Dr. Frank Anderson

There are many words to describe Dr. Frank Anderson. And many reasons why he is increasingly in demand as one of the nation\'s leading mental health professionals. He joins Liza to discuss Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), which provides a revolutionary treatment plan for PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders and more. It is an evidence-based treatment that offers an accelerated path to self-awareness and permanent emotional healing.

Dr. Frank G. Anderson

Dr. Anderson began his journey by earning his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1985, followed by his M.D. degree from Rush University Medical School in 1989. He completed his residency in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. After graduation, he stayed on as a clinical instructor at Harvard while working as a staff psychiatrist at the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute under the direction of Bessel van der Kolk.


In 1994, Dr. Anderson launched his private practice, centered on the treatment of trauma, including single-incident trauma, complex trauma, dissociative identity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Providing compassionate care, he also specializes in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. Patients benefit from Dr. Anderson\'s psychopharmacology expertise as well as his training in sensory motor psychotherapy (SP) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).


Dr. Anderson’s professional focus expanded in 2004 after he met his mentor and friend Richard Schwarz, Ph.D., founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), a model that combines systems thinking and multiplicity of the mind. Dr. Anderson learned to integrate the IFS model into his passion for psychopharmacology, neurobiology and trauma therapy; He and Dr. Schwartz currently teach IFS, Trauma and Neuroscience, a five-day intensive training for therapists. In 2013, Dr. Anderson was named chairman of the Foundation for Self Leadership (FSL)—a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing IFS via research, scholarships and outreach.


Today, Dr. Anderson serves as FSL executive director and continues to provide consultation, individual therapy and couples therapy at his office in Concord, Mass. Additionally, he maintains an active career as a speaker, teacher, consultant, writer and researcher who travels the globe, often conducting seminars, workshops and training programs. He also remains affiliated with the Center for Self Leadership and Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute.

Dr. Anderson\'s website