When working with clients, I’m continually reminded of something both simple and profound: we all possess inside of us the greatest wisdom about what we need to heal. Dick Schwartz, the creator of Internal Family Systems (IFS) , arrived at the same realization through his clinical work. Again and again, he found that when people were given the right conditions—safety, curiosity, and compassion—their own inner wisdom naturally guided the healing process. This isn’t about willpower or positive thinking. It’s about learning how to hear yourself again , especially when stress or trauma has made that harder. When Inner Wisdom Feels Out of Reach Your inner or innate wisdom knows what you need because it’s rooted in your nervous system and lived experience — not just your thoughts. Long before you consciously reason something out, your brain and body are constantly integrating information: past experiences, current sensations, emotional states, and environmental cues. Much of this happ...