidelines, published through Unyte in January 2026.

Marcella is the founder and executive director of Kindful Body, which provides online therapy and nutrition counseling for eating and body concerns in California. She is also the co-founder of the IFS Consultation Collective, offering weekly consultation with IFS lead trainers.

To learn more about combining IFS and Unyte's listening therapies: https://integratedlistening.com/resources/ifs-and-listening-therapies/

Marcella's SSP & IFS groups: https://www.kindfulbody.com/somatic-ifs-and-ssp-group/

Kindful Body on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kindfulbody/

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Therapy Training Boston.

Therapy Training Boston offers live, in-person, and online workshops, plus consultation for therapists and other helping professionals, designed to support you as a whole person while satisfying your CE requirements. All of their offerings are taught with an eye toward context, power, and relational justice, and draw on the family systems theories and best practices that shaped the IFS model. They also offer an Intensive Certificate Program in Couples and Family Therapy to help you build confidence and capacity in community.

About The One Inside

I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.

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I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach.

Resources

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Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy.