Richard Schwartz: No Bad Parts

Richard “Dick” Schwartz earned his PhD in marriage and family therapy from Purdue University. He co-authored the most widely used family therapy text in the United States, Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods, and is the creator of the Internal Family Systems Model, which he developed in response to clients’ descriptions of various “parts” within themselves. With Sounds True, Dick has written a new book titled No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model.

In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon talks to Dick about the transformation that occurs when we welcome every part of who we are. He explains that even our most destructive parts have protective intentions, put in place to shield us from unprocessed pain, and details his method for accessing and mending these inner wounds. They also discuss the myth of the “mano mind,” and why the mind is naturally multiple; how “exiled” trauma can manifest as bodily pain; connecting with our core Self and letting it lead us in our healing; and how the language of “parts” can be useful in our relationship dynamics.

'No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model" by "Richard Schwartz":

Sounds True was founded in 1985 by Tami Simon with a clear mission: to disseminate spiritual wisdom. Since starting out as a project with one woman and her tape recorder, we have grown into a multimedia publishing company with more than 80 employees, a library of more than 1500 titles featuring some of the leading teachers and visionaries of our time, and an ever-expanding family of customers from across the world. In more than three decades of growth, change, and evolution, Sounds True has maintained its focus on its overriding purpose, as summed up in our Mission Statement.

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[royce]

I love that this whole approach literally came down to him listening to his clients and self-reflecting on his own parts

[andreaallen]

I started IFS two weeks ago. It’s really amazing getting to know myself in this way. I hope it allows me to heal what years of talk therapy could not.

[QuinnPrice]

Dr. Schwartz is a national treasure. I love his approach and have found it very useful.

[myamentalhealth]

Im on a Dr.Schwartz binge rn &, although Im a year late, just wanted to give props to Tami's talent for conducting interviews. This is the first time I've seen Dr.Schwartz break script when discussing IFS & as a result of his new answers I got to so much more info & learnt things I didnt already know

[carmenl]

I've come across this kind of therapy because I was looking for ways to heal my inner wounded child. I think it's brilliant. It matches so much with my intuition about what I've done to prevent myself from going crazy because of the abuse I endured in my childhood. I can see how my protectors have served me wonderfully. And I can see how childish they are in the way they are protecting me. It's time for me to let go (I'm 58), and I'm sure IFS will help me a lot. Thank you so much for this very interesting interview.

[miss-winner]

This was an excellent interview! I have never heard Richard Schwartz this vulnerable, and it was a breath of fresh air.

[catherinewylie]

Such a great talk. I just caught up with an old friend who highly recommended I learn about this therapy. I always thought I was just one integrated ball of internal conflict and competing desires. Just listening to this, I realize there are definitely "parts" to this and I'm excited to begin my journey with the books I ordered today.

[Themacintheroni]

As an interviewer, Tami represents the most critical listener who would be the hardest to reach- she asks questions most interviewers are too afraid or polite to, but that need to be asked

she’s a fabulous interviewer 👏

[P-therapy]

How the world (people) can continue to grow, to heal, by softening and melting shame with models like IFS. We need this everywhere 🙏🏼

[therapyoutsidethebox]

IFS is so game changing, and so ripe for creative applications. It's my favorite modality for deep healing 🙏

[Phoebe-cyxc]

Such a gem 💎 of a therapist- understanding his own and his patients deeply. transformative healing of pain 🙏🏼 thank you Dr Schwartz and brilliant host Tami 👍

[Dawghome]

Mr James G Frieson PHD, helped me so much with not only his books but more importantly how he viewed D.I.D, so it helped me to view myself and parts with loving compassion, irrespective of how they present. This was the mantra i would repeat. "No matter what you have ever said, or whatever youve done, i will always love you! If they were aggresive to me as their knee jerk resction, with that loving statement, their guard would drop, i also discovered on one occasion that they presented this way, with their guard down, the stepped aside only to show me they were potected a group of personas new to my concious mind. I bought and read his book in 1995, he wasnt PHD then, that came later! And i still am met with prejudice by so-called mental health workers and im 65 now. The struggle is real! 😢

[gracens]

I am beginning this work myself and will hopefully find a guide, as well. So interesting. I realised I had been looking at my parts as things to overcome or control harshly, when they really want exactly what my true Self wants, which is to be seen and heard.

[Susan-olys]

Drank this on deeply and downloaded so I have it on my iPad to listen again, such useful tools thank you. I really appreciate Richard’s self disclosure and honesty and Tami is a wonderful force for expansion in the world, thank you both :-)

[romytaylor]

Excellent interview, Tami. Deep-diving with your questions. You pulled some great nuggets from Dr. Schwartz. His work is life-changing and contributes to a way-finding for humanity.

[halaali]

Thank you Tami, your voice sound like a manager specially when you didn't want to share your story I can relate. I appreciate your work

[analogkid]

Thank you for an excellent interview Tami. I am a recovering addict -a survivor of childhood trauma and just getting involved with IFS. I respect and am a fan of Sounds True and own the Matt Kahn workshops as well as Berne Brown and others. I like how Sounds True also incorporates healing modalities such as IFS as a Spiritual topic.

[dollytenbrink]

So strange, i found this out about myself when i never heard of I.F.S. Because i felt so different when i was communicating in different manners. I just couldnt figure out why i felt different and like a child when i spoke to someone and why i felt mature and protective when i was writing.
I cant be mature when i am talking to someone. So i was thinking; maybe i have a part of me that is still a child and the part that writes is the mature parent protecting the child.
By accident i found out about dr richard schwartz. I was listening to a book from gabrielle bernstein and she started to explain something about different parts we create . It is answering all my questions about myself and it takes away all my doubts i had about it.

[PropheticCoachTheresa]

This is the most revolutionary approach to healing human beings since the polyvagal theory.

[llyradcynth]

Acknowledging the many parts in all of us is very healing. As Eckhart Tolle seems to refer to the negative parts as the pain body both mental and physical. Believe RS isn't a fan of ET.
I am and appreciate what they both do.
RS goes into the detail of these parts. Protectors and exiles.
ET as I see it, sees this pain body as various negatives and isn't really interested in the details of them.
They all hurt and need to be healed. We all heal differently, not to downplay the one or the other. Let's just get healed. Be thankful that there's so much differing info out there!
Something is bound to hopefully strike a great big healing chord at some stage🙏