Last week, I got interviewed by Ana Maia Marques for her podcast, Movement Is My Constant, which she describes as, "A monthly podcast about the body, movement, and the impermanence of life." 

It was a lovely chat which flowed quite easily, thanks to Ana's insightful questions and deep listening. I was a bit taken aback by the depth of her research. She'd actually read my blogs! We covered a lot of ground in just less than an hour.

She named the episode:

Clowning, Fooling, and IFS: Embodied Tools for Neurodivergence, Trauma Healing, and Burnout Prevention — with Holly Stoppit

Here is the episode

Here is Ana's description of our conversation:

In this episode of Movement Is My Constant, I explore the transformative potential of clowning therapy, fooling performance, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts work with Holly Stoppit — facilitator, dramatherapist, and artistic director of Beyond The Ridiculous. Holly shares how these creative therapy approaches combine performance, embodiment, and psychology to support neurodivergence, trauma healing, and burnout prevention.

We discuss how embodying different parts of ourselves through movement-based therapy and playful improvisation can foster resilience, deepen embodied self-awareness, and open new pathways for growth. Whether you are a therapist, movement practitioner, or someone exploring self-development beyond thought, this conversation offers practical insight into the mind–body connection.

What We Cover

• Home is Right Here, Wherever I Am — Holly’s poem, read by me, on the value of kinesthetic learning and embodied presence.
• The creative nature of “parts work” in IFS, and how it helps create healthy distance from challenging inner voices.
• Why pushing for awareness too quickly can lead to burnout, and how fooling can help break the cycle.
• How meditation begins before the cushion — posture, breath, and arriving as you are — plus Holly’s own tips for building a sustainable practice.

Here is the episode

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