Friends of the Collective Spotlight: Dr. Frank Rogers Jr. (he/him/his)
Meet Dr. Frank Rogers, a luminary in the realm of psycho-spiritual healing and a cherished member of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) community. As a spiritual director and soul companion, Dr. Rogers seamlessly integrates IFS into his transformative work, and at the heart of his IFS-inspired journey lies the powerful book, "Cradled in the Arms of Compassion: A Spiritual Journey from Trauma to Recovery," chronicling Dr. Rogers' personal odyssey of healing from childhood sexual abuse.
Dr. Rogers' IFS resource is a beacon of hope for survivors of childhood trauma, resonating with anyone on a journey toward recovery. Dr. Frank Rogers’ decade-long history with IFS is rich and meaningful, which is why we’re delighted to celebrate him as this month’s friend of the collective!
What is the name of your company or practice?
Center for Engaged Compassion & Claremont School of Theology
Tell us briefly about yourself and how you discovered the IFS model.
A friend suggested that I look into IFS as it was so similar to the self-compassion training that I was teaching.
Please describe your work as an IFS therapist and how long you have been working with the Model.
I am a spiritual director and soul companion that integrates IFS deeply into my work. I was certified as an IFS practitioner ten years ago.
Is there something in particular about working with IFS that excites you?
The two pillars of IFS that I deeply resonate with are 1) that all people have a Self essence that is unmarred and accessible, and 2) the radical hospitality to all parts as being rooted in positive intention. These are life-changing.
Tell us about the IFS-inspired resource you’ve created that is featured on Friends of the Collective?
My most recent IFS-informed resource is a book that I wrote chronicling my psycho-spiritual journey of healing and recovering from childhood sexual abuse through processes that resonate with IFS. That book is entitled "Cradled in the Arms of Compassion: A Spiritual Journey from Trauma to Recovery.
What inspired you to create your products/services?
My sister took her life a few years ago as she struggled to find healing from the abuse we both experienced in our family. Shortly before she died she asked me what I did to heal from the trauma. I shared what I could but it was not enough to keep her from killing herself. This book is dedicated to her and is what I wish I could have communicated to her. It is written for any survivor of childhood trauma that would find a resource like this journey helpful.
Who would benefit most from your IFS resources and how can people access your product/service?
Anyone who has experienced childhood trauma or who companions survivors would find this resource helpful. It is available on Amazon here.
Please describe any future plans or next steps for your service/product that you would like to share.
I am leading workshops on the spiritual dimensions of healing from childhood trauma.
We’d love to hear a success story or positive feedback you’ve received from someone who has experienced your IFS resource.
Dick Schwartz endorsed the book with these words:
"This is an amazing book that I couldn’t put down once I started it! It reads like a compelling novel but it’s not fiction-- it’s all true. If you are a survivor of any of these: chronic sex abuse, toxic parents, psychiatric institutions-- or if you’ve cut yourself, felt hopelessly suicidal, or plagued by inner demons, hated yourself for your symptoms and shamefully hid them from others, then this is the book for you. In Frank’s brutally honest and remarkably disclosive telling of his story you will find a hope-filled model. His simple, spontaneous act of turning toward and listening to his inner tormentors rather than fighting or running from them, led him, with the help of good therapy, on a remarkable spiritual and healing journey that will inspire all who read it and I will do what I can to make sure many do."
I have also had survivors email me expressing gratitude for a book that tells the honest sometimes brutal truth about recovering from childhood sexual abuse.
What is your favorite IFS aligned quote, poem, song, book, TV show or movie?
Rumi's poem The Guesthouse for its radical welcoming of all parts as guides sent from the beyond, and the film Inside Out for its brilliant and inspiring depiction of our interior lives in such rich and subtle ways.
Anything else you want readers to know?
I am ever so grateful for the transformative power of this model and the community created of people dedicated to it.
How can people learn more about your offerings and stay in touch?
My email is: frogers@cst.edu Information about my work can be found at the Center for Engaged Compassion website here: centerforengagedcompassion.com
We’re so pleased to be able to offer this resource and see our IFS community connected in a new way. Visit the Friends of the Collective page to browse the current profiles or submit your own! For the full step-by-step guide to creating your entry & advertising on our site, start by downloading this PDF.
