·E15

Healing In Community. Going Beyond Individual Therapy with IFS.

June 19

57 mins

Episode Description

“We can't take people places we haven't gone ourselves,” says trauma therapist Chris Burris, who joins Mental Health in a Modern World to reveal why most of what we call ‘mental illness’ is actually the psyche’s adaptive strategy for survival—and why only true self-healing can allow us to guide others. Over his 35 years of clinical experience, Chris has witnessed the rise of “multiplicity of mind” as a liberating paradigm: understanding that our psyche is made of parts working both for and against us, many born from trauma and shaped by the need to protect.

In this episode, Chris demystifies the Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach, explains how our internal critics often adopt the voices of past authorities and perpetrators, and explores why befriending—rather than battling—these wounded parts is the key to freedom. He shares stories of transformation, the importance of community healing, and how elders and true initiation are missing medicines in our fractured world. Chris also opens up about his journey with plant medicine, shamanic studies, and the necessity for both humility and holistic teamwork in therapy.

Tune in to learn why healing is not a solo mission, how therapists must examine their own wounds, and what it really means to reclaim mental health in a world that desperately needs reconnection—to self, to others, and to something greater than ourselves.

5 Key Takeaways

Unlock deeper healing in your life with these actionable insights from the episode:

Befriend all your parts, even the critical or self-sabotaging ones, by approaching them with curiosity and compassion rather than resistance or judgment.
Prioritize holistic health—address both mind and body imbalances and collaborate with a supportive, multidisciplinary team when seeking mental health support.
Regularly engage in self-reflection and personal healing work, especially if you are a healer or helper, as you cannot guide others beyond where you’ve gone yourself.
Actively seek out or create intentional healing communities or circles to experience support, belonging, and collective transformation.
Clarify your gifts and purpose, and find ways to serve your community, transitioning from “me” focus to “we” focus through acts of service and connection.

Take one bold step today: Choose a takeaway above and bring it into your own life or healing journey.

Memorable Quotes

"We can't take people places we haven't gone ourselves. If we haven’t rescued or unburdened our own parents that we're disconnected with, it's really hard to know how to help others do that themselves."

"Being healthy in a messed up world isn't the most ideal circumstance. There's a quote I love: it's no sign of health to be adapted to a sick world."

"A true elder is asking: How am I serving my community? What are my deliverables to that? If you don't have people who mirror that and actually live it, then there's no example of what we’re supposed to mature into."

Connect with Chris

Website - http://burriscounseling.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/burris.counseling/

Resources Mentioned

Creating Healing Circles: Using the Internal Family Systems Model in Facilitating Groups - https://amzn.to/4vOVYwA

IFS (Internal Family Systems) - https://ifs-institute.com/

MAPS: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - https://maps.org/

Connect with Greg

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/