Living person: this page lists public facts only and uses no photograph. If you are this person or represent them and want something corrected or removed, write to [email protected].
Scientific context and criticism
IFS is a widely used psychotherapy, but its research base is still small compared with established treatments. The idea of 'unattached burdens' and its link to spirit possession is Falconer's own interpretive framework within IFS; it is not part of mainstream psychology and makes no claim that has been tested scientifically. He presents it as clinical observation and cross-cultural study.
Life
Robert (Bob) Falconer is an American therapist, writer and teacher of Internal Family Systems (IFS), the model developed by Richard Schwartz that treats the mind as made up of 'parts' led by a core Self. After a long career focused on trauma, he devoted his practice to IFS, assisted at many official IFS trainings and co-wrote Many Minds, One Self (2017) with Schwartz. He then spent about a decade researching what IFS calls 'unattached burdens': experiences in the mind that a client does not feel to be one of their own parts. The result, The Others Within Us (2023), combines case material with a survey of how many cultures have understood possession and spirit guides.
The system
- IFS: the mind as a family of parts, healed under the leadership of the Self.
- 'Unattached burdens': contents experienced as not belonging to any of one's parts.
- The 'porous mind': the self is less sealed off than modern Western psychology assumes.
Key works
- Many Minds, One Self (2017, with Richard C. Schwartz) Amazon
- The Others Within Us: Internal Family Systems, Porous Mind, and Spirit Possession (2023) Amazon
Als Amazon-Partner verdient ORDL an qualifizierten Verkäufen. Die Links öffnen Amazon.com; der Preis bleibt für dich gleich.
Where to start
- Start with a basic IFS introduction (Schwartz), then Many Minds, One Self; The Others Within Us is for readers already familiar with IFS.
Ask Orin
A question to start with. It opens in Orin ready to edit; nothing is sent until you press Send.
In Internal Family Systems, what are 'parts' and the 'Self', and what does Robert Falconer add with 'unattached burdens'?Ask Orin this question