An introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, a model that sees your psyche as a family of different “parts” or sub-personalities — like the harsh inner critic, the addict, the protector, or the scared child — each carrying its own history, fears, and hopes. Rather than trying to suppress or eliminate these parts, Schwartz shows how each one has a positive intention and a role to play in protecting us, even if its strategies are sometimes harmful. He shows how even the most extreme behaviors began as attempts to protect you. 

By learning to witness, listen, and embrace these parts with compassion, we can reconnect with our core Self — a place of calm, clarity, and healing. Instead of seeing yourself as broken or “too much,” you begin to experience yourself as an essentially good Self with parts that can heal and collaborate.

The book offers both practical exercises and a hopeful perspective, reminding us that there are truly no bad parts within us, only parts longing for understanding and integration.

What you can get from reading it

• Map your internal system: identify exiles (wounded children), managers (inner critics & perfectionists), firefighters (rage & binges), and access the 8 C's of Self (calm, curiosity, compassion, etc.).​
• Unblending exercises: step back from blended parts ("Speak as the part") to let Self witness without judgment, dissolving inner civil war​ — especially in moments of shame, panic, or conflict.
• Protector dialogues: ask "What are you afraid would happen if you relaxed?" to reveal protective intent, earning permission to reach exiles safely.​
• Unburdening rituals: retrieve parts' original qualities (playfulness from anger, confidence from shame), transforming burdens into allies.​
• Everyday IFS: 6 F's protocol (Find, Focus, Flesh out, Feel, beFriend, Fear) for self-led sessions on anxiety, trauma, relationships.​

About the author

Richard Schwartz, PhD, is a systemic family therapist who founded Internal Family Systems in the 1980s after listening to clients describe their inner “parts” and realizing those voices followed consistent patterns across people. Trained in marriage and family therapy and longtime academic at places like Northwestern and the University of Illinois, he brings both clinical rigor and a disarmingly humble curiosity — admitting early mistakes like bypassing protectors — making him a rare guide who can speak to complex trauma while insisting that, at the core, there truly are no bad parts.