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The Internal Family Systems Workbook: A Guide to Discover Your Self and Heal Your Parts
An interactive guide from Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, founder of Internal Family Systems, to meet, understand, and heal the parts of yourselfThe breakthrough insight of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model is that each of us is not a single personality. Rather, we carry in us a “family” of distinct inner parts that hold our many hurts and inner conflicts—and that we can heal in order to live with more confidence, courage, and connection. With The Internal Family Systems Workbook, Dr. Schwartz presents an invaluable practice-oriented tool created to enhance both self-care and therapeutic application of IFS.Opening with a beginner-friendly overview of IFS, Dr. Schwartz offers more than 50 practices, exercises, and meditations to help understand the parts that make up your system, extend compassion and healing to each, and uncover your core Self that is the source of your deepest wisdom. You’ll find a variety of exercises to support your own learning style, as well as QR codes that point to guided audio practices to further bolster your journey.IFS has proven to be a revolutionary tool for stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, burnout, addiction, disordered eating, relationships, and more. Here is your key to a powerful journey of self-discovery and healing at your own pace. As Dr. Schwartz says, “You and all your parts are welcome here.”
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 3, 2024
350 people are currently reading
2800 people want to read
About the author
Richard Schwartz
57 books298 followersRichard Schwartz ist das Pseudonym eines deutschen Schriftstellers (* 1958 in Frankfurt am Main), unter dem der Fantasy-Romanzyklus Das Geheimnis von Askir und dessen Fortsetzung Die Götterkriege veröffentlicht werden.
Richard Schwartz hat eine Ausbildung als Flugzeugmechaniker und ein Studium der Elektrotechnik und Informatik absolviert. Er arbeitete als Tankwart, Postfahrer und Systemprogrammierer und restauriert Autos und Motorräder. Am liebsten widmet er sich jedoch fantastischen Welten, die er in der Nacht zu Papier bringt – mit großem Erfolg: Seine Reihe um »Das Geheimnis von Askir« wurde mehrfach für den Deutschen Phantastik Preis nominiert. Zuletzt erschien die neue Reihe „Die Eisraben-Chroniken“.
Richard Schwartz hat eine Ausbildung als Flugzeugmechaniker und ein Studium der Elektrotechnik und Informatik absolviert. Er arbeitete als Tankwart, Postfahrer und Systemprogrammierer und restauriert Autos und Motorräder. Am liebsten widmet er sich jedoch fantastischen Welten, die er in der Nacht zu Papier bringt – mit großem Erfolg: Seine Reihe um »Das Geheimnis von Askir« wurde mehrfach für den Deutschen Phantastik Preis nominiert. Zuletzt erschien die neue Reihe „Die Eisraben-Chroniken“.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 4, 2024
I read the Internal Family Systems Workbook over the course of three months while also discussing IFS in therapy and found the workbook really helpful for digging in deeper and really starting to understand the method. It’s definitely not the kind of book I could read in one sitting and it felt like a journey but I learned a lot. Most helpful I think was the definitions and how clear and straightforward the workbook is written.
Thanks NetGalley and Sounds True for the arc. All thoughts are mine!
Thanks NetGalley and Sounds True for the arc. All thoughts are mine!
September 16, 2024
Another therapy book review, deviating more into my psychologist work mode than fun mode. 🫣
Note: Although I’m a provisional psychologist with some knowledge of IFS, I’m not a licensed IFS therapist. That said, there are common threads across therapeutic orientations. While models may differ in name or structure, they often share foundational elements. This is the stance I will review this from.
I often work with neurodivergent individuals and those with processing differences, so making experiential work like this accessible is incredibly valuable. While IFS is structured around internal parts, I see a lot of overlap with other modalities, such as Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), particularly in how we engage with emotions and internal conflicts. Reframing aspects also cross over with Schema and other experiential approaches for me.
The workbook offers a clear and flexible approach to exploring parts work (like Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles), which can be easily integrated into therapeutic work even outside of a strict IFS framework. The distinction between Self and parts is particularly well explained, and the exercises are adaptable enough to use with clients who may have varying levels of emotional awareness or cognitive processing capacities. The meditations and reflection prompts are especially useful for guiding clients through internal dialogues in a structured but compassionate way. Understanding of IFS is not required as it is well explained, however this is dense and obviously deals with heavy work. So, I think it is something that would best be accompanied by other therapy support or done slowly, over time.
Even though IFS isn’t my primary modality, I could easily see how these concepts might be applied within other frameworks, like EFT or general emotional deepening work—even if that wasn’t the intended purpose. In EFT, for instance, the two-chair technique helps clients dialogue between conflicting emotions, much like how IFS facilitates conversations between parts. The IFS idea of "speaking for, not from" parts could also be useful in the schema realm, allowing clients to observe their schema-driven reactions with more distance and mindfulness.
The workbook’s body-based awareness exercises, like "Find It in the Body," are particularly helpful for general emotion-deepening, and they resonate with clients who are neurodivergent or have heightened sensory sensitivities. Much like EFT’s focus on the felt sense, these exercises encourage clients to locate and explore emotions as they manifest in the body. This makes emotional work more accessible, especially for those who find cognitive approaches more challenging or who benefit from a more somatic or embodied exploration of feelings.
The section on Managers was a standout, reframing these parts as protectors rather than obstacles. This mirrors the kind of compassionate reparenting work we do in schema therapy, where we help clients integrate and heal vulnerable parts.
While IFS is not my primary modality, this workbook would be highly effective for self-guided work or in therapy sessions, offering a useful structure for clients and therapists alike. It serves as a bridge to exploring internal conflicts and fostering self-compassion, whether you’re using IFS explicitly or adapting its principles to other therapeutic models.
Ultimately, this workbook offers a valuable resource for those looking to make experiential work more flexible and accessible across different therapeutic contexts. It’s a great tool for promoting self-compassion and emotional exploration, no matter the framework you’re working within.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Dr Richard Schwartz, and the publisher for providing this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Note: Although I’m a provisional psychologist with some knowledge of IFS, I’m not a licensed IFS therapist. That said, there are common threads across therapeutic orientations. While models may differ in name or structure, they often share foundational elements. This is the stance I will review this from.
I often work with neurodivergent individuals and those with processing differences, so making experiential work like this accessible is incredibly valuable. While IFS is structured around internal parts, I see a lot of overlap with other modalities, such as Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), particularly in how we engage with emotions and internal conflicts. Reframing aspects also cross over with Schema and other experiential approaches for me.
The workbook offers a clear and flexible approach to exploring parts work (like Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles), which can be easily integrated into therapeutic work even outside of a strict IFS framework. The distinction between Self and parts is particularly well explained, and the exercises are adaptable enough to use with clients who may have varying levels of emotional awareness or cognitive processing capacities. The meditations and reflection prompts are especially useful for guiding clients through internal dialogues in a structured but compassionate way. Understanding of IFS is not required as it is well explained, however this is dense and obviously deals with heavy work. So, I think it is something that would best be accompanied by other therapy support or done slowly, over time.
Even though IFS isn’t my primary modality, I could easily see how these concepts might be applied within other frameworks, like EFT or general emotional deepening work—even if that wasn’t the intended purpose. In EFT, for instance, the two-chair technique helps clients dialogue between conflicting emotions, much like how IFS facilitates conversations between parts. The IFS idea of "speaking for, not from" parts could also be useful in the schema realm, allowing clients to observe their schema-driven reactions with more distance and mindfulness.
The workbook’s body-based awareness exercises, like "Find It in the Body," are particularly helpful for general emotion-deepening, and they resonate with clients who are neurodivergent or have heightened sensory sensitivities. Much like EFT’s focus on the felt sense, these exercises encourage clients to locate and explore emotions as they manifest in the body. This makes emotional work more accessible, especially for those who find cognitive approaches more challenging or who benefit from a more somatic or embodied exploration of feelings.
The section on Managers was a standout, reframing these parts as protectors rather than obstacles. This mirrors the kind of compassionate reparenting work we do in schema therapy, where we help clients integrate and heal vulnerable parts.
While IFS is not my primary modality, this workbook would be highly effective for self-guided work or in therapy sessions, offering a useful structure for clients and therapists alike. It serves as a bridge to exploring internal conflicts and fostering self-compassion, whether you’re using IFS explicitly or adapting its principles to other therapeutic models.
Ultimately, this workbook offers a valuable resource for those looking to make experiential work more flexible and accessible across different therapeutic contexts. It’s a great tool for promoting self-compassion and emotional exploration, no matter the framework you’re working within.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Dr Richard Schwartz, and the publisher for providing this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2024
This book was written by a therapist and the inventor of Internal Family Systems. I loved how experiential this book is. It’s full of exercises, drawing and writing prompts, and meditations that readers can apply to their own lives. I also appreciated that the meditations came in both written transcript and audio format. Listening to the audio felt more personal and meaningful while having a written transcript made learning easier and the concepts clear.
Some of my favorite parts of the book were the meditations. I thought the meditations were wonderful. I particularly liked the “All Parts Are Welcome” meditation. I found this meditation to be so comforting. When I do this meditation, I can feel my whole body just relaxing.
I also appreciated that the meditations in this book are not only comforting, they are skill building. The author teaches you how to connect with Self and to befriend parts in a step by step way through the meditations. I know that I will return to the meditations often. (A useful note: I found I could use the meditations as grounding and self-soothing tools, and they worked beautifully to comfort myself.)
Overall, I thought the author wrote in a way that felt compassionate and encouraging. He also explains Internal Family Systems in a down to earth, easy to understand way. After reading this book, I feel as if I have a deeper understanding of my parts, and a new appreciation for how my parts kept me alive during the hardest parts of life. I also feel as if I made meaningful and noticeable progress in learning how to be compassionate to myself and all of my parts in order to heal them. Reading this book felt mentally nourishing, and I feel as if I learned healthy coping skills I can take into my life.
My guess is that this book is geared toward adults but I think I would have loved to have this book when I was twelve and through my teenage years when I was going through some challenging times. Learning how to be compassionate toward yourself is skill that anyone could benefit from especially when you are going through a difficult period in your life. I think I would have been able to understand the concepts in this book even at a young age so I see the usefulness of this book applicable to a wide age range.
Thanks to Sounds True Publishing for the review copy via Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are mine.
Some of my favorite parts of the book were the meditations. I thought the meditations were wonderful. I particularly liked the “All Parts Are Welcome” meditation. I found this meditation to be so comforting. When I do this meditation, I can feel my whole body just relaxing.
I also appreciated that the meditations in this book are not only comforting, they are skill building. The author teaches you how to connect with Self and to befriend parts in a step by step way through the meditations. I know that I will return to the meditations often. (A useful note: I found I could use the meditations as grounding and self-soothing tools, and they worked beautifully to comfort myself.)
Overall, I thought the author wrote in a way that felt compassionate and encouraging. He also explains Internal Family Systems in a down to earth, easy to understand way. After reading this book, I feel as if I have a deeper understanding of my parts, and a new appreciation for how my parts kept me alive during the hardest parts of life. I also feel as if I made meaningful and noticeable progress in learning how to be compassionate to myself and all of my parts in order to heal them. Reading this book felt mentally nourishing, and I feel as if I learned healthy coping skills I can take into my life.
My guess is that this book is geared toward adults but I think I would have loved to have this book when I was twelve and through my teenage years when I was going through some challenging times. Learning how to be compassionate toward yourself is skill that anyone could benefit from especially when you are going through a difficult period in your life. I think I would have been able to understand the concepts in this book even at a young age so I see the usefulness of this book applicable to a wide age range.
Thanks to Sounds True Publishing for the review copy via Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are mine.
September 26, 2024
This is an amazing resource. I have had a passing familiarity with the Internal Family System model and this book is a clear and comprehensive description with a plethora of exercises and meditations. The overview of the content described in the synopsis is so accurate and all-encompassing that it bears no repeating in a review.
As the author notes IFS is an embodied practice going beyond simply intellectual understanding and fostering a lifelong commitment to greater self-awareness and wholeness. While the content stays primarily in the psychological realm, the acknowledgement of the Self and its 8 characteristics leans into a more expansive perspective with a spiritual component. The meditations linked to the Sounds True website are a bonus.
While this may become a welcome addition to therapists’ bookshelves, I think that a lay person with some exposure to therapy or to psychological theories and practices would benefit from working with the material as well. The author does advise those readers with deep issues to seek out an IFS therapist for support and guidance with the process.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
As the author notes IFS is an embodied practice going beyond simply intellectual understanding and fostering a lifelong commitment to greater self-awareness and wholeness. While the content stays primarily in the psychological realm, the acknowledgement of the Self and its 8 characteristics leans into a more expansive perspective with a spiritual component. The meditations linked to the Sounds True website are a bonus.
While this may become a welcome addition to therapists’ bookshelves, I think that a lay person with some exposure to therapy or to psychological theories and practices would benefit from working with the material as well. The author does advise those readers with deep issues to seek out an IFS therapist for support and guidance with the process.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 30, 2024
WOW. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to preview this workbook! I first heard of Internal Family Systems from a therapist about a year ago, and have had a sticky note on my desk to look into it more ever since. With only the general idea of how the IFS therapeutic model works, I was able to readily navigate the system, understand how this approach can help work to heal pieces of traumatic backgrounds, and how to help "family members" of the human core begin to work together rather than in conflict. As someone with an abusive parent and conflict-filled formative years, I can honestly say I see how this approach is very therapeutic and have pre-ordered my own copy (to mark up and work through more deeply) for its release on December 3rd. Highly recommend for anyone whose "parts" (family members in the IFS system) might need some intrapersonal work, which then naturally flows to the interpersonal relationships.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 20, 2024
I was struggling to write a review for this workbook because it feels that I am not the intended audience as a layperson. I think it may have been written to help therapists use some of these tools in their practice but not just for the everyday reader that has no real history with the topic. I have heard of IFS through my own therapy journey but haven't really worked with someone that specializes in it. I was hoping this workbook would be something I could work through by myself in tandem with my own therapy and it would help me deal with some of my childhood trauma issues. I think this might be better accomplished with the help of someone that specializes in the modality like the author himself. There is a lot of information and I think I will try and read over it again to hopefully take in more of the information and hopefully make it useful but in the end I think it would be better suited to those more familiar with the topic.
March 17, 2025
I've read other books about IFS, which inform the opinion below.
While I know the basics about IFS, I've been confused about applying them. I have a therapist with whom I'm at the beginning stages of IFS. This workbook has helped me grow in understanding. It's made practical what was more theoretical.
I tend to worry about whether I'm doing things "correctly." This workbook helped me understand the intentions behind the perfectionist part by working with that part directly. I was then able to apply what I learned to therapy and make more growth than I would have otherwise.
This workbook is perfect for those newer to IFS, especially those working with IFS in therapy. However, it can also help those working on their own to apply principles of IFS.
Thank you to NetGalley for a ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
While I know the basics about IFS, I've been confused about applying them. I have a therapist with whom I'm at the beginning stages of IFS. This workbook has helped me grow in understanding. It's made practical what was more theoretical.
I tend to worry about whether I'm doing things "correctly." This workbook helped me understand the intentions behind the perfectionist part by working with that part directly. I was then able to apply what I learned to therapy and make more growth than I would have otherwise.
This workbook is perfect for those newer to IFS, especially those working with IFS in therapy. However, it can also help those working on their own to apply principles of IFS.
Thank you to NetGalley for a ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
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August 25, 2025"The Internal Family Systems Workbook: A Guide to Discover Your Self and Heal Your Parts” by Richard Schwartz is more than just a book—it feels like a journey inward. Reading and working through it gave me the chance to meet and understand those hidden parts of myself that I often ignore or push away. What I love most is the gentle yet powerful way Schwartz guides the process: he teaches you how to create a safe inner space for all your parts—whether they’re protective, vulnerable, or self-critical. The workbook format, with its clear and practical exercises, makes the healing tangible and experiential, not just theoretical. Step by step, it helped me feel more connected, integrated, and compassionate with myself. This is the kind of book you don’t just read—you live with it, and it stays with you as a companion on the path to wholeness and authentic Self-discovery.
November 26, 2024
Internal Family Systems is one of my favorite psychotherapy modalities that I want to use in my own practice as an aspiring therapist. This book is incredibly accessible to anyone who wants to apply IFS in their own lives. It comes with simple explanations, charts, exercises, meditations to follow, and encouragement! I will be taking some of these tools with me in my therapy space and in my personal life too. I consider myself very grateful to have received a copy of this book, and I highly recommend it to mental health professionals and people who are curious about the innerworkings of their mind and body.
Thank you to Sounds True Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Sounds True Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2024
This is an excellent step-by-step guide to Internal Family Systems and how to apply it in your own life. I learned about IFS about a year ago and since then I've been trying to read everything I can about it. As the inventor of IFS, Dick Schwartz is the best person to guide us through the journey. The book is fully of simple explanations, exercises, journaling, charts, meditations. This is an experiential book and not something to be read in one sitting. I've been working my way through it and learning and growing so much in the process. Cannot recommend enough.
with gratitude NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
with gratitude NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 1, 2025
I've been using Internal Family Systems for over a year and this has been an amazing addition to the practice allowing me to get even deeper into my parts. This guide is well written with easy-to-use guides. I particularly loved the meditation recordings that accompanied it. A must-read for those on a self-development journey. I can see myself going back to these practices very regularly.
Thanks to Net Galley for the copy in exchange for review.
Thanks to Net Galley for the copy in exchange for review.
February 28, 2025
So excited that Dick Schwartz wrote a workbook! This is a FANTASTIC and accessible way to start the journey with parts work. It was never overwhelming, the activities felt manageable and simple. I loved the QR codes for the meditations, a plus that Schwartz himself reads them! As a therapist, I believe wholly in internal family systems/ parts work and love this guide. I recommend to Clients as a gentle way to start parts work.
Final Grade: A+, we can all do the work
Final Grade: A+, we can all do the work
September 10, 2024
This workbook is really incredible and I highly recommend. While I don't think background knowledge in IFS is necessary because there is a lot of explanation throughout the book, I feel like this workbook is best suited alongside therapy or with some previous experience in IFS therapy sessions. As a workbook, it feels very dense, in a good way but also in a way that it feels like a life-long workbook, rather than one you could complete in a few months. I really love IFS and how it conceptualizes the psyche. It's very warm and expansive.
Thank you Sounds True Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!
Thank you Sounds True Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!
December 10, 2024
A healing resource!
This workbook gives practical strategies to connect with and begin the healing journey with our parts. The links to free meditations read by Dick Schwartz were especially helpful!
This workbook gives practical strategies to connect with and begin the healing journey with our parts. The links to free meditations read by Dick Schwartz were especially helpful!
December 13, 2024
Life changing!
I am a huge fan of IFS and Dick Schwartz’ work. This workbook surpassed my expectations and is a wonderful way to further explore and journey through the inner landscape. Deeply integrative and healing…Thanks Dick!!!
I am a huge fan of IFS and Dick Schwartz’ work. This workbook surpassed my expectations and is a wonderful way to further explore and journey through the inner landscape. Deeply integrative and healing…Thanks Dick!!!
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May 25, 2025rtc
July 3, 2025
homework for therapy and it hits. hard!
July 8, 2025
Not geared towards professionals, but he lays out the model in a useful way for anyone wanting to do Self work
November 28, 2025
great book to explore your inner self and heal past wounds. Highly recommend it. But the book should be digested slowly and time should be spent on each exercise.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews