Welcome to The Mindfulness Within Podcast, hosted by Gilbert Romero-Mewharter, a space for exploring the inner landscape of healing, awareness, and compassionate connection. In this episode, Gilbert sits down with Dr. Dan Sneider, LCSW, Ed.D. and founder of The Intimacy Shift, a framework designed to help couples move from conflict to connection.

Together, they explore what really happens when closeness fades—when conversations feel distant, when tenderness turns to tension, and when our emotional safety begins to erode. Drawing from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dr. Sneider shares how our “hurt spots” often collide with our desire to connect, creating patterns of protection and pain. Healing begins when we can recognize those patterns, speak from an “I” place, and gently re-open the space for intimacy.

Throughout their conversation, Gilbert and Dan discuss practical ways to rebuild trust and regulate together—through grounding, mindful communication, and curiosity toward our protective parts. The episode closes with two guided mindfulness practices to help you reconnect: one for awareness in the moment of distance, and another for repair after conflict.

Remember: closeness isn’t a one-time achievement—it’s a daily practice of returning to yourself and to one another with compassion.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/Nk_vZeqWl68

Learn more about Dr. Dan Sneider’s work at https://intimacyshift.com

#MindfulnessWithin #IntimacyShift #EmotionallyFocusedTherapy #InternalFamilySystems #SelfAwareness #RelationshipHealing #MindfulConnection #SelfCompassion

00:00 Introduction to Intimacy Shifts

03:22 Understanding Relationship Dynamics

07:13 Emotionally Focused Therapy Explained

12:41 Communicating with Vulnerability

16:44 Navigating Conflict and Regulation

20:32 The Impact of Relationships on Children

25:04 Co-Parenting Strategies

28:55 Closing Conversations Mindfully

30:23 Mindful Practices for Connection

Conflict doesn’t just happen out there—it stirs something inside. In this newest episode of The Mindfulness Within Podcast, host Gilbert Romero-Mewharter explores how moments of tension—whether with a partner, a coworker, or within ourselves—activate protective parts of our internal system. Using the powerful blend of mindfulness and Internal Family Systems (IFS), Gilbert invites us to meet conflict not with judgment, but with curiosity, self-awareness, and healing intention.

Through grounded reflection and practical examples, Gilbert reveals how manager and firefighter parts try to shield us from deeper emotional wounds during conflict. Whether it’s the inner critic reacting to a boss’s comment, or a caretaker trying to defuse relationship tension too quickly, these parts are not the enemy—they’re over-functioning in the absence of trust in the Self. Mindfulness helps us pause, recognize who’s speaking inside, and begin to lead with clarity and compassion.

This episode also includes two guided mindfulness practices—one for use during conflict, and another for after conflict—to help you reconnect with your internal system and build trust with the parts that work so hard to protect you. With practice, conflict can become a doorway to deeper self-connection and healthier relationships.

🧘 Listen now to The Mindfulness Within Podcast and begin building more peace—even in the fire of tension. Full episode here: https://youtu.be/zy-_VwKO31k

#TheMindfulnessWithinPodcast #GilbertRomeroMewharter #Mindfulness #IFS #ConflictResolution #EmotionalHealing #PartsWork #SelfLeadership #InternalFamilySystems #CompassionateLiving #HealingFromWithin #YouAreNotBroken #YouAreEnough

00:00 Introduction to Mindfulness and Conflict

02:58 Understanding Internal Conflict and Protectors

05:54 Mindfulness Practices for Conflict Resolution

08:57 Post-Conflict Reflection and Building Trust

12:02 Transforming Conflict into Connection

14:00 Conclusion and Invitation to Practice

Join Gilbert Romero-Mewharter and special guest Forrest Benedict in this deeply personal episode exploring the healing of sexual shame and the reclaiming of desire through Internal Family Systems. Together, they discuss how culture, religion, and trauma often disconnect us from our authentic sexuality, creating parts that judge, suppress, or dissociate from our true selves. Forrest emphasizes that healing begins with understanding and loving these parts, seeing them as heroic protectors rather than problems.

This conversation highlights that sexuality is a vital, natural part of being human—and that shame surrounding it is often rooted in fear and judgment. Gilbert and Forrest explore how to create safe spaces, both internally and therapeutically, for parts to be seen, heard, and integrated. They guide mindful exercises on connecting with shame and desire, reminding us that our desires are pathways to wholeness, not dangers.

Whether you’re a therapist or someone on your own healing journey, this episode encourages gentle curiosity, patience, and compassion as tools for liberation. Forrest shares practical insights on building trust with parts, unfreezing past wounds, and honoring the full spectrum of human desire. Remember: healing isn’t about fixing who you are, but about welcoming all parts of yourself with love and acceptance.

Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/WSlm6hZ13tY

#InnerHealing #SexualShame #DesireReclaimed #IFS #TraumaHealing #SelfCompassion #AuthenticSelf #HealingJourney

00:00 Healing Shame and Embracing Authenticity

02:47 Understanding Sexuality and Shame

05:45 Navigating Trauma and Protectors

08:56 Building Trust with Protectors

11:54 The Importance of Witnessing and Compassion

14:48 Integrating Parts and Healing Sexuality

17:50 Unfreezing Parts and Reparenting

20:47 The Complexity of Sexuality and Healing

23:56 Addressing Self-Judgment and Shame

26:50 Therapist's Role in Sexuality Conversations

29:46 Connecting to Self and Sexuality

33:14 Mindfulness and Inner Connection

Welcome to The Mindfulness Within Podcast, hosted by Gilbert Romero-Mewharter. In this episode, Gilbert is joined by Sung Kim, a therapist working at the intersection of trauma, identity, and liberation. They explore how liberation isn’t a one-time act but an ongoing relationship with ourselves, emphasizing patience, self-awareness, and continual return to our authentic selves.

Gilbert and Sung discuss how internal protectors, exiles, and inherited roles keep us stuck in shame and trauma. They highlight that liberation involves compassionately recognizing these parts, questioning their stories, and creating space for healing—step by step. Mindfulness supports us in noticing and extending kindness to these parts on our journey toward freedom.

Gilbert guides a grounding exercise to connect with your internal parts and their stories—burdens or blessings. This practice encourages curiosity, compassion, and permission for parts to rest and transform. Remember, liberation is a continuous process of relationship and self-acceptance, not a destination. Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/9k4ZpEkB-ig

#MindfulnessWithin #InnerHealing #LiberationJourney #InternalFamilySystems #SelfCompassion #TraumaRecovery #CulturalHealing #SelfAwareness

00:00 The Journey of Liberation

05:51 Understanding Internal Captivity

12:12 The Role of Parts in Healing

18:06 Navigating Authentic Identity

23:55 The Importance of Agency

30:00 Community and Liberation

36:09 Mindfulness and Grounding in Liberation

Welcome to The Mindfulness Within Podcast, hosted by Gilbert Romero-Mewharter, a space dedicated to exploring the depths of inner healing and self-awareness. In this episode, Gilbert is honored to welcome Martha Stebbins-Aguiñiga, a bilingual, bicultural therapist, EMDR-certified practitioner, and social justice advocate. Together, they delve into how our cultural identities—race, gender, language, and heritage—shape the parts of ourselves that often go unnoticed. This conversation invites listeners to witness their internal systems with curiosity and compassion, understanding that culture is not just outside influences but an integral part of our internal landscape.

Throughout the episode, Gilbert and Martha discuss how cultural stories and societal messages influence our internal protectors and exiles—those vulnerable parts that carry wounds from early life and legacy burdens. They emphasize that these parts are doing their best to keep us safe, often operating behind the scenes, sometimes with shame or pressure. Martha highlights the importance of approaching these parts with consent, kindness, and curiosity, fostering relationships within ourselves that allow for healing and integration. The episode offers practical insights into how mindfulness and internal family systems work together to honor all parts, especially those shaped by cultural and ancestral histories.

To support your journey inward, Gilbert guides a heartfelt exercise focused on connecting with parts of your cultural identity and internalized voices. This practice encourages you to listen to what your parts have to say—whether they carry pride, pressure, or shame—and to meet them with gratitude and compassion. Remember, your culture lives within you as a collection of stories, memories, and feelings, deserving of kindness and understanding. Thank you for tuning into The Mindfulness Within Podcast—where healing begins with self-awareness and embracing all the parts of who you are.

Full episode here: https://youtu.be/BGzwQIBlnR8

#MindfulnessWithin #InternalFamilySystems #SelfHealing #CulturalIdentity #TraumaHealing #MentalHealth #InnerWork #SelfCompassion

00:00 Cultural Identity and Internal Family Systems

03:09 The Role of Protectors in Therapy

06:03 Consent and Befriending Parts

08:49 Navigating Shame and Vulnerability

12:05 Cultural Messaging and Healing

14:53 The Intersection of Culture and IFS

17:49 Legacy Burdens and Healing

21:05 Possibilities for Growth and Change

23:57 The Healer's Journey

26:53 Cultural Messages and Self-Compassion

29:49 Closing Reflections and Exercises

In this deeply restorative episode of The Mindfulness Within Podcast, host Gilbert Romero-Mewharter invites listeners to connect with one of the most powerful and often misunderstood parts of the inner world: the protector. While the inner critic often takes center stage, our protectors—those that manage, numb, distract, or push—quietly carry the burden of keeping us safe, often without rest or support.

Drawing from the Internal Family Systems (IFS) framework and over 20 years of mindfulness practice, Gilbert explores the distinct roles of manager and firefighter parts. Through real-life examples, he illustrates how behaviors like perfectionism, avoidance, or emotional shutdowns may actually be rooted in long-standing strategies of care. The episode highlights how these parts aren’t dysfunctional—they’re devoted. And with mindful attention, we can learn to meet them with curiosity instead of resistance.

Listeners are also guided through a series of meditative practices to connect with a protector, visualize its form, and uncover the vulnerable part it may be shielding. These gentle exercises create a pathway toward compassion, integration, and healing. Whether you’re new to parts work or already on the journey, this episode offers a nurturing space to deepen your relationship with your inner world.

🌿 Pause, breathe, and listen in.

🔗 Tune in now and subscribe to support our growing community of care: https://youtu.be/OC_Qiso-rH0

#Mindfulness #IFS #PartsWork #SelfHealing #EmotionalResilience #MentalHealthMatters #TheMindfulnessWithinPodcast #GilbertRomeroMewharter #CompassionateLiving #InnerHealing

00:00 Introduction to Mindfulness and Protectors

01:36 Understanding Protectors: Managers vs. Firefighters

05:11 The Role of Mindfulness in Relating to Protectors

08:41 Guided Practices for Connecting with Protectors

19:04 Exploring the Exile: What Protectors Guard

22:32 Conclusion: Embracing Your Inner Protectors

In this episode of The Mindfulness Within Podcast, host Gilbert Romero-Mewharter takes us on a powerful journey inward to meet one of the most misunderstood parts of ourselves: the inner critic. Rather than shutting it down, Gilbert invites us to understand its protective role through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the steady presence of mindfulness.

With compassion and clarity, Gilbert helps listeners reframe the inner critic—not as an enemy, but as a part trying to keep us safe. He explains how mindfulness gives us the awareness to notice this part in real time, while IFS allows us to enter into a healing dialogue with it. Through a series of guided exercises, Gilbert shows how to unblend from the critic, build trust with it, and connect with the more vulnerable exiled parts it protects. The result? A shift from internal conflict to internal cooperation—and a step closer to true self-leadership.

If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to explore your inner world with kindness. Watch the full episode of The Mindfulness Within Podcast with Gilbert Romero-Mewharter here: https://youtu.be/kbFmYw7bkX0

#TheMindfulnessWithinPodcast #GilbertRomeroMewharter #InnerCritic #IFS #Mindfulness #SelfLeadership #EmotionalHealing #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfCompassion #TraumaInformedCare #HealingJourney #YouAreEnough

00:00 Understanding the Inner Critic

08:21 Mindfulness Practices for the Inner Critic

18:45 Reparenting and Healing the Inner Self

Welcome to the debut episode of The Mindfulness Within Podcast hosted by Gilbert Romero-Mewharter!

In this first powerful conversation, Gilbert introduces listeners to the intersection of mindfulness and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. With over 20 years of experience working with children, caregivers, and individuals on their healing journeys, Gilbert creates a compassionate space for those seeking to connect with their authentic self and cultivate lasting inner peace.

In this episode, Gilbert unpacks the fundamentals of IFS, explaining how our mind is made up of different "parts" — some nurturing, others protective or reactive — and how mindfulness can help us approach these parts with curiosity and compassion. Through thoughtful guidance and grounding exercises, listeners will explore how to observe inner experiences without judgment, build self-leadership, and foster healing from within. Gilbert's approachable style makes complex psychological concepts easy to understand and apply, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in personal growth and emotional wellness.

Take a deep breath and start your journey inward with The Mindfulness Within Podcast. Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/oaW4B2IRxaw

#TheMindfulnessWithinPodcast #GilbertRomeroMewharter #Mindfulness #InternalFamilySystems #IFS #SelfHealing #EmotionalWellness #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfCare #InnerPeace

00:00 Introduction to Mindfulness and IFS

02:55 Understanding Internal Family Systems (IFS)

06:01 Mindfulness Practices for Inner Parts

09:04 Cultivating Compassion for Exiled Parts

12:07 Self-Leadership and Integration