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Litanies of the Heart
Dr. Gerry Crete takes you on a journey to encounter all the parts of your inner world and allow them to be seen, heard, known, and loved. As you get to know these parts, you'll discover your inmost self, your spiritual center, and learn how to love yourself in a healthy and enriching way. You'll learn that with God's grace, the inmost self can help relieve us of our burdens of shame, fear, and self-hatred. You will join with St. Paul as he says, "I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self." When your inmost self and your parts work together in freedom and love, you experience inner harmony.
The first step is to hear the cries of our parts, understand their pain, and hear their stories. The litanies and meditations in this book are designed to help you connect with your parts and experience connection with God in a way that is both safe and intimate.
This book is filled with litanies, the voices of our inner parts - sometimes protective, and closed off, and at other times wounded, and fearful -- as they cry out to God for help. Dr. Crete's life's work has been to help people recover from the difficult and painful experiences of the past. He has focused on how we relieve anxiety and live more fulfilling lives and enjoy more meaningful relationships. In this book Dr. Crete offers you his knowledge, insights, and experience in the hopes that you will experience not only relief from anxiety but inner harmony, greater life fulfillment, and a deeper more intimate relationship with God.
If you have experienced severe sexual abuse, military trauma, torture, the loss of a loved one, spiritual abuse, verbal humiliation, neglect, or emotional abandonment, then this book may provide a way to begin the healing process and grow in resilience.
The first step is to hear the cries of our parts, understand their pain, and hear their stories. The litanies and meditations in this book are designed to help you connect with your parts and experience connection with God in a way that is both safe and intimate.
This book is filled with litanies, the voices of our inner parts - sometimes protective, and closed off, and at other times wounded, and fearful -- as they cry out to God for help. Dr. Crete's life's work has been to help people recover from the difficult and painful experiences of the past. He has focused on how we relieve anxiety and live more fulfilling lives and enjoy more meaningful relationships. In this book Dr. Crete offers you his knowledge, insights, and experience in the hopes that you will experience not only relief from anxiety but inner harmony, greater life fulfillment, and a deeper more intimate relationship with God.
If you have experienced severe sexual abuse, military trauma, torture, the loss of a loved one, spiritual abuse, verbal humiliation, neglect, or emotional abandonment, then this book may provide a way to begin the healing process and grow in resilience.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 16, 2024
207 people are currently reading
501 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 11, 2025
An incredible book that interloops science, psychology, and religion in such an attainable way.
The amount of inner healing I experienced while reading this book changed my life.
Necessary to have an open heart and mind with ability to reflect deeply while reading this book. Language can be high level, but nonetheless understandable with time and some outsourcing.
Couldn’t recommend enough for anyone with any sort of trauma or need for inner healing!!!!!!
The amount of inner healing I experienced while reading this book changed my life.
Necessary to have an open heart and mind with ability to reflect deeply while reading this book. Language can be high level, but nonetheless understandable with time and some outsourcing.
Couldn’t recommend enough for anyone with any sort of trauma or need for inner healing!!!!!!
August 7, 2024
This is such a powerful book and one of the most beautiful blends of psychology and theology I’ve come across. It introduces you to “parts work” (Internal Family Systems” and Ego State Therapy for Christians. Dr. Gerry explains well how these theories work and where they are compatible with Christianity and where they veer off.
But more than just an explanation of physiological theories, this book is meant to help you find inner healing by recognizing what and where your wounded parts are. Each chapter ends with a Scripture Study, a guided meditation, and beautiful prayer. There are three “Litanies of the Heart” that are true treasures.
This quote from the very end of the epilogue sums up Dr. Gerry’s integration of psychology and theology and his overall goal for this book perfectly
“The answer to the problems of trauma, sin, suffering, self-hatred, avoidance, reactivity, and all sorts of emotional, psychological, and spiritual distress is simple but profound - we are to be transformed by supernatural love. We are saved by Christ’s salvific work on the Cross. A parts-work approach can only provide healing on the natural level that can make natural pathways for Grace to enter…we learn to bring unconditional love to every part in our inner world. Christ is the perfect role model and exemplar for how the inmost self, in communion with the Holy Spirit, can love and heal all the parts of the self, and in so doing, can transform the whole human person.”
But more than just an explanation of physiological theories, this book is meant to help you find inner healing by recognizing what and where your wounded parts are. Each chapter ends with a Scripture Study, a guided meditation, and beautiful prayer. There are three “Litanies of the Heart” that are true treasures.
This quote from the very end of the epilogue sums up Dr. Gerry’s integration of psychology and theology and his overall goal for this book perfectly
“The answer to the problems of trauma, sin, suffering, self-hatred, avoidance, reactivity, and all sorts of emotional, psychological, and spiritual distress is simple but profound - we are to be transformed by supernatural love. We are saved by Christ’s salvific work on the Cross. A parts-work approach can only provide healing on the natural level that can make natural pathways for Grace to enter…we learn to bring unconditional love to every part in our inner world. Christ is the perfect role model and exemplar for how the inmost self, in communion with the Holy Spirit, can love and heal all the parts of the self, and in so doing, can transform the whole human person.”
May 22, 2024
This book is a an important integration of traditional Catholic spirituality, an understanding of the human person and contemporary psychology. Dr Gerry ties all of these together, not just as an academic work, but also as a guide for others. I found this very hopeful.
November 21, 2025
I picked this book up thinking I would learn about IFS and maybe gain a few tools to take with me to begin to learn about my own parts. To my surprise, this book transformed my interior life.
After the first few chapters, I realized that it was going to be a battle for me to complete this book, not because it was boring or not well written, but because this book invited me to look at my inmost self, something most people don’t want to do. The meditations and exercises were uncomfortable in the best way, difficult at times, incredibly enlightening, and extremely transformative.
It is very possible to breeze through this book and merely grasp a Christian perspective of IFS. However, if you are willing to put in the mental and spiritual work, this book has the ability to change your life.
After the first few chapters, I realized that it was going to be a battle for me to complete this book, not because it was boring or not well written, but because this book invited me to look at my inmost self, something most people don’t want to do. The meditations and exercises were uncomfortable in the best way, difficult at times, incredibly enlightening, and extremely transformative.
It is very possible to breeze through this book and merely grasp a Christian perspective of IFS. However, if you are willing to put in the mental and spiritual work, this book has the ability to change your life.
June 29, 2024
Dr. Gerry does a fantastic job integrating parts work with the Catholic faith. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to dive into the world of integration, healing, and sanctity, but don’t expect to finish this book with a complete understanding of your internal parts.
October 26, 2024
The title isn't the most clear - this book is for EVERYONE!
Could be "A Christian approach to Internal Family Systems".
but I understand why that isn't as marketable - many people haven't heard of the incredibly powerful new psychological breakthroughs using IFS as part of a journey of self-discovery...don't take it from me:
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." – Aristotle
This book is a prayerful, spiritual, Biblical, psychological masterpiece that is life-changing.
Basically incorporating the brilliance of recent psychology developments in "Internal Family Systems" through the lens and true light of the Gospel, Scripture, and Catholic & Christian tradition.
I prayed with this book in my holy hour times on & off for about 5 months and really developed and identified my "internal family" of 9 parts. Has been revolutionary for my spiritual life, able to bring all of these "parts" of me into prayer, relationships with others...also whenever I am feeling "down" or "off" whether in prayer or in life, I can now just access each of my parts one-by-one and have a loving conversation about what's feeling off, and which part of me might feel neglected, and bring love and actionable change there. When I started the book, I really didn't love all the parts of me...but now...there is an inner unity and harmony and peace that wasn't there before.
The last page of the book I think summarizes it well:
"A Christian parts-work approach is a profound paradigm shift in which we relate to our hurting, avoidant, and even reactive and aggressive parts in a profoundly new way.... A parts-work approach...can make natural pathways for grace to enter...
Christ is the perfect role model and exemplar for how the inmost self, in communion with the Holy Spirit, can love and heal all the parts of the self and, in so doing, can transform the whole human person... We grow in humility as the parts of the self-system are unburdened and we experience true freedom.... our inner kingdom glorifies God in gratitude as we experience what it means to be in true, loving communion with ourselves...
[we] experience greater love for others. We see their avoidance and reactivity for what it is - protective parts of their self-systems - and we are free to love without being ruled by our sometimes disordered emotions..."
And from the penultimate page, a DEEP insight about "self-love" / "self-care":
"True self-love occurs when the inmost self, with God's grace, exercises the role of secure inner attachment figure, loves the parts, and helps them let go of their burdens... The inmost self serves as the mediator between God and the parts...[inviting] the parts of the self, once unburdened, into a deeper communion with God..."
This book allowed my inmost self to mediate the sense of TRUE PRESENCE from God to all my parts which brings about an inner personal unity of: confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, connectedness, patience, persistence, perspective, playfulness, and presence.
Can't recommend this book enough - it brought alive a new form of imaginative prayer that I think is super biblical and *in a way* transforms "self-love" into love for others, through loving all the parts of yourself, including and especially the parts you don't like (and allowed prayer experiences of experiencing GOD loving those parts...utterly transformative for me).
Could be "A Christian approach to Internal Family Systems".
but I understand why that isn't as marketable - many people haven't heard of the incredibly powerful new psychological breakthroughs using IFS as part of a journey of self-discovery...don't take it from me:
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." – Aristotle
This book is a prayerful, spiritual, Biblical, psychological masterpiece that is life-changing.
Basically incorporating the brilliance of recent psychology developments in "Internal Family Systems" through the lens and true light of the Gospel, Scripture, and Catholic & Christian tradition.
I prayed with this book in my holy hour times on & off for about 5 months and really developed and identified my "internal family" of 9 parts. Has been revolutionary for my spiritual life, able to bring all of these "parts" of me into prayer, relationships with others...also whenever I am feeling "down" or "off" whether in prayer or in life, I can now just access each of my parts one-by-one and have a loving conversation about what's feeling off, and which part of me might feel neglected, and bring love and actionable change there. When I started the book, I really didn't love all the parts of me...but now...there is an inner unity and harmony and peace that wasn't there before.
The last page of the book I think summarizes it well:
"A Christian parts-work approach is a profound paradigm shift in which we relate to our hurting, avoidant, and even reactive and aggressive parts in a profoundly new way.... A parts-work approach...can make natural pathways for grace to enter...
Christ is the perfect role model and exemplar for how the inmost self, in communion with the Holy Spirit, can love and heal all the parts of the self and, in so doing, can transform the whole human person... We grow in humility as the parts of the self-system are unburdened and we experience true freedom.... our inner kingdom glorifies God in gratitude as we experience what it means to be in true, loving communion with ourselves...
[we] experience greater love for others. We see their avoidance and reactivity for what it is - protective parts of their self-systems - and we are free to love without being ruled by our sometimes disordered emotions..."
And from the penultimate page, a DEEP insight about "self-love" / "self-care":
"True self-love occurs when the inmost self, with God's grace, exercises the role of secure inner attachment figure, loves the parts, and helps them let go of their burdens... The inmost self serves as the mediator between God and the parts...[inviting] the parts of the self, once unburdened, into a deeper communion with God..."
This book allowed my inmost self to mediate the sense of TRUE PRESENCE from God to all my parts which brings about an inner personal unity of: confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, connectedness, patience, persistence, perspective, playfulness, and presence.
Can't recommend this book enough - it brought alive a new form of imaginative prayer that I think is super biblical and *in a way* transforms "self-love" into love for others, through loving all the parts of yourself, including and especially the parts you don't like (and allowed prayer experiences of experiencing GOD loving those parts...utterly transformative for me).
May 10, 2024
A phenomenal read and my new go-to book recommendation for those who are trying to heal in faith. This book is a roadmap that one must continue to reference on their spiritual journey of healing and growing closer to God. I know that I will be reading this book again, and working through the meditations, reflections, journal activities, and prayers that Crete provides. All of these elements are timeless and applicable to daily prayer or reflection.
Before reading this book, I was very familiar with IFS due to my background in child development. It has now become a buzzword in many fields from education to therapy to self-help books. I have always found IFS to be a sound, holistic approach to understanding and working through trauma. As an educator for 10 years, it is definitely something I always keep in my arsenal of tools when working with students who have intense trauma. On my own healing journey, I have always found that IFS, psychology and therapy deeply lacked the spiritual elements that my soul craved in order to fully process and work through my own trauma. IFS without spirituality did not make sense to me. However, Litanies of the Heart, generously and faithfully lays the foundation of IFS in the spirit of Christ, giving the reader the spiritual guidance they need to work through and hopefully overcome their personal struggles or traumas. This review barely scratches the surface of how impactful and important I think this book is. I may come back after reading it a second time to update my reflection.
Before reading this book, I was very familiar with IFS due to my background in child development. It has now become a buzzword in many fields from education to therapy to self-help books. I have always found IFS to be a sound, holistic approach to understanding and working through trauma. As an educator for 10 years, it is definitely something I always keep in my arsenal of tools when working with students who have intense trauma. On my own healing journey, I have always found that IFS, psychology and therapy deeply lacked the spiritual elements that my soul craved in order to fully process and work through my own trauma. IFS without spirituality did not make sense to me. However, Litanies of the Heart, generously and faithfully lays the foundation of IFS in the spirit of Christ, giving the reader the spiritual guidance they need to work through and hopefully overcome their personal struggles or traumas. This review barely scratches the surface of how impactful and important I think this book is. I may come back after reading it a second time to update my reflection.
June 7, 2024
Understanding the inmost self and how to heal from life’s pains
Personal, spiritual, connected and loving help for any who have wounds of any kind (all humans, really) A thorough explanation of our inner world as we cope with fear, anxiety, anger, sorrow, past hurts, irritations, false beliefs (as in: I’m no good or I should feel ashamed or No one loves me) Each chapter tells a personal story followed by an explanation of the deeper meanings and hurts behind it then correlated to Biblical teachings that mirror the personal story and the chapter ends with experiential exercises. Wow! Amazing work, Dr Crete!
Personal, spiritual, connected and loving help for any who have wounds of any kind (all humans, really) A thorough explanation of our inner world as we cope with fear, anxiety, anger, sorrow, past hurts, irritations, false beliefs (as in: I’m no good or I should feel ashamed or No one loves me) Each chapter tells a personal story followed by an explanation of the deeper meanings and hurts behind it then correlated to Biblical teachings that mirror the personal story and the chapter ends with experiential exercises. Wow! Amazing work, Dr Crete!
August 1, 2025
Exceptional. Dr Krete presents a wholehearted, wise, and theologically astute conceptualization of the inmost self and multiplicity of the human psyche. Comingling the research and theories of IFS, Attachment Theory, Ego State, and trauma informed (including reference to evidence-based emdr) approaches. Heavily footnoted and offering beautiful litanies for contemplation and rest. The catholic lens gives Dr Krete grounded and honest reflection with wide awareness of the diversity of thought within and outside the Church on earth.
November 1, 2024
Honestly, I am shelving this one around the halfway point. There are some really good sections and ideas here, but some of the concepts (like Parts theory) are explained in such a muddled way that I am frustrated and done.
January 1, 2026
A little hit and miss... there is much jargon that make the process proposed a little cumbersome, but the anecdotes and case studies are very poignant and relatable. The reflections and litanies themselves are inspiring, but the proposed bible studies vary from chapter to chapter.
Want to read
February 15, 2024borrowing from grace or grace's mom... not sure which!
September 17, 2024
As the owner and clinical director of a counseling center, this is the book I’ve been needing for several years. An indispensable resource. Clinically incisive and theologically robust.
September 22, 2024
Really great content! But this is definitely one that you will want to read slowly so that you can pray with it along the way. A beautiful supplemental resource for anyone on a healing journey!
January 10, 2025
Great intro to healing through parts therapy from a Catholic perspective
January 16, 2025
would recommend, great prayer supplemental
November 9, 2025
Understand yourself and have compassion too.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews