No Bad Parts: Understanding Internal Family Systems with David Coates

In this episode, Sean Dadashi interviews David Coates about the therapeutic model of Internal Family Systems (IFS). They dive deep into the core concepts of IFS, including what "parts" are, how they form, and how they can come into conflict within us. David shares relatable examples to illustrate these ideas and explains the role of the "Self" in the IFS model as a compassionate witness that can help facilitate healing.

Through a powerful client story, David demonstrates how IFS views all parts as having good intentions, and how by building a relationship between the Self and these parts, even extreme inner conflicts can be resolved. Sean and David also discuss the impact of getting to know our own parts on our relationships, and how IFS can help us develop more understanding for others.

00:21 Who internal family systems can help
02:22 What listeners should take away from the conversation
02:33 Explaining what "parts" are in IFS
03:27 Examples of parts in conflict
05:33 The origins of our parts
08:05 Intro to IFS
10:11 The "Self" in IFS
17:57 More key aspects of IFS
21:24 Facilitating conflict resolution between parts
26:14 Further explaining the "Self" in IFS
39:45 Recognizing when parts are active
47:47 Transformation through IFS
57:09 Learn more about IFS

Resources mentioned:

📖 No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
https://www.amazon.com/No-Bad-Parts-R...

📖 Self Therapy by Jay Early
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Therapy-S...

📖 You Are the One You've Been Waiting For by Richard Schwartz
https://www.amazon.com/Youve-Waiting-...

🌐 IFS Institute
https://ifs-institute.com/