Richard C. Schwartz is an American systemic family therapist, academic, and author. He is the creator of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) branch of therapy, which he developed in the 1980s. Schwartz's approach emerged from his observation that clients are comprised of multiple "parts" within their "Self." He teaches that "Our inner parts contain valuable qualities and our core Self knows how to heal, allowing us to become integrated and whole. In IFS, all parts are welcome."