Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

Tanis Allen’s The Self-Led Internal Family Systems Workbook is an exceptional resource for anyone looking to understand themselves on a deeper level. Rooted in the evidence-based Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, this workbook provides a clear, accessible, and practical approach to exploring the different "parts" within us and cultivating inner harmony.

What makes this book stand out is its well-structured, step-by-step exercises that allow readers to engage with IFS concepts at their own pace. The writing is compassionate and easy to follow, making even complex psychological ideas feel approachable. Whether you're new to IFS or already familiar with the method, the workbook offers valuable insights into self-awareness, emotional healing, and self-compassion.

Allen does a fantastic job of guiding readers through common challenges that arise in self-exploration, offering tools to break free from negative patterns and nurture inner balance. The exercises are practical and thought-provoking, encouraging real, lasting change.

If you're interested in personal growth, emotional healing, or simply getting to know yourself better, The Self-Led Internal Family Systems Workbook is a must-have. It’s a powerful tool for anyone seeking a greater sense of peace, self-compassion, and internal clarity.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Thank you NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this amazing ARC.

What I like:
● It's easy to see through, the pacing is great
● Not triggering
●The theraphic model is explained meticulously
● Coherent descriptions
● Many excercises with step by step guide, the equipment and time necessary for each is given
● Immense help for anyone looking for a real self-led therapy without a therapist
● Informative

Negatives: -

Very engaging and interesting read. Very well developed and ambitious. Will be recommending to library collection and patrons.

I think this is a good self-led workbook for anyone who is interested in experiencing IFS at home. I appreciate that the author divided the book into two parts, one explaining IFS and another giving exercises that could be done alone at home. I also appreciate that the author provided steps to prepare for an exercise or session, steps to take during the exercise, and questions to ask your parts once you identify a target part. I do feel like it would be easier to do some of these exercises with a trained IFS therapist or, at least, an audio recording of the instructions and guiding questions provided by the author.

I think this book would be fantastic for anyone who hasn't had a lot of exposure to IFS therapy. As someone who's been working with this modality for several years now, there wasn't really any new information that stood out to me. However, if there are people just starting out who need basic details or want exercises to try out, this would be a great place to start.

This was a new genre for me and I highlighted so many passages! I know I will be returning to this book again and again as I grasp how my brain works. It's going to be a long process and I appreciate that this workbook exists. Have been quoting parts of it to my husband for a week!

Really appreciated the format and straightforward, plain language approach.

Special thanks to Zeitgeist and NetGalley for this ARC!

I highly recommend this book and anticipate utilizing it as a reference for myself and clients alike!

My therapist has been using IFS with me in therapy and this book is really helpful for me to understand more of what’s going on. It’s one thing to have it explained to you and another to be able to read more about it for yourself!

As a clinician that is just now starting to dip a toe into Internal Family Systems (IFS) this was very interesting and beneficial. While it is a self-led, it was still informative from a clinician’s POV to see activities, what they look like, how they’re structured, etc. This would be a great addition to my practice, and even a great recommendation for my clients to also utilize outside of sessions, while practicing and utilizing strategies that they’ve learning in session. This workbook was very accessible, easy to understand, and practical. I especially enjoyed the transcripts that were provided, which were fantastic to have as a clinician that is just starting out with IFS.

I didn’t know IFS was a thing until recently but I am not surprised it’s popular. Just as suddenly everyone seems to have decided they’re a little bit autistic and everyone has decided they have had ADHD, everyone now apparently has a little bit of DID (dissociative identity disorder, formerly called multiple personality disorder). Internal Family Systems involves getting to know your parts and helping them stop causing problems and unwanted emotions, and integrating them more into your self. This workbook talks a lot about this and leads you through exercises like body scanning and having conversations with your parts. The book was written by a social worker who specializes in IFS.

As the child of a psychologist and someone with a great deal of experience with actual DID, this was a difficult book for me to read. I think many people may find it helpful, particularly people who enjoy delving into themselves. I would caution people with actual dissociative disorders that this is not designed for them.

I read a digital copy of this book for review.

This was a fun workbook. I enjoyed learning more about IFS - I knew a cursory amount before and why I was interested to see the workbook. I'd recommend this to all who want to understand therapeutic methods.

I learned about Internal Family Systems during my work as a chaplain and have been intrigued to know more ever since. "The Self-Led Internal Family Systems Workbook" is organized so that you first prepare for IFS work, and then can experience Self-Led IFS. Allen's examples and sharing of her own IFS work were great examples of what questions to ask yourself, and how gentle to work through the process. Valuable resource! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025

#TheSelfLedInternalFamilySystemsWorkbook

In The Self-Led Internal Family Systems Workbook, Tanis Jo Allen offers a deeply personal and practical guide for exploring the rich and complex inner world of our thoughts and emotions. Grounded in the groundbreaking Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, this workbook invites readers to form a compassionate relationship with their inner parts, transforming conflict and pain into healing and harmony. With clear guidance, relatable examples, and step-by-step exercises, Tanis empowers readers to access their “Self” — the calm, compassionate core within each of us. Whether you’re new to IFS or looking to deepen your practice, this book provides a safe, supportive framework for understanding and working with your inner landscape. Designed for self-discovery at your own pace, it’s a resource that meets you where you are and helps you move toward wholeness. If you’re ready to turn inward with curiosity and courage, The Self-Led Internal Family Systems Workbook is the perfect companion on your journey of self-healing and personal growth.

This book is written by a skilled therapist who not only uses Internal Family Systems on her clients and on herself but also teaches Internal Family Systems to other therapists. With this book she takes a huge step forward in making Internal Family Systems accessible to everyone. The author has written a workbook with exercises that you can try at home and has also included transcripts of her applying Internal Family Systems on herself as examples of how to do the work.

I thought the transcripts of her work on herself were a highlight of the book as you can clearly see how compassionately she speaks to herself and the back and forth conversation between herself and the (often) young part of her. Just reading the transcripts I felt some healing inside of me as I could relate to the author’s life experience. I also appreciated how the author is aware of her body and brings compassion to her body throughout the work. In my experience, Internal Family Systems is one of the most compassionate least pathologizing approaches to therapy, and I can see this book helping people learn how to be more compassionate to themselves as they pursue their own healing.

I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have a little bit of working knowledge of IFS and our inner parts as I have been practicing SoulCollage for many years and our inner Committee cards represent all of our parts in many different forms. I found this workbook IMMENSELY helpful in putting some more structure into the process for me and my own inner work.

The book is divided into two parts: Preparing for IFS Work (which is just as important as the work itself), and Step by Step Self-Led IFS. This was most intriguing and helpful for me as the author gave many examples from her own life and inner work with her parts. This really paved the way for me to begin working with some of the parts who have been getting in my way lately.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Having recently become interested in IFS I was looking for a good resource to take my own action of utilising it in my life without seeing a therapist. This book is exactly what I was looking for. It gives details of what the process involves and then details how to go about using it in your own life. I find it useful to use in conjuction with No Bad Parts which is written with the founder of IFS but this book stands alone as a valuable resource.