Have you ever done something and then afterwards asked yourself, “Why the heck did I do that?” It can be as if we have an angel and a devil on our shoulders giving us good advice and bad. What if we actually thought of ourselves as having several different parts within us rather than just the two? Some of those parts we like, and some we don’t. For those that we don’t, it can be like a nasty game of whack-a-mole with yourself to try to pat down those parts and even suppress them.

If you can relate, then welcome to the human race—we all do it and we all have various parts within us; parts we like and parts we don’t.  The important thing is to get to know these parts, to get curious, and not just pretend they aren’t there by keeping them out of sight and out of mind.

You may ask, how do I get to know these parts? And, exactly why is that important?

Thankfully, we have just the man to answer these questions and to describe the therapy he has created around that idea.  Dr. Richard Schwartz (https://ifs-institute.com/about-us/richard-c-schwartz-phd) who goes by the name Dick, is the father of a form of psychotherapy called Internal Family Systems, which is also known as IFS.  IFS provides methods for us to know our parts and be more in control of our lives.  IFS has gained international recognition for its effectiveness with a host of mental health conditions including, to name just a few: PTSD, depression, anxiety, phobias, and substance abuse. It’s even been shown as effective with various physical conditions including rheumatoid arthritis!

Dick is a luminary in psychology and easily one of the best-known people in the entire field today.  He explains how IFS can help us know our parts and why that is such a crucial thing for us all.

So, listen in as Dick and I have a lively and user-friendly exchange about knowing the parts that make you YOU. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3p29S1O This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).