UPBUILDING THE SELF

INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS) &

PARTS WORK:

YOUR INTERNAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Have you ever thought, “There is a part of me that feels this way, and there is a part of me that feels that way.”? If so, you are already starting to do Parts Work, also called Internal Family Systems (IFS). In this episode, Vipin interviews Michael about Parts Work and the year-long course they recently completed with Guthrie Sayen. They share their takeaways and learnings from the course, how it has helped them further understand their inner worlds, and how they use it in their coaching practices. Michael also shares the intimate details about his relationship with Johnny Anger, one of his many parts that he catalogs in an excel sheet.

Podcast Hosts: Michael & Vipin

Highlights

  • [0:40] The course on Parts Work with the instructor and practitioner, Guthrie Sayen

  • [2:20] What is Parts Work and Internal Family Systems?

  • [4:10] Is Parts Work new agey?

  • [5:10] Richard Schwartz and the beginnings of Parts Work

  • [6:10] The first insight: we have parts but we are not our parts

  • [7:40] The second insight: all parts are good

  • [10:10] The metaphor of the parent-child relationship

  • [12:20] Michael’s relationship with his part, Johnny Anger

  • [14:30] Why is it called Internal Family Systems?

  • [17:30] How to Create Space Between Stimulus and Response

  • [18:30] Our parts, the ego, and the phrase, “There I Go Again”

  • [21:30] The third insight: the 8 Cs of the self

  • [24:20] “A modicum of self” that is needed to heal our burdens

  • [27:30] How Parts Work can be used in coaching

  • [27:50] Self-acceptance as the meta agenda

  • [28:50] How is it not schizophrenic to talk to your parts

  • [32:30] The book, No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

  • [33:00] Michael and Vipin’s experiences as coaches

Quotes

  • “We have parts, but we are not our parts…we are the self.” -Michael

  • “Parts take on burdens and strategies which come from fear, and those are the things that…wreak havoc in our lives.” -Michael

  • “In the space (between stimulus and response) I can have a dialogue with my parts.” -Michael

  • “In order to be our best selves out in the world, we have to work on our inner world.” -Vipin

For first timers, welcome to Upbuilding the Self

About the podcast: Two former monks, a former startup founder and CEO, and a former equity derivatives trader dive into how to be our best selves, free from the ego. Our egos are the identities we create for ourselves and wish the world to validate, but when we are not seen as we want to be, we feel insecure. This podcast lives at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. It will help you understand your ego and shed light on your inner world so that you can act with greater clarity, compassion, and the freedom to be your best self.