Resources – Books

“This book offers a deeply compassionate way for physicians to understand the stress in their lives. It’s doctors talking to doctors about different parts of themselves that are doing what they do best, but which might not be serving them anymore. The path is kindness and the goal is wholeness. Elegant and transformative!”

Christopher Germer, PhD
Lecturer, Harvard Medical School Co-developer, Mindful Self-Compassion Program

“Physicians are in a profession dominated by parts that hurt and heal, both towards ourselves and others. Who among us doesn’t have a part that pushes through physical and mental exhaustion? Or a part that feels a tremendous responsibility to fix our patients? The more we can get curious and compassionate towards these parts, the better we will thrive in practice. This book offers a clear explanation of IFS, helping to validate all the parts of us that show up in this career, and illuminates a path to ease these burdens we may carry. Through recognizing these parts as protective, we can learn how the compassion we share with patients can be a relief for ourselves. Their section on “What Doctors Need to Hear” may bring you to tears – and change our system of care for good.”

Dr. Christine Gibson, MD CFPC MMedEd Prof
Family Physician, Trauma Therapist, Author, The Modern Trauma Toolkit. Safer Spaces Training programs to work with and for communities dealing with toxic stress.

“This well-written book offers hope: that even in the most demanding environments, healing and balance can emerge when protectors are approached with curiosity and compassion. It brings clear guidance to the injunction ‘Physician, heal thyself’.”

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, Founder of Internal Family Systems Therapy, Author, “No Bad Parts”

“Medical training often breaks us down and molds us into the Physician or Surgeon archetype. When we burn out, we often get to a place where we no longer recognize ourselves. In this book, the authors walk us through Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems process to help us develop an understanding of our many parts, the burdens we have taken on, and the many roles we have learned to play. It then guides us to notice the burdens our parts carry and help us reconnect with our true Self, so we can lead with Self energy. It is truly a gift for anyone struggling with or recovering from burnout.”

Shailla Vaidya, MD, CCFP
The Yoga MD

“As a fellow physician, I know how deeply the medical system trains us to perform and push through—often at the cost of our own inner lives. That’s what makes this book so rare and quietly revolutionary. These three physicians speak not to fix, but to feel; not to instruct, but to remember. What emerges is a path to reclaiming the heart of the healer. I know these authors—and I trust the truth they carry. What they offer here is what medicine has forgotten: that the healing we bring to others is forged in the fire of our own.”

Stephen Chee, MD, MPH
Integrative East-West Physician and Certified IFS Therapist