What do you think?
Rate this book
Releasing Our Burdens: A Guide to Healing Individual, Ancestral, and Collective Trauma
Acclaimed authors Richard Schwartz and Thomas Hübl teach us how healing trauma can empower us to reclaim resilience and transform our world.
Too often, we assume that our trauma is an individual wound, and that we can only heal it through individual work. In truth, our trauma is shaped by so much more than our own experience—we’re impacted by ancestral trauma from previous generations as well as collective trauma from the world around us. Beloved teachers Thomas Hübl and Richard Schwartz bring together their wisdom to chart a new path forward that addresses all of these sources of pain, so we can heal ourselves and also our communities and world.
In this powerful collaboration, Hübl and Schwartz help us understand why individual trauma cannot be separated from the legacies of shared past and present traumas. Each author offers an overview of their healing modality and how they work together. Schwartz is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic approach that teaches we all contain many parts—and also have an undamaged, healing Self. Hübl has done powerful work on trauma healing, particularly collectively and in groups.
Together, they teach methods and practices that help us begin to release beliefs and emotions that no longer serve us, break cycles of harm, expand our awareness, and become more compassionate and curious as we heal. Through this work, Hübl shares, “we can unload the burden and create a more flourishing world.”
Too often, we assume that our trauma is an individual wound, and that we can only heal it through individual work. In truth, our trauma is shaped by so much more than our own experience—we’re impacted by ancestral trauma from previous generations as well as collective trauma from the world around us. Beloved teachers Thomas Hübl and Richard Schwartz bring together their wisdom to chart a new path forward that addresses all of these sources of pain, so we can heal ourselves and also our communities and world.
In this powerful collaboration, Hübl and Schwartz help us understand why individual trauma cannot be separated from the legacies of shared past and present traumas. Each author offers an overview of their healing modality and how they work together. Schwartz is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic approach that teaches we all contain many parts—and also have an undamaged, healing Self. Hübl has done powerful work on trauma healing, particularly collectively and in groups.
Together, they teach methods and practices that help us begin to release beliefs and emotions that no longer serve us, break cycles of harm, expand our awareness, and become more compassionate and curious as we heal. Through this work, Hübl shares, “we can unload the burden and create a more flourishing world.”
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
28 people are currently reading
2094 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 3, 2025
This book illustrates what trauma healing looks like when the best therapists at the top of their game are doing their finest work. This book is a masterclass, and the premise of this book makes sense: true healing addresses not just the individual in isolation but the generations of familial and collective trauma that the individual carries by addressing painful legacy burdens. Illuminating, deeply moving, and heartfelt, this book lands in all the right ways. What the world would be if all our mothers and fathers and all of us did this kind of brave, exciting, truly exquisite work.
All the therapists featured in this book are excellent (Richard Schwartz, Fatimah Finney, Thomas Hubl). This book is for everyone, but I wanted to highlight something for therapists reading this book. Thomas Hubl’s level of presence is so next level. Please read his transcript. I felt something shift/heal in me just reading his words. His description of dissociation and his way of dealing with trauma were spot on.
Overall, for me, this book, more than anything, felt hopeful. I feel I am walking away feeling an abundance of hope and feeling reenergized in all the best ways.
All the therapists featured in this book are excellent (Richard Schwartz, Fatimah Finney, Thomas Hubl). This book is for everyone, but I wanted to highlight something for therapists reading this book. Thomas Hubl’s level of presence is so next level. Please read his transcript. I felt something shift/heal in me just reading his words. His description of dissociation and his way of dealing with trauma were spot on.
Overall, for me, this book, more than anything, felt hopeful. I feel I am walking away feeling an abundance of hope and feeling reenergized in all the best ways.
December 27, 2025
Pages 67-71 dedicated to whitewashing the colonising of Palestine by Israel. Absolutely rich considering the book talks about how colonisation can exile groups of people. What about the Palestinians?
Very underhanded to follow up the pro-Israel chapter with a chapter from a black Muslim practitioner. Way to whitewash.
IFS is not a bad framework, but it feels tainted by American-Zionist bigotry.
Update the book acknowledging that Israel is a settler colonial project and I will rethink my rating.
Very underhanded to follow up the pro-Israel chapter with a chapter from a black Muslim practitioner. Way to whitewash.
IFS is not a bad framework, but it feels tainted by American-Zionist bigotry.
Update the book acknowledging that Israel is a settler colonial project and I will rethink my rating.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews