Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Services in Nanaimo, BC
Transform Your Self.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy is a respectful and non-pathologizing method for gently healing parts of you that you have been struggling with. It can feel funny to talk about parts initially, but we all do it in our day-to-day language, such as “a part of me wants to do this and a part of me feels it doesn’t want to at all!”.
About IFS Therapy
You may have parts of you that you like, such as the parts of you that know how to be a good friend or the parts of you that are organized, creative or funny. And you likely have parts you don’t like, such as ones that overeat or rage. And then there can be the parts that can feel painful or difficult to tolerate, like your inner critic.
You might be seeking IFS Therapy because you feel stuck in your life, maybe confused about your behaviour or because of a sense of unhappiness and inability to make a change that feels important to you. You may have a part of you that knows what you should do (or thinks you know) and other parts of you that seem to do the exact opposite. It’s so frustrating! For instance, maybe you want to listen to your body but instead you eat when you aren’t hungry. Maybe you want to work out to get stronger but find yourself watching Netflix again. Or you want to be compassionate and understanding with a challenging family member and you erupt in frustration and irritability instead. Or you excel at work and then feel overwhelmed at home with your closest people.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy, we call these polarities. You have parts that seem to want the opposite things. These parts of you have learned strategies that worked at one time, and they are in fact, doing their very best to protect you and keep you safe. In fact, these parts of you likely came to be at a time in your life when there wasn’t enough support in a moment. These parts of you just don’t realize that things have changed and now as an adult, you can be available as a resource.
IFS Therapy Services Align Within
In spending time getting to know the different parts of you that are contributing to these experiences, you can get clarity, which is very helpful. But more important is an ability to find space internally from these parts of you, so that you can get to know yourself better is what creates shifts. It can seem like a paradox, that by paying attention with genuine curiosity to what is troubling you, you can shift to a sense of inner ease and freedom. Compassion and witnessing leads to change.
With IFS Therapy services with Align Within, we often start with me holding space for you to witness your parts and this will shift to you holding space for your own parts too when the timing is right. Pacing is important so I set an intention to move at the speed of trust.
Get In Touch With Align Within Today
I’m happy to answer questions about what IFS therapy with me, Faye Shedletzky, might look like. Feel free to contact me to book a consultation. We offer IFS Therapy services in-person in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, or via online remote sessions.
In particular, we’d be a great fit if:
- You identify as a highly sensitive person or an empath.
- You feel overwhelmed by anxiety or self-doubt too often.
- You find yourself pleasing others and then feeling resentful that your needs are not being met.
- You find yourself in a caregiving role and feel depleted and burnt out.
- You get caught up in trying to get everything done perfectly and 'do good' or 'be good', even when you know you are holding yourself to an impossible standard.
- You are wanting to have stronger relationships, where you can be accepted for who you are.
- You wonder if experiences from your past might be holding you back from living the life you want.
- You have a deep longing to be heard and understood, and to understand yourself.
- You have a complicated relationship with food and your body.
- You find yourself using food to manage painful emotions.
- You have lots of good ideas of what might help you feel better and feel frustrated by self-sabotage.
- You are seeking someone finely-attuned to support and accompany you in your transformative journey.
What My Peers Say...
"IT IS ONLY WITH THE HEART...
"...that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the human eye."
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery