Is there just one “you”? 

This evocative question lies at the heart of Dr. Richard Schwartz’s groundbreaking work as both a therapist, and a researcher.

Over 40 years he’s pushed back against convention

Challenging what so many of us have been taught to believe - 

That we have a single identity.

And to feel fear or shame when we can’t control the inner voices that don’t match the ideal of who we think we should be. 

Rather than accept this well adopted theory of the “mono-mind.”

Dr. Schwartz developed the Internal Family Systems model (IFS) in response to clients’ descriptions of various parts within themselves, 

which has been transforming psychology for decades and is outlined in his profound bestselling book, No Bad Parts

He says:

“All of us are born with many sub-minds - or parts,” 

“These parts are not imaginary or symbolic. They are individuals who exist as an internal family within us - and the key to health and happiness is to honor, understand, and love every part.”

Today, we will take an experiential dive into IFS - 

As Dick shares more of his story, 

how he came to this approach, 

the role of curiosity and love in healing,

and ultimately will offer a glimpse of what’s possible when we engage in parts work as he generously agreed to conduct an IFS therapy session with me in real time. 

What unfolded turned out to be an extraordinary experience. 

One that left me changed.

The session itself increased my belief in Dick’s hopeful and inspiring sentiment:

“When we learn to love all our parts, 

we can learn to love all people - and that will contribute to healing the world.”

For more on Dick Schwartz, his books, IFS, and a directory of IFS trained therapists please visit ifs-institute.com

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Did you find this conversation inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:

• On Honoring the Soul (pt. 1) | Parker J. Palmer
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