Learn more about Kelly's Relaxed Woman System here.

To dive deeper, listen to Reclamation Radio episode Unmasking the Narcissist and How to stop being controlled by Ego.

Even the darkest voice in your head is trying to help.



In this episode, I sit down with psychotherapist David Coates, trained in Internal Family Systems, to explore parts work with men. Together we trace how the mind operates like a family system of parts, and how those parts show up in relationships when they’re driving the bus. We also map the four extreme male strategies David has observed across years of clinical work and what shifts when they’re seen clearly.

The problem is simple to name and hard to live with: when I blend with a part, it runs the show and pulls the relationship to the perimeter. The move is to unblend, get curious, and stay centered while refusing the bait.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00 ] Introduction

[04:17 ] Why Internal Family Systems can finally make sense of your chaotic mind

[06:01 ] How regulating your inner world stops the suffering loop you keep replaying outside yourself

[08:12 ] The radical reason there are no “bad parts” because even suicidal thoughts have a protective logic

[10:02 ] What happens when a therapist meets every part with zero agenda or judgment

[14:55 ] The real patterns behind “toxic masculinity” and why labeling men as narcissists misses the point

[20:46 ] How to recognize when you’re getting pulled into someone else’s chaos, and hold your own center

[26:15 ] Why your partner’s most frustrating traits might just be old survival strategies

[37:54 ] How reconnecting with exiled “little-boy” parts unlocks lost power and presence

[51:15 ] What true healing looks like when an identity built on defense finally collapses

👉🏻 Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Find more from Dr. David Coates:

David’s Book: Be Less Dickish

Instagram: @belessdickish

Facebook: Be Less Dickish

Website: davidcoates.world

Find more from Kelly:

Instagram: @kellybroganmd

Website: kellybroganmd.com

Join Kelly's monthly membership, Vital Life Project here.

Get Kelly’s new book The Reclaimed Woman here.