No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model

In No Bad Parts, Schwartz explores the connection between internal family systems (IFS) and spirituality, suggesting that the concept of Self in IFS closely aligns with spiritual experiences and traditions across cultures. This integration of psychological and spiritual frameworks offers a unique approach to personal growth and healing that transcends traditional therapeutic boundaries.

Schwartz’s exploration of the spiritual dimensions of IFS begins with his personal journey of reconciling his scientific background with emerging spiritual insights. He recounts, “Since I could never believe in the punitive, adoration-seeking parental god I was exposed to in Judaism and Christianity, I considered myself an atheist and had little interest in anything spiritual” (101). This initial skepticism provides a compelling backdrop for his subsequent discoveries about the spiritual nature of the Self in IFS. As he developed the IFS model, Schwartz found himself encountering phenomena that defied conventional psychological explanations, leading him to consider spiritual interpretations.

The author draws parallels between the Self state in IFS and mystical experiences described in various spiritual traditions. He notes that many spiritual traditions believe that there is a divine essence inside everyone and that this concept of a divine essence connects to the IFS concept of the Self.