The title of this review should really be 'We love… Richard Schwartz'. Because Richard's work is hugely useful to resolve inner conflict – it's been one of our own professional and personal inspirations.
So what is this all about? The expression 'a part of me', which most of us likely say on a daily basis, reflects the idea that we're made up of many different aspects – motivations, impulses, yearnings, fears, hopes. And those 'parts' often do clash – should we follow our enthusiasms or listen to our anxieties? Torn.
Through his work as a therapist, Richard realised that many of his clients' problems were down to this kind of clash. He also learned that if he as therapist sided with one part of his client's world view, that only made the clash worse, more painful for the client.
Was there another way? Richard shifted approach, started treating all aspects of a client as valuable and well-meaning – hence the title of the book – and worked to get all parts cooperating, collaborating and working together. Resolution..
Richard's original model – called Internal Family Systems – started in the therapy room but is now being enthusiatically used in other fields such as education, intimate relationships and family dynamics.
We'd really encourage you to explore his work, which has cast a whole new and encouraging light on the whole area of inner conflict.
No Bad Parts is often seen as Richard's most accessible book; he has also appeared in a number of YouTube videos including one with the same title.
Author: Richard Schwartz
Publisher: Vermillion
Available as Paperback, Kindle edition, Audiobook, 2023.