Align Your Mind: Tame Your Inner Critic and Make Peace with Your Shadow Using the Power of Parts Work

by Britt Frank LSCSW

Overview

Meet your inner critic, your inner teen, and your inner shadow in this engaging guide to taming anxiety, healing trauma, and overcoming self-doubt with Parts Work

What is “Parts Work”?

You contain multitudes. At any given moment, your inner critic might be questioning whether you’re an imposter, and your inner child might be yearning for compassion and self-care. These parts don’t make you broken—they make you human. Parts Work allows you an all-access pass to wholeness by understanding, befriending, and leading the multiple voices within yourself.

In this eye-opening and practical guide, psychotherapist Britt Frank introduces you to your parts: from impulsive inner parts and shadowy hidden parts to your inner child and more. You’ll learn to listen to the conversations inside yourself and identify the core needs behind your habits and behaviors. Using tools and exercises ranging from self-dialogue to embodiment techniques and more, you’ll discover new ways to nurture and harmonize these inner voices—even when you feel overwhelmed and low in motivation.

Grounded in the latest research on Parts Work and Internal Family Systems, and offering proven techniques from Frank’s clinical practice and personal challenges, this engaging guide is a user manual to your own mind—and presents a road map for finding peace, confidence, and a deeper understanding of who you truly are.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593850794
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Britt Frank, LSCSW, is a clinician, speaker, and trauma specialist, and the author of The Science of Stuck and The Getting Unstuck Workbook. Her work has been featured by NPR, Forbes, Esquire, New York magazine, and The New York Times.

Editorial Reviews

Britt Frank is a great storyteller. In this new book she uses her own story of recovery from the depths as well as the stories of many of her clients to inspire you to change your relationship with your parts. I am honored that this accomplished writer and speaker bases much of the book on Internal Family Systems (IFS), the paradigm shift that I am trying to bring to the world. She has found a way to combine IFS with other approaches to create practical exercises for you to not only learn to love parts you’ve hated, like the inner critic, but help them transform into inner helpers.”
–Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, creator of Internal Family Systems and adjunct faculty at Havard Medical School

“When your worries get the best of you, pick up this book! This is the most practical book on how to regain your self-efficacy and sanity that I have ever read. Britt Frank's insights are uniquely creative and straightforward to apply. This is not your usual self-help book but a masterpiece of theory, memoir, and clear instruction, complete with thought-provoking quotes from a wide range of sources. Every sentence feels original and has been honed to the point of being therapeutic just through reading it. Do your life a favor and get this profound book. It's written with expert knowledge yet offered in the spirit of the safest friendship you could ever experience.”
—Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD, clinical psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

"Britt Frank’s Align Your Mind is a masterclass in self-discovery, delivered with her signature wit and wisdom. Brilliant, funny, and genuinely amazing, Britt has a way of breaking down complex topics with ease, helping you unlock a deeper understanding of yourself while keeping you entertained. A must read for anyone ready to align their mind and transform their life.”
—Mark Groves, Founder of Create the Love, Host of the Mark Groves Podcast, Speaker, and co-author of Liberated Love

“In Align Your Mind, Britt offers simple yet effective strategies to help you break free from old habits, gain a deeper understanding of your emotions, and transform the harsh voice of your inner critic into a supportive inner coach.”
—Jessica Baum, LMHC, author of Anxiously Attached

“Britt Frank's Align Your Mind reveals that inner peace comes from harmonizing your inner voices, not silencing them. With humor, compassion, and practical tools, Britt makes self-discovery approachable, helping you embrace every part of yourself and live with greater ease.”
—Ellen Vora, MD, psychiatrist and author of Anatomy of Anxiety

“Britt’s voice is a lovable burst of new insight and relatable profundity. Her grasp on modern human predicaments will make you feel like she’s been reading your mind. If you feel stuck and at war with yourself, wrestle with inner critics, or long to feel free without having to move to a monastery, pick this book up. It’s a fun ride dripping with life-changing wisdom.”
—Ralph De La Rosa, LCSW, author of Outshining Trauma: A New Vision of Radical Self-Compassion

“This book is a masterclass in taming anxiety and healing trauma. Britt Frank’s relatable and empowering approach to Parts Work makes navigating your inner world accessible, engaging, and life-changing.”
—Terri Cole, licensed psychotherapist and author of Boundary Boss

“Britt Frank is the educated-but-accessible, soothing-but-rousing voice our anxious culture so urgently needs. In a world where the clinical often feels cynical while self-help books can go overboard on hashtag fauxspiration, Frank’s wisdom strikes a wonderful balance I dare readers not to enjoy.”
—Amanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and Cultish

"For years, I have allowed my inner critic to dominate my thoughts, leading to countless episodes of self-injury and emotional turmoil. Britt’s approach to ‘Parts Work’ gave me the tools to reframe my inner dialogue and harness its power for good. This book is a game-changer for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by their own mind.”
—Chris Schembra, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Gratitude Through Hard Times and Gratitude and Pasta

“I truly, honestly, deeply loved every part of Britt Frank’s fun, witty, accessible, and incredibly actionable manual for getting the most out of parts work. Align Your Mind is part plain-English summary of the last century of neuroscience, part debunking of the last 50 years of awful (but well-meaning) self-help literature, and part collection of deeply honest and practical advice that can only come from someone with decades of therapeutic experience and expertise.”
—David McRaney, author of How Minds Change and You are Not So Smart

“This is the ultimate guide to parts work. If you want to make sense of your inner world and find a way to feel more at home inside, this book is for you. Britt will show you how to discover the hidden gems inside of you, and how to reconnect with parts of yourself who you may have learned to dislike. With Align Your Mind, you’ll have the tools to move forward with clarity and purpose.”
—Amber Rae, international bestselling author of Choose Wonder Over Worry and The Answers Are Within You

From the Publisher