Foundation for Self Leadership

05/07/2026

After leaving the Marine Corps, Beau lost members of his platoon in a horrific helicopter crash on January 26, 2005. Thirty Marines were killed. This loss impacted him profoundly, ultimately motivating him to create Healing Protectors, an IFS-Informed nonprofit that provides free nature-based retreats for those who have served in the military.

Beau Laviolette, 47, is a licensed clinical social worker based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he and his work are deeply shaped by this military experience. After leaving the Marine Corps, Beau lost members of his platoon in a horrific helicopter crash on January 26, 2005.....

04/24/2026

Grief can make everything feel split in two: 'How do I honor the person I lost, while also trying to live as I am now?' You can miss your partner deeply and still choose a life that holds new joy. That's not betrayal. That's healing.
Read the full article:

Coping with grief after the death of a life partner can feel unbearably hard. The world expects you to function, while your inner world keeps changing. Emotional challenges of loss often show up as numbness, anger, relief, longing, or sudden fear; it can be disorienting to have more than one truth a...

04/20/2026

Midlife stress doesn't always respond to insight. Sometimes your nervous system just needs a here-and-now signal—a texture, a scent, a slow breath with a hand on your heart.
IFS reminds us that our Parts carry a lot. These small, sensory practices give them a little relief between sessions and real-life stressors. No fixing required. Just settling.
→ Read the full article:

Emotional self-care can start to feel like another job that never gets finished for middle-aged therapists, caregivers, and IFS therapy seekers. It takes a lot to manage careers, family demands, and old wounds. Unconventional wellness practices, supported by IFS therapy, can address middle-aged ment...

03/23/2026

Our fast-paced world often demands we "get back to normal" and look strong to others, causing us to bypass or "exile" our true emotions.

However, the best response to emotional issues like depression or anger is found in family and community.

A simple hug or support from someone who cares can be the real cure for many of these challenges.

Healing the families of the world is a vital mission because the family system provides the necessary support for all emotional struggles.

Let’s stop trying to look normal and start leaning on each other.

Listen now: www.foundationIFS.org/podcast

03/17/2026

Sustaining Community Under Stress | Facing the Moment Podcast EP 14

Sustaining Community Under Stress | Facing the Moment Podcast EP 14

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
To all the helpers, teachers, and therapists: it is okay to not be okay. While pain is often expected, we don't have to sit in suffering forever.

Take the long view, stay strategic, and remember that creating a safe space to just be is a form of resistance.

Listen now: www.foundationIFS.org/podcast

03/11/2026

Find Your Moral Compass.
During difficult times, we are called to ask ourselves, "What do you stand for?"
Following a simple framework like treating others the way you want to be treated can guide how you show up in the world, even when things are complicated.

03/09/2026

Tend to Your Own Garden.

You don’t always have to be at the front of a crowd to make a difference. Sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is "pour yourself into the young people" and the community right in front of you. Focus on taking care of your specific "garden."

03/04/2026

In the face of war, displacement, and loss, a community of Ukrainian therapists chose to turn toward each other—and toward themselves. Guided by the principles of Internal Family Systems, they built something that none of them could have predicted: a thriving, growing, internationally supported professional community rooted not in a method, but in a way of being together.

Over the past four years, they have gathered every month, hosted workshops, supported children displaced by conflict, completed the first IFS Level 1 training in Ukraine, and translated foundational IFS texts into Ukrainian. International colleagues from across the world showed up—holding space, sharing knowledge, and simply being present without pressure. This is what the Foundation for Self Leadership stands for. This is what happens when Self-energy meets human courage. We are deeply moved by the Ukrainian IFS community's journey and honored to be part of it. Read their full story at the link:

“Help is the sunny side of control. And we don’t want it to be that way. That’s why we’re here to listen to what you need.” -Foundation for SELF Leadership Executive Director Toufic Hakim With these words, Toufic opened the first meeting with several Ukrainian therapists in 2022. A new spa...

03/02/2026

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.

Even in the middle of a mess, laughter is a necessity, not a luxury. When we are under constant stress, finding a moment to laugh can be the first step in releasing the "chaos" our bodies have been carrying.

Listen to the full episode: www.foundationIFS.org/podcast

02/27/2026

When midlife stress stacks up, insight alone doesn’t always settle the body. According to Martin Moore, co‑founder of Able Rise, three small practices work with your nervous system and through senses, stimulating movement and connection, so your Parts don’t have to do all the heavy lifting.

Read more in the Parts & Self Magazine:

Emotional self-care can start to feel like another job that never gets finished for middle-aged therapists, caregivers, and IFS therapy seekers. It takes a lot to manage careers, family demands, and old wounds. Unconventional wellness practices, supported by IFS therapy, can address middle-aged ment...