[Video] When Therapy Feels Stuck: Richard Schwartz on the “Vicious Cycle” of Shame

Something we hear so often in our community is how frustrating it can be when therapy stalls, for both client and therapist. That’s why we’re so glad to be hosting a live workshop next week with Dr. Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS) — an incredibly effective model for working skillfully with these moments of stuckness.

Whether it appears as avoidance, shame, self-criticism, or something harder to name, IFS helps us see these stuck patterns as protective — and meet them with curiosity and compassion instead of force.

Join Our Upcoming Live Workshop + Q&A With Dr. Richard Schwartz!

We’re thrilled to be hosting a 90-minute interactive workshop on Wednesday, August 20th, 2025 with Dr. Richard Schwartz—When Therapy Feels Stuck: IFS Tools to Build Safety and Work with Protective Parts. Learn more and register here >>

In the free clip below, drawn from a previous training we hosted, Dr. Schwartz uses the example of shame to illustrate how three different kinds of parts can get caught in what he calls a vicious cycle

Join Our Upcoming Live Workshop + Q&A With Dr. Richard Schwartz!

We’re thrilled to be hosting a 90-minute interactive workshop this month with
Dr. Richard Schwartz—When Therapy Feels Stuck: IFS Tools to Build Safety and Work with Protective Parts

In this 90‑minute workshop, Dr. Richard Schwartz will guide us in navigating moments of stuckness in therapy through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS). Therapy often stalls when clients are caught in protective patterns—like over‑intellectualizing, avoiding emotions, criticizing themselves harshly, or leaning into perfectionism and control. These patterns can quietly or overtly block access to more vulnerable parts of the client’s experience.

Together, we will explore how to:

• Recognize protective patterns — in both clients and ourselves — that can keep therapy from moving forward

• Help clients gently step back from protective reactions, creating space for clarity and compassion

• Approach resistance with curiosity rather than seeing it as something to overcome

• Build trust with protective parts, opening the door for movement, safety, and healing

Whether you’re newer to IFS or looking to deepen your skills, this session will offer practical tools and insights to support flow in sessions and help clients safely move beyond stuckness.

The workshop will take place on Zoom on Wednesday August 20th at 2:00pm ET.

A week later, mental health professionals will have the opportunity to deepen in a live, one-hour integration & practice lab led by Naropa University professor Clarissa Cigrand.

Learn more and register for the Live Workshop + Q&A >>

About Richard C. Schwartz, PhD

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic model that de-pathologizes the multi-part personality. His IFS Institute offers training for professionals and the general public. He is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, and has published five books, including No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Dick lives with his wife Jeanne near Chicago, close to his three daughters and his growing number of grandchildren.