Releasing Our Burdens - by Thomas Hübl & Richard Schwartz (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"The authors' definition of trauma is valuably broad and complex, and their concepts are unpacked in nonjudgmental terms. It's a solid addition to the rising tide of literature on trauma." --Publishers Weekly

A groundbreaking collaboration between Dr. Richard Schwartz, founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dr. Thomas Hübl, renowned teacher and trauma healing facilitator, on healing individual, ancestral, and collective trauma to reclaim resilience and transform our world

We often view trauma as a personal wound to heal on our own--but trauma is rarely just an individual issue. It is shaped by ancestral burdens passed down through generations and by the collective pain we experience from the world around us. Beloved teachers Richard Schwartz and Thomas Hübl bring together their wisdom to chart a new path forward that addresses these deeper layers of wounding, so we can heal ourselves, our communities, and our world.

In this powerful book, Hübl and Schwartz help us understand why individual trauma cannot be separated from the legacies of shared past and present traumas. The authors explore their respective approaches to trauma healing and how these modalities can work together. Schwartz is the creator of IFS, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic approach that teaches that we all contain many parts--and also have an undamaged, healing Self. Hübl has done powerful work on trauma healing, particularly collectively and in groups. Together, they offer methods and practices that help us begin to:

- Release beliefs and emotions that no longer serve us
- Break cycles of harm
- Expand our awareness
- Become more compassionate and curious as we heal

A chapter from Fatimah Finney, a licensed mental health counselor and a trainer at the IFS Institute, helps us apply these methods to the wounds caused by social injustices, such as racial bias and oppression. Through this work, Hübl shares, "We can unload the burden and create a more flourishing world."

Review Quotes

"Releasing Our Burdens is a lantern that illuminates the complex path of healing layered trauma. This book is a living companion, offering an intentional interweaving of individual, ancestral, and collective healing. With compassion and depth, it gently guides readers through the heavy terrains of emotional pain, reminding us that both personal and collective integration are indeed possible." --Dr. Mariel Buqué, bestselling author of Break the Cycle, creator of BTC Generational Trauma Therapy(TM)

"Releasing Our Burdens is a deeply integrative work that resonates with the truth that trauma does not live only in the individual, but in families, communities, and cultures. Richard Schwartz and Thomas Hübl offer an accessible roadmap for healing that honors both the psychological and somatic dimensions of trauma. Their collaboration is a gift to the growing field of trauma recovery." --Peter A. Levine, PhD, author of Waking the Tiger and Healing Trauma, developer of Somatic Experiencing(R)

"Dick Schwartz has been one of my greatest clinical teachers. His Internal Family Systems (IFS) model didn't just change how I practice, it changed how I see people--not as broken or difficult, but as made up of parts, each with a role, each worthy of compassion. In Releasing Our Burdens, Dick and Thomas Hübl show us that our pain is inherited, collective, and relational--and so is our healing." --Dr. Becky Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author of Good Inside

"There's a revelation in these pages that speaks directly to our moment: healing is not only personal. It is collective, ancestral, and spiritual. It is the work of reconnection. For those beginning to understand that our burdens are shared and that healing must be communal, this is a necessary guide. Written with the steady, compassionate wisdom we've come to expect from these practitioners, this book invites us into a journey of reflection, one that gently asks: What am I carrying, and how might I return to the whole?" --Prentis Hemphill, author of What It Takes to Heal

"These two genius teachers help you to heal old pain and find new freedom. Their writing is personal and intimate, kind and helpful, and it feels like a master class in transformative practices as well as a sacred journey. They combine deep psychology, practical tools, heart-touching examples, clear seeing of our collective problems, and vast spiritual wisdom. A masterpiece." --Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain and Hardwiring Happiness

"Releasing Our Burdens is not just 'self-help.' It teaches us to find harmony with everyone whose lives touch ours, extending connections not only around us, but backward and forward in time. This is an innovative, bold, and immensely helpful book. Read it to heal yourself, your loved ones, and the entire human community." --Martha Beck, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Beyond Anxiety and The Way of Integrity

"Releasing Our Burdens is a profound offering in these times of cumulative overwhelm. Dick Schwartz and Thomas Hübl gently guide us into the space where individual, ancestral, and collective healing meet--where presence becomes a path to compassionate unburdening. This book honors the intelligence of our trauma responses while inviting us to metabolize legacy pain through connection and deep inner resonance. A timely, soulful integration of relational neuroscience, somatic work, and ancestral wisdom." --Linda Thai, LMSW, trauma therapist and educator

"Brilliant and immediately helpful. These days we hear a lot about trauma. This compelling book actually shows how it can be healed. Practical, compassionate, and wise." --Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path with Heart and All in This Together

About the Author

Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator whose work integrates modern science with the insights of humanity's wisdom traditions. He is the author of Healing Collective Trauma and Attuned.

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of Internal Family Systems and founder of the IFS Institute. He is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and has written several books, including No Bad Parts.