IFS Talks Martha Sweezy's Internal Family Systems Therapy for Shame and Guilt
Jul 28, 2023
Martha Sweezy, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, specializes in Internal Family Systems therapy and co-leads workshops on shame and self-compassion. In this conversation, she delves into the intricate roles of shame and guilt in mental health, advocating for self-compassionate therapeutic relationships. Sweezy highlights the dual nature of psychic multiplicity and the transformative power of compassion over shame. She emphasizes the importance of understanding trauma bonds and 'unblending' to access self-energy, fostering healing through empathy and curiosity.
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Shame Versus Guilt
- Shame is a global sense of being bad or unloved while guilt is about specific actions done wrong.
- Shame drives exile of parts and underlies many disorders like depression, eating disorders, and addiction.
Talk About Shame As A Verb
- Speak about shame as a verb to separate actions from states and parts.
- Label protectors as shaming (active) and exiles as shameful (state) to clarify internal dynamics.
Trust Parts Rather Than Fixing
- Trust clients and their parts instead of trying to fix or force change in therapy.
- Invite parts to relax and allow self-energy to lead rather than pushing hard managerial approaches.
