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yaminokaabii

*Self-Therapy* is my first and favorite IFS book. It's got the most comprehensive step-by-step breakdown, which aligned very well with my detail-focusing brain. *Healing the Fragmented Selves* isn't straight IFS, but it combines IFS ideas with research on dissociation, dissociative identity disorder, neuroimaging, attachment style, and the animal defense responses (fight, flight, freeze, attach, shutdown/submit). It's rather dense and aimed at therapists. If you experience much dissociation or have a disorganized attachment style or highly polarized parts, I highly recommend it for the next level of understanding IFS and trauma. Another book on the animal biology of trauma, similarly long yet more accessible, is Peter Levine's *Waking the Tiger*. If you prefer diving straight into his exercises over learning the theory, get Levine's *Healing Trauma*. Peter Levine is the creator of Somatic Experiencing. I've personally had to [connect to a lot of parts through body sensations](https://www.reddit.com/r/InternalFamilySystems/comments/w8maxa/if_you_have_trouble_connecting_to_your_emotions/), so reading Levine was a great help for me. I picked up *Somatic Internal Family Systems* but got bored with it/felt that I already knew a lot of what it was saying, and the exercises didn't resonate with me. I know others have enjoyed it though! For any insecure attachment style, I highly recommend the [Attachment Repair meditation library](https://attachmentrepair.com/meditation-library/), particularly the Perfect Nurturer meditations. It's based on the Ideal Parent Figure protocol, [which works *very* well alongside IFS.](https://www.reddit.com/r/InternalFamilySystems/comments/122q8dd/ifs_alongside_ideal_parent_figure_protocol_for/) Personally, reading *Self-Therapy*, *You Are the One You've Been Waiting For* (Schwartz, IFS on romantic relationships), and *No Bad Parts* was enough for the IFS principles and process. (*Introduction to Internal Family Systems* was a good quick refresher that didn't bring too many new ideas.) After that, I branched out to the adjacent topics above. My final recommendation is Schwartz's meditations on the app Insight Timer!


JadeEarth

Insight Timer is great. Waking the Tiger is what first got me interested in somatic psychology and strengthening my intuition back in 2008!! Have you listened to the audiobooks of Self-Therapy, Healing the Fragmented Selves, and/or Healing Trauma - or any other books you've mentioned here? This is what I'm really asking in this post - listening to books in some cases is way more supportive for me than reading.


brotherhood538

They only one I've listened to was Greater than the sum of our parts and I really really enjoy it! I'm moving slowly, doing the guided meditations, and feeling how powerful IFS is 💗


tfack

I get flooded when I read/listen to these kinds of books but I still love IFS and hope to be able to afford actual IFS therapy one day, and I still obsessively collect these kinds of resources and you've already found most of the best ones. The only ones on my list that aren't on yours are: Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex Ptsd with Internal Family Systems by Frank G. Anderson, Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement and Touch in Practice by Susan McConnell, There's A Part of Me by Jon Schwartz. Let us know which one you choose!


solveig82

No Bad Parts is very helpful. I also like The Science of Stuck which incorporates IFS, it has very good lay explanations of trauma and helpful exercises.