In this episode Mark sits down with Dr. Richard Schwartz, founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), for a profound conversation about healing the parts of ourselves that carry pain, trauma, and protection. They dive into the power of “unburdening” — the process of releasing individual, ancestral, and collective wounds — and how doing so reconnects us to the self, the calm, compassionate center within us all. Dr. Schwartz breaks down the roles of our inner protectors, exiles, and firefighters, explaining how true healing happens when we stop exiling our pain and start listening to it with curiosity and love. Together, Mark and Richard explore how parts work bridges psychology and spirituality, why even our most destructive parts are rooted in protection, and how accessing the Self transforms not only our internal world but the collective one around us.

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic model that de-pathologizes the multi-part personality. His IFS Institute offers training for professionals and the general public. He is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, and has published five books, including No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model.

Links:

website: https://ifs-institute.com/
books: https://ifs-institute.com/store
Pre-order the new book now

Sponsors:

Institute for Integrative Nutrition: Certified Health Coach Training: Use code MARKGROVES20 for 20% off ALL courses from IIN & Chopra at http://bit.ly/MARKIIN
Avocado Green Mattress: www.avocadogreenmattress.com

Have a question For Mark to answer on the podcast?https://www.speakpipe.com/TheMarkGrovesPodcast

Have a question for Mark and want an immediate answer? Mark's Dexa page: https://ask.markgroves.com

Navigating a breakup? Grab my 5 day Breakup Audio Series www.createthelove.com/breakupaudio

Subscribe to Mark’s Substack to receive his weekly reflections and insights straight from his heart to your inbox. https://markgroves.substack.com/

Contact us at podcast@markgroves.com for sponsor product support, questions, comments, or just to say hello!

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What Can Teachers Do About AI? Three Approaches in the Classroom