No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Uncover the surprising strength in your vulnerabilities by learning how embracing your inner parts leads to true healing
About This Book
Discover how to turn inward with curiosity, compassion, and courage, and transform the way you relate to yourself and others. 'The Tender Parts' offers a practical guide to understanding and healing trauma through the Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach. By exploring how your 'parts'—your inner voices, feelings, and reactions—protect and shape you, this book empowers readers to move from chaos and self-criticism to a sense of wholeness and self-trust. Packed with reflective exercises, vivid real-life examples, and powerful strategies, this journey will help you reclaim self-energy and resilience.About the Author
Ilyse Kennedy is a licensed professional counselor and trauma therapist who brings both clinical expertise and personal insight to her work. As the founder of Moving Parts Psychotherapy in Austin, TX, she blends scientific knowledge with deep empathy, having navigated her own journey of healing from trauma. Through public advocacy, educational workshops, and social media outreach, Ilyse is committed to making trauma education accessible to all and creating a more compassionate, informed public conversation around mental health. Above all, she brings warmth and real-world wisdom gained from her roles as clinician, writer, and parent.
Biggest Takeaway
By applying these insights, you will develop a gentler, more compassionate relationship with yourself, turning difficult emotions and self-criticism into sources of healing and strength. You’ll learn to recognize and understand your reactive habits, calm your nervous system, and create lasting changes in how you respond to stress, relationships, and life’s challenges. Expect greater emotional balance, improved communication, deeper self-understanding, and increased resilience as you navigate daily life.
Key Insights from This Book
Explore the most important ideas and learn how to apply them in your life.
Stop Labeling Yourself—Start Noticing Your Parts to Build Real Self-Compassion
Hidden Self-Sabotage: How Your Inner 'Managers' Block Both Danger and Joy
Your Most Extreme Reactions May Be Your Brain’s Emergency Response System—Learn to Befriend Firefighters
The Lie of 'Being Healed': Why Integration and Unburdening Is a Lifelong Process, Not a Quick Fix
Why Real Healing Starts in Your Body, Not Just Your Mind—Unlocking the Secrets of Somatic Memory
Grounded, Not Blended—How Self-Energy Rewires Your Reactions and Unlocks Calm Under Fire
Attachment Styles Aren’t Forever: How Your Early Blueprint Can Evolve Through Conscious Relational Work
Dissociation Is Not Just 'Spacing Out'—Learn to Harness Grounding Before You Disappear
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