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Rumer Willis is ready to open up about motherhood in the spotlight. In a recent episode of Needed Conversations, a new podcast and YouTube series from perinatal nutrition company Needed, the actor, singer and entrepreneur breaks down life as a single mom, navigating postpartum identity shifts, mom guilt, being a self-proclaimed “crunchy mom,” the mental load of modern motherhood and the vulnerability of parenting in public.
The unfiltered conversation, titled “Rumer Willis On Parenting Choices and the Pressure Moms Face,” marks just the second-ever episode of Needed Conversations. The goal of Needed’s new series is to blend raw, real stories with expert insights through an assortment of guests: parents, healthcare professionals and thought leaders in the space.
In the 55-minute episode, Willis speaks candidly about the scrutiny moms face on a daily basis. “Once you become a parent, people just want to come at you,” she says. “There’s so much judgment, so much noise — it’s overwhelming. But there’s also so much beauty and power in getting honest about it.”
Willis also touches on a form of therapy she’s been implementing into her life: Internal Family Systems (IFS). “Parts work” is at the core of the therapeutic approach. (To dive deeper, No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz is the most prominent work in the space, written by the pioneer of IFS, who developed the form of therapy back in the ’80s.)
“For me, part of parenting Louetta has also been about re-parenting myself, and mothering myself and showing up for myself in that way,” Willis says about her experience applying the tools of Internal Family Systems therapy.
To listen to the full conversation between Rumer Willis and director, filmmaker and journalist Paula James-Martinez, check out “Rumer Willis On Parenting Choices and the Pressure Moms Face” on YouTube.