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No Bad Parts cover art

No Bad Parts

Written by: Richard C. Schwartz PhD, Alanis Morissette - foreword introduction
Narrated by: Charlie Mechling
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Publisher's Summary

Discover an empowering new way of understanding your multifaceted mind - and healing the many parts that make you who you are.

Is there just one “you”? We’ve been taught to believe 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. Yet Dr. Richard Schwartz’s research now challenges this “mono-mind” theory. “All of us are born with many sub-minds - or parts,” says Dr. Schwartz. “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.”

Dr. Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems (IFS) model has been transforming psychology for decades. With No Bad Parts, you’ll learn why IFS has been so effective in areas such as trauma recovery, addiction therapy, and depression treatment - and how this new understanding of consciousness has the potential to radically change our lives. Here you’ll explore:

  • The IFS revolution - how honoring and communicating with our parts changes our approach to mental wellness
  • Overturning the cultural, scientific, and spiritual assumptions that reinforce an outdated mono-mind model
  • The ego, the inner critic, the saboteur - making these often-maligned parts into powerful allies
  • Burdens - why our parts become distorted and stuck in childhood traumas and cultural beliefs
  • How IFS demonstrates human goodness by revealing that there are no bad parts
  • The Self - discover your wise, compassionate essence of goodness that is the source of healing and harmony
  • Exercises for mapping your parts, accessing the Self, working with a challenging protector, identifying each part’s triggers, and more

IFS is a paradigm-changing model because it gives us a powerful approach for healing ourselves, our culture, and our planet. As Dr. Schwartz teaches, “Our parts can sometimes be disruptive or harmful, but once they’re unburdened, they return to their essential goodness. When we learn to love all our parts, we can learn to love all people - and that will contribute to healing the world.”

©2021 Richard C. Schwartz, PhD (P)2021 Sounds True

What the critics say

“An enormous gift - transformative, compassionate, and wise. These simple and brilliant teachings will open your mind and free your spirit and your heart.” (Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path with Heart)

“Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, and the understanding that we all contain valuable parts that are forced into extreme roles to deal with pain and disappointment, has been one of the great advances in trauma therapy. Understanding the role they have played in our survival and being able to unburden the original traumas leads to self-compassion and inner harmony. The notion that all of our parts are welcome is truly revolutionary and opens up a path to self-acceptance and self-leadership. IFS is one of the cornerstones of effective and lasting trauma therapy.” (Bessel van der Kolk, MD, author of The Body Keeps the Score)

“In this trim and highly readable volume, Dr. Richard Schwartz articulates and deftly illustrates his Internal Family Systems model, one of the most innovative, intuitive, comprehensive, and transformational therapies to have emerged in the present century.” (Gabor Maté, MD, author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction)

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  • K C
  • 2024-01-20

excellent if you're ready to do the work

my only criticism is the shuffling between the Narrator and the author doing narration. I would have loved to have had the author narrate the whole thing as his voice is so calming!

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Thought-provoking and insightful

The idea is very interesting and mind-bending, while at the same time relatable. The exercises were appropriate and gave a good illustration of the inner dynamics. The only downside here is the politics; while I agree with most of it, the message I got was one of polarization, which is very unfortunate. The author should edit these out in the future, IMHO.

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Loved it!

Looking forward to learning more. This approach is life changing. The book is well written and narrated.

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outstanding development of psychology

I find this new direction of psychological thought having great potential for healing. instead of cutting human being into pieces and neglecting some to raise others, we learn to treat each of the pieces with care and respect, just seeing the positive core in them.
and this positive core becomes something spiritual and very individual.
I'm glad to live in a times where psychology and spirituality can meet.

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Trauma Therapist Review

Doing this work as a therapist and then with our clients has the power to get past long-held barriers and make shifts that change one’s lives and the world. This book is accessible to therapists and clients, and includes real sessions and practical exercises that can be the start of these shifts. Well done Dr. Schwartz and team.

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Very applicable if you do the work.

This audio book changed my life. A lot of the practices I had already a little experience with, but the guided meditations and the in-depth explanations of the psyche really helped drill some key concepts home. Long exiled parts of me were freed, and many protectors were relieved their duties and together we found new ones that are helping me move forward. Do the work, you will not be disappointed.

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Une explication fonctionnelle aux approches du modèle de Friston

Un ouvrage excellent a ecouter. Il fait admirablement la synthèse fonctionnelle, des approches basées sur la modelisation la plus recente du cerveau par Karl Friston. Alors que l’approche mathematisée de ce dernier a ouvert les portes de la psychiatrie computationnelle, l’approche IFS de R. Schwartz met en musique d’une manière douce, élégante, pragmatique et admirable cette approche. Une grande puissance ce travail. Je ne peux que le recommander.

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Interesting and informative but not for me

I tried this book with a totally open mind, and I found the book and the IFS concept to be interesting and informative when it comes to learning different perspectives and approaches to mental, emotional, spiritual and personal wellness. Not all of the perspectives and worldviews resonated with me or were helpful, but some were. I can see how the IFS approach could be radically helpful for a significant amount of humans, just maybe not for everyone. I found a number of the personal accounts and client examples to be quite moving and positive. The exercises were interesting. Some were helpful, some were not relevant. In all, it wasn’t a waste of time, but sometimes I did have to push myself to continue even when it felt irrelevant.

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Excellent

Persoanl development to the max. Everyone has parts, everyone needs to be better and grow through there childhood, hurts or trauma.

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Life changing!

I love conversing and embracing my different parts. I already feel the healing. Thank you.

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1 person found this helpful