No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Also known as No Bad Parts
Richard Schwartz's book for general readers on Internal Family Systems (IFS)
At a glance
What it argues
Against the mono-mind, No bad parts
See all 2Key ideas
The Self, Burdens, Allies, not enemies …
See all 4Examples from the book
Exercises
Criticism and limits
Evidence still thin, Called pseudoscientific
See all 2Read next
Introduction to the Internal Family Systems Model, Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual, Internal Family Systems
See all 3Connections
Richard Schwartz, Internal Family Systems and 2 others
See all 4
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- We are taught we have one identity, and feel shame when inner voices don't fit it.
- Schwartz argues instead that everyone has many sub-minds, or parts, and a core Self.
- Parts become extreme when they carry burdens from trauma or culture; once unburdened, they return to their good nature.
- The book explains the model and gives exercises for mapping parts and accessing the Self.
Why it matters
- The most accessible full statement of IFS, for general readers and therapists curious about parts work.
- Read it alongside the criticism of IFS's evidence base.
Key facts
- Author
- Richard C. Schwartz1
- Published
- 20212
- Publisher
- Sounds True1
- Pages
- 2563
- ISBN
- 97816836466863
- Audience
- General readers; applications in trauma recovery, addiction and depression1
What it argues
Key ideas
-
The Self1
A wise, compassionate essence of goodness that is the source of healing.
-
Burdens1
Parts get stuck in childhood traumas and cultural beliefs and become distorted.
-
Allies, not enemies1
The ego, the inner critic and the saboteur can become allies.
-
Self-like parts2
Parts that imitate the Self's calm but lack its curiosity; the book gives them a chapter.
Examples from the book
-
Exercises1
Mapping your parts, accessing the Self, working with a challenging protector, and finding each part's triggers.
Criticism and limits
Read next
-
Introduction to the Internal Family Systems Model
A shorter, plainer overview of the model's parts.
-
Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual
The clinician's version, with step-by-step techniques.
-
The approach, its evidence and its critics.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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