Notes on Being Seen: What Visibility Really Means

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Episode 92: Visibility, Vulnerability & Why It Matters

In this kickoff to a new series on Being Seen, Caitlan Siegenthaler invites you into a real, layered conversation about what it actually means to be seen. From her grandmother’s quiet affirmation to the spirals of sharing your work online, Caitlan unpacks the human need for recognition and the very real fears that hold us back. She also shares personal updates—new IFS intensives, Human Design readings, and her brand-new membership space, Return+ before guiding you into reflection prompts that help you navigate the push-pull of wanting to be seen while also fearing exposure.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why being seen is a core human need and why it feels so risky.
• The cycles we get stuck in when we both crave and resist visibility.
• How Internal Family Systems (IFS) explains the parts of us that long for attention vs. the parts that want to hide.
• The difference between authentic visibility and performative “authenticity.”
• Why visibility ≠ validation, and how to define success by your own internal signals.
• How to work with polarization (the inner tug-of-war) to find safe, sustainable ways of showing up.

Chapters:

• 00:40 – Why visibility, why now: an overview of the new series
• 02:00 – Life + business updates: IFS intensives, HD readings, group program, and Return Plus
• 07:59 – The human ache to be seen
• 13:00 – Childhood roots of feeling witnessed
• 15:00 – The messy cycle of creating, hiding, and showing up again
• 17:30 – Visibility vs. the right visibility
• 19:30 – Vulnerability, authenticity & performative “realness”
• 21:30 – Reflection prompts: hiding, validation, boundaries
• 26:30 – Working with IFS polarizations: the part that wants to be seen vs. the part that doesn’t
• 29:00 – Where this series is headed on Return Plus

• 🌟 Subscribe to Return+ on Substack
  to access the full visibility series (essays + paid podcast episodes).
• ✨ Book an IFS Intensive
  (3- or 6-hour deep dives).
• 🔮 Book a Human Design Reading
• 📅 Join Undefined
  —the group program for Projectors, Manifestors & Reflectors (starting November 3rd).

FROM CAITLAN:
Thank you for being part of my own journey of being seen—I couldn’t do this without you. If today’s episode resonated, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next in the visibility series. And if you’re ready to dive deeper, join Return+ for exclusive essays, workshops, and behind-the-scenes conversations.

Support the show

Produced by Caitlan Siegenthaler
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me. And if you really loved it, the best thank-you is a written review on Apple Podcasts. Bonus: your review gets you a free 30-min session with me through The Dip. Book here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/1968a8cf/appointment/77001185/calendar/6030714?appointmentTypeIds[]=77001185