Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
Offering in-person IFS therapy in Brant and virtual therapy across Ontario.
HEAL EMOTIONAL WOUNDS
FIND INNER BALANCE
LIVE WITH GREATER SELF-COMPASSION
When you’ve been searching for a deeper sense of integration and peace.
At Mindful Path Counselling, we help you move from feeling fragmented and overwhelmed to experiencing a greater sense of harmony and self-compassion.
Who Can Benefit from Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
The Internal Family Systems model is designed for individuals seeking to heal trauma, manage stress, and cultivate self-compassion. IFS is particularly effective for those struggling with:
- Anxiety and chronic worry
- Self-criticism and low self-worth
- Stress and emotional overwhelm
- Trauma and PTSD
- Relationship challenges
- Impulse control and addictive behaviours
- Eating disorders and body image concerns
- Depression and feelings of disconnection
- Difficulty setting healthy boundaries
Through Internal Family Systems therapy in, you’ll learn to recognize and understand your inner world, allowing you to heal and lead a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Internal Family Systems Therapy In Ontario
What Can Internal Family Systems (IFS) Help With?
If you are:
- Healing trauma by working with wounded “exiled” parts
- Cultivating self-compassion and reducing self-judgement
- Managing stress and emotional dysregulation
- Understanding and transforming negative thought patterns
- Strengthening relationships by improving emotional awareness
- Breaking free from harmful coping mechanisms
- Releasing past burdens to live more freely
Our Internal Family Systems therapists in Ontario can support you in creating an internal sense of balance, harmony, and healing.
How Can Internal Family Systems Therapy Help?
Develop a Compassionate Inner Relationship
Internal Family Systems Therapy helps you connect with your “Self”—the calm, compassionate core of who you are—so you can nurture and support all aspects of yourself.
Heal Past Trauma
By working with the parts of you that carry emotional wounds, Internal Family Systems Therapy provides a pathway to healing and freedom from past pain.
Improve Emotional Regulation
Internal Family Systems Therapy helps you understand and work with the parts of you that trigger stress and emotional overwhelm, allowing for greater balance and resilience.
Strengthen Relationships
Transform Unhelpful Patterns
Internal Family Systems Therapy helps you recognize and shift behaviours that no longer serve you, creating space for healthier ways of being.
We believe in treating you as a whole person.
At Mindful Path Counselling, we take a wholistic approach on your path to well-being.
Whether you need someone to talk to alone, with your partner, or with your family, we have a range of counselling services to fit your needs and budget. We provide in-person, online sessions, phone appointment and in-home services. Our diverse team includes skilled psychotherapists, social workers, life coaches, hypnotherapists, and more.
If you are struggling with general anxiety or a complex mental health challenge, we help people aged 5 and up find a welcoming and understanding place to land.
We’re more than just therapists, we’re a safe place to help you rediscover yourself.
Our approach
How IFS Therapy Works
- We explore your internal system
Together, we identify and get to know the different parts of you—those that protect you, those that carry burdens, and those that react to pain.
- We cultivate self-leadership
By strengthening your connection to your true Self, you’ll develop the inner clarity, confidence, and compassion needed to guide your internal world.
- We facilitate healing and integration
Through gentle exploration, we help your parts release emotional burdens, find new roles, and create harmony within your internal system.
We invite you to stay as long as you need on your path to well-being.
Our Team
Match With An Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist
We have a therapist to meet your unique needs and support style.
Get Matched
We believe the right therapist is crucial to the therapeutic process. Browse our team profiles or request to get matched. We’ll help you find the best therapist for your needs, goals, and preferences.
Internal Family Systems Therapy in Ontario
Questions About Internal Family Systems (IFS)
What is Internal Family Systems Therapy?
Imagine your mind as a big family living under one roof—except instead of parents, siblings, and relatives, this family is made up of different parts of you. Some parts are like protective older siblings, always trying to keep you safe. Others are younger and carry old wounds, holding onto painful memories. And then there’s you—the calm, wise leader of the family, often called the “Self” in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.
IFS is a way of understanding and working with these different parts. Instead of fighting against our inner struggles or trying to silence certain thoughts or feelings, IFS helps us get to know them, build a relationship with them, and bring balance to the system. The goal isn’t to get rid of any parts (there are no “bad” parts!), but rather to help them feel safe enough to let the Self take the lead. When this happens, you feel more clarity, confidence, and calm in your life.
This therapy approach works by identifying and working with three main types of parts:
- Managers: The ones keeping everything in check—perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking, etc.
- Exiles: The younger, wounded parts that carry deep emotions like shame, fear, or sadness.
- Firefighters: The ones that jump in when emotions get too intense, often using coping strategies like numbing out, binge-eating, or avoiding.
By learning to recognize, understand, and heal these parts, Internal Family Systems Therapy helps you move through life with more self-compassion and inner peace. Instead of being stuck in old patterns, you can step into the role of the confident, compassionate leader of your inner world.
How long does IFS therapy take?
The length of Internal Family Systems Therapy varies for each person. Some individuals experience meaningful shifts within a few sessions, while others engage in longer-term work to address deep-seated emotional wounds and patterns. Because IFS focuses on building a trusting relationship with your parts and allowing healing to unfold naturally, the process moves at your own pace.
What to expect:
- Short-term: Some clients notice changes in just a few sessions.
- Long-term: Others engage in deeper work over months or longer to fully heal emotional wounds.
- Goal: Lasting internal harmony, self-leadership, and a greater sense of well-being. The length of IFS therapy varies for each person. Some individuals experience meaningful shifts within a few sessions, while others engage in longer-term work to address deep-seated emotional wounds and patterns. Because IFS focuses on building a trusting relationship with your parts and allowing healing to unfold naturally, the process moves at your own pace. The ultimate goal is lasting internal harmony, self-leadership, and a greater sense of well-being. The timeline for IFS therapy varies depending on individual needs. Some clients notice positive changes in a few sessions, while others engage in longer-term work to address deeper emotional wounds. The goal is lasting internal harmony and self-leadership.
What can I expect in an IFS session?
Internal Family Systems Therapy sessions involve self-exploration guided by curiosity and compassion. Your therapist will help you:
- Identify different parts of yourself, such as your inner critic, protector, or wounded child.
- Understand how these parts influence your emotions and behaviours.
- Connect with your core self to engage with these parts in a supportive and healing way.
Sessions are paced to ensure you feel safe and comfortable as you explore your inner world with curiosity and compassion. Your therapist will guide you in identifying your parts, understanding their roles, and working toward healing past wounds.
Can IFS help with trauma and stress?
Yes. IFS is highly effective for healing trauma and reducing stress. Many of our internal parts carry emotional wounds from past experiences, which can manifest as anxiety, fear, or self-destructive behaviours. By working with these parts gently and compassionately, IFS allows for deep emotional processing, helping to release the burdens of past pain. As a result, individuals often experience greater emotional resilience, a sense of inner calm, and improved ability to cope with life’s challenges.
How does IFS differ from traditional therapy?
Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on analyzing thoughts and behaviours, IFS takes a holistic, internal approach to healing.
Key differences:
- Integrative healing: IFS helps you understand and integrate all aspects of yourself, including those causing distress.
- Self-compassion focused: Instead of “fixing” or eliminating emotions, IFS fosters kindness toward all parts of yourself.
- Empowerment-based: IFS helps you become your own healer by building internal leadership and emotional balance.
This approach creates lasting transformation by helping you develop a more harmonious relationship with yourself, leading to greater self-acceptance and well-being. It emphasizes self-compassion, internal dialogue, and the wisdom of the self to create lasting change.
Still have questions?
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Internal Family Systems Therapy In Ontario
How Life Can Feel with IFS Therapy
Your journey with IFS is unique, and transformation takes time. As you progress with Internal Family Systems Therapy, you may notice that you:
- Feel more balanced and in control of your emotions
- Experience deeper self-compassion and acceptance
- Heal past wounds that once felt overwhelming
- Build healthier relationships with yourself and others
- Reduce stress and emotional reactivity
- Gain clarity and confidence in your decisions
- Feel a greater sense of inner peace and well-being
Mindful Path Counselling
How You Get Started
If you’re ready to get started, we’d love to hear from you! You can send us a message or call us. We will answer any questions you have and book you in for an appointment or free consultation.
You can also book online using the button below. Please note that not all of our therapists can be booked online.
Call Us
226-208-2722
Email Us
info@mindfulpathcounselling.ca
If you have questions about therapy, our services, or anything else, send us a message! We’d love to hear from you.
