IFS Ottawa
At IFS Ottawa, we use Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) to help our clients manage mental health challenges, move through life transitions and work on self-awareness and personal growth.
Internal Family Systems
IFS is an evidence based* therapeutic approach used to support healing from trauma, addiction, depressive or anxious symptoms and other mental health struggles. Your internal system may feel something like this:
Maybe you feel like a part of you is motivated and productive, and yet another part just wants to procrastinate and avoid responsibilities.
Or maybe you have a part that feels deeply hurt and another that tries to protect you from ever feeling that pain again.
Or maybe you have a part that compulsively needs to drink alcohol (or other addiction) and another part that harshly judges you for having that drink
You might feel like different versions of you are fighting for control inside your mind?
Welcome to the fascinating realm of your inner world! The IFS approach presumes we are made up of various "parts" or sub-personalities, each with their own unique traits, motivations, and coping mechanisms. By understanding these parts and how they interact, we can cultivate greater self-awareness, heal emotional wounds, resolve internal conflicts and lead more harmonious lives. It is a compassion-based approach through which clients develop the self-awareness necessary to confront life’s challenges and move towards a more hopeful and fulfilling life.
If you are interested in learning more about IFS, please visit IFS Institute.
*National Registry for Evidence Based Programs and Practices by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (USA).
About Pat
As a Registered Psychotherapist with a Master’s degree in Counselling and Spirituality, and additional certifications in trauma and addictions counselling; I offer a compassionate, non-judgmental, safe environment in which to address and explore avenues for change and personal growth.
Do you feel alone or overwhelmed? Or in need of support to address issues relating to trauma, PTSD, addiction*, anxiety or grief?
Do you feel lost? Or stuck in repetitive patterns resulting in confusion, low self-esteem, or loss of motivation.
I can help.
My personal journey in recovery has led me to dedicate myself to helping others; and to help you move into a more positive way of being.
My approach to addiction presumes that addiction (except when it arises from prescribed medication) is also a symptom of unresolved issues from the past, typically trauma or family dysfunction in childhood. Unless these underlying issues are addressed, relapse usually occurs.
I am an eclectic, positive therapist using IFS and other therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive processing therapy, EMDR and more, to create a treatment plan that addresses your unique needs and aspirations.
*I treat all forms of addiction whether it involves substances, alcohol, internet, sex/pornography or disordered eating.
About Abigail
There are thousands of worlds in all of us. Gorgeous, terrible, wild, contradictory, imaginative, fascinating worlds. To know someone deeply is to know a universe contained in skin. – Victoria Erickson
You are struggling with feelings of stress, you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Maybe you are sad, anxious, or you've lost the sense of who you are or who you want to be? Your life, career or relationship just isn’t going the way you'd like, and you want to find a more grounded, open way of being in the world. I can help.
With me you will have a safe and non-judgmental space to explore yourself (and your parts!). We will build on your inner resources which includes getting to know yourself in a way that allows for compassion to grow. How different would your life be if you could feel more calm within yourself, and more compassionate or even courageous about / towards yourself and your parts?
I have an MA in Counselling and Spirituality and a passion for helping people find their healing as I am finding mine, I invite you to begin.
I am fluent in American Sign Language, and I understand the unique issues facing clients who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing. I completed my Level 1 of IFS and also worked as a program assistant for another Level 1.
Contact Pat.
pat@ifsottawa.ca
Contact Abigail.
613-897-0097 · abigail@ifsottawa.ca
“What if the question is not
‘Why am I so infrequently the person who I really want to be?’
But ‘Why do I infrequently want to be the person I really am?’
How would this change what you think you have to learn?”
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer