Internal Family Systems (IFS) Explained: How Our Parts Help Us Heal | Richard Schwartz

Send us Fan MailWhat if the different voices, emotions, and reactions inside you are not signs that something is wrong with you, but parts of you trying to protect you?Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D., joins Abdullah Boulad on Living a Life in Balance to explore Internal Family Systems (IFS), the therapeutic model he developed to help people understand and work with the different parts of themselves.In this conversation, Richard explains how his early work with people struggling with eating disorders led him to discover the concept of parts, and how his own childhood experiences shaped his understanding of protection, fear, and emotional pain.Together, Abdullah and Richard explore what IFS can teach us about protectors, exiles, and the Self, including why Richard believes there are “no bad parts” and how even the most difficult thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can have a protective intention.Richard also guides Abdullah through a live IFS exercise, offering a practical glimpse into how the approach can help us connect with parts of ourselves that may have been carrying pain for years.The conversation goes further into how IFS works in therapy, whether it can be practiced safely as a form of self-help, how it can be adapted for people who struggle to access their emotions, and the potential relationship between IFS and psychedelics such as MDMA and ketamine.Richard also shares his vision for the future of IFS, including its potential applications in trauma recovery, prisons, and collective healing, as well as the personal practices he uses to stay balanced.About Richard:Dr. Schwartz is an American systemic family therapist, academic, author, and creator of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) branch of therapy. He developed his foundational work with IFS in the 1980s after theorizing that his clients were made up of many different parts of their “Self.” He teaches that “Our inner parts contain valuable qualities, and our core Self knows how to heal, allowing us to become integrated and whole.” In IFS, all parts are welcome.00:00:00 - Podcast Introduction: Dr. Richard Schwartz & Internal Family Systems (IFS)00:01:37 - Dr. Richard Schwartz’s Childhood, Family & Path to Psychotherapy00:05:19 - How Internal Family Systems (IFS) Was Discovered00:07:07 - Childhood Loneliness, Family Dynamics & Emotional Pain00:09:17 - How Protective Parts Develop to Cope With Fear & Criticism00:11:18 - Using IFS to Understand Our Own Family Dynamics00:13:35 - Discovering the “Parts” Within Us00:16:10 - IFS Explained: Protectors, Exiles & the Inner World00:18:01 - “No Bad Parts”: Do All Parts Have a Positive Intention?00:22:36 - Can Internal Family Systems Change Psychotherapy & Heal Conflict?00:25:25 - LIVE IFS Demonstration: Connecting With a Part00:33:10 - Managers vs. Firefighters: The Two Types of Protective Parts00:38:58 - How IFS Therapy Works: Accessing & Healing Exiled Parts00:41:41 - IFS, Rational Minds & Narcissistic Traits: Building Trust in Therapy00:45:17 - Can You Practice IFS Without a Therapist?00:49:32 - IFS & Psychedelics: MDMA, Ketamine & Accessing the Self00:54:24 - The Future of IFS: Trauma, Prisons & Collective Healing00:57:05 - How Dr. Schwartz Uses IFS to Stay Balanced01:00:05 - A Message of Hope: No Bad Parts & the Healing SelfFollow Abdullah Boulad:https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahboulad/   https://www.instagram.com/abdullahboulad/    Follow Richard:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-schwartz-0a9a1b203 You can order Abdullah’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BC9S5TCF?ccs_id=c64f2588-7eb1-4592-b4d1-647a0f379b51 Follow THE BALANCE Rehab Clinic:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebalancerehabclinic/https://www.instagram.com/thebalancerehabclinic/