Internal Family Systems Therapists in Canada
An evidence-informed approach that helps people understand the different inner parts of themselves, reduce internal conflict, and heal from past experiences by developing a compassionate relationship with the whole self.
What to look for in an Internal Family Systems therapist on Purple Lotus
- Formal IFS Institute training (Level 1 or higher)
- Experience with your specific concerns, such as trauma, anxiety, or relationship difficulties
- Familiarity with pacing the work to match what you can manage
- Willingness to integrate other approaches if needed
8 therapists for Internal Family Systems in Canada
Browse 8 therapists specializing in Internal Family Systems. Find the right counsellor or psychotherapist for your needs.
Lexie Morgan
Are you looking for a ‘hype you up’ but call you on your shit therapist? I might just be your gal! Are you dealing with perfectionism? Going through a break up? Contemplating making a big life change? Experiencing grief, stress, overwhelm or loneliness? I prioritize authenticity in therapy, and aim to help people untangle themselves from problems that hold them back. I work with you as we navigate the peaks & valleys of life experiences. I often support, students, hospitality workers, parents, teachers, nurses, shift workers, ski patrollers, guides & 'first timers' to therapy. Life can be messy & complex. Are you looking for a ‘hype you up’ but call you on your shit therapist? I might just be your gal! Are you dealing with perfectionism? Going through a break up? Contemplating making a big life change? Experiencing grief, stress, overwhelm or loneliness? I prioritize authenticity in therapy, and aim to help people untangle themselves from problems that hold them back. I work with you as we navigate the peaks & valleys of life experiences. I often support, students, hospitality workers, parents, teachers, nurses, shift workers, ski patrollers, guides & 'first timers' to therapy. Life can be messy & complex. My office located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver at 4th & Arbutus. I offer virtual counselling via telehealth throughout BC. *Insurance* Counselling is covered or reimbursed by many extended benefits programs. I am registered with many major Canadian insurance providers: Canada Life | Great-West Life Green Shield Canada Manulife Medavie Blue Cross Mines & Associates SunLife AMS - UBC Student Benefits Vail Resorts EAP *Education & Registration* I hold a master's degree in counselling from City University and a bachelor's degree in Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria. I am dual licensed with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) as a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) as a Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC). License Numbers: RCC # 20414 CCC # 11250646 *A bit more about how I work & my background* Lexie (she/her) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor practicing on the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) territories. Lexie’s approach to counselling is characterized by warmth, authenticity, and compassion, with a goal of fostering a relaxed environment where clients can explore their thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment. Lexie roots her work in a trauma informed, anti-oppressive, social justice lens. This may involve looking beyond the individual to understand their experiences within broader social and cultural contexts, as she joins clients on the path to self-discovery, healing, and change. Lexie has over ten years of experience working in the field of mental health. She draws on her experience providing counselling and practical supports to diverse communities, including children and families with complex medical and mental health needs, new immigrants and LGBTQQ2S+ folx. She has worked as a grief and loss counsellor at a hospice, provided crisis and suicide prevention support and developed industry specific work place mental health trainings for the hospitality and tourism sector. Montira Mental Health was born out of Lexie’s own experience as a hospitality manager at different backcountry lodges across British Columbia. As a lodge manager, Lexie observed the intersection of mental health and personal challenges within remote and isolated live/work environments which lead to high rates of burnout amongst her staff. The transient nature of tourism dependent communities, seasonal employment, high cost of living and limited access to low barrier community mental health offerings further impacted her staff. Lexie’s connection to the outdoor community is born out of years of living, working, and recreating in the Rocky, Purcell, Selkirk and Coast mountains. She is an avid backcountry skier, trail runner, and hiker who finds a deep sense of connection to herself and her community through time spent in the outdoors. To learn more, please see my website: montiramentalhealth.com
Ellen Lu
It takes courage to heal and create change within yourself. By being here, you have already taken a significant step towards transforming your life. As your counsellor, I am committed to working alongside you in collaborative exploration to cultivate your natural intuition and strengths, empowering you to feel embodied in your true self. My therapeutic approach is rooted in cultural humility, compassion, and curiosity. As a proud Taiwanese-Canadian woman and second-generation immigrant, I bring a deep understanding of the cultural and intergenerational challenges that many bicultural individuals face. This perspective allows me to help clients expand their cultural narratives and harness their unique strengths and insights to foster growth and resilience. With over a decade of experience as a strength coach, Olympic weightlifting coach, and Registered Kinesiologist, I possess an understanding of the intricate connection between physical and mental health. My passion lies in supporting youth and teen athletes, helping them navigate issues such as performance anxiety, perfectionism, and belonging. Additionally, I am dedicated to supporting adults who are facing challenges related to anxiety, depression, trauma, imposterism, and cultural identity. In our sessions, you can expect a warm, empathetic, and grounded clinician who understands the importance of giving voice to your experiences. I hold space for you to show up as you are and firmly believe in your internal wisdom and capacity for growth. Through our work together, I aim to help you cultivate a more compassionate and accepting relationship with yourself, embracing all parts of you. When I’m not seeing clients, I enjoy lifting weights and spending time with my family and friends over a good meal. I love to reconnect with myself through nature walks with my dog, listening to music, and karaoke!
Kayla Migrino
Hi, I’m Kayla, I’m a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and I work to support autistic adults and other neurodivergent experiences. I’ve spent a big part of my career in the disability sector, especially supporting autistic folks. I’ve worn a lot of different hats along the way and these precious experiences are what shape and inspire my work as a counsellor today. My practice is grounded in a judgement free, neurodivergent-affirming, collaborative space. I provide counselling for adults who want clarity, a sense of direction and guidance. We can work to understand you, make sense of your experiences, and identify meaningful changes that align with who you are and who you are becoming. Many of my clients are young adults with autism navigating the current phases of their life. For some this includes transitional periods, for others this means settling in. I offer a safe and supportive space to explore who you are, and work to build a clear sense of direction and identity within you.
Jessica Scott
Are you someone who feels things deeply, maybe more than the people around you do? You may notice yourself feeling disconnected from others, finding it challenging to form the kind of relationships you want in your life. For many, this comes from living through experiences that can create a “before” and “after,” shifting their sense of safety, identity, or connection. These are often the quiet marks of trauma, even when we do not call them that. As a therapist, I explore how pain can shape us, offering a space where you can slow down, understand your story more deeply, and move toward change with care and intention. As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and MA Counselling Psychology student under clinical supervision, I work from a trauma-informed perspective, drawing on psychodynamic and somatic approaches to support clients in processing difficult experiences, strengthening distress tolerance, and reconnecting with their inner resources to help move forward. Together, we’ll work toward steadier moods, healthier relationships, and a renewed connection to the parts of yourself that may have been silenced. If interested, I invite you to contact me for a complimentary 20-minute consultation to explore whether my supportive services are the right fit for you.
Melissa Baldry
Some wounds don’t show on the surface but shape everything underneath. I support individuals exploring identity, relationships, and the lasting effects of painful or complex family dynamics. For many, this can include the impact of cultural or generational histories, immigration, or early experiences that continue to influence how we relate, cope, and make decisions today. As an international, transracial adoptee, I bring both lived experience and clinical grounding, offering space to slow down, reflect, and begin with compassion and collaboration. As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), I adopt a trauma-informed, client-centred approach. Together, we’ll identify patterns, challenge limiting beliefs with compassion, build emotional awareness, and develop a treatment plan that reflects your needs and lived experience.
What is Internal Family Systems?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model developed by psychologist Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. It is based on the idea that the mind is naturally made up of multiple parts, each with its own perspective, feelings, and role. Rather than treating unwanted thoughts or behaviors as problems to eliminate, IFS helps you understand what those parts are protecting, and builds a relationship between them and a calmer, more grounded part of yourself known as the Self.
In IFS, parts are often grouped into three categories: Managers, which try to keep things under control and prevent pain; Firefighters, which react impulsively when pain breaks through; and Exiles, which carry the wounds, shame, or difficult emotions from earlier experiences. Much of the distress people bring to therapy comes from parts working overtime to protect those buried feelings. IFS helps those parts step back and allows the Exiles to be heard and healed.
IFS is used across a wide range of concerns, including trauma, anxiety, depression, eating difficulties, and relationship patterns. It has a growing evidence base and is recognized as an evidence-based treatment by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The approach is non-pathologizing and tends to feel collaborative rather than diagnostic, which many people find easier to engage with.
Who this approach may help
People with trauma or difficult past experiences
IFS is widely used with trauma. It allows people to approach painful memories at their own pace, by first building trust with the parts that have been protecting those memories.
People with anxiety, self-criticism, or inner conflict
When one part wants to try something and another part says it is too risky, or when self-criticism feels relentless, IFS can help identify what those parts are trying to do and ease the internal tension.
People with eating difficulties or body image concerns
Parts often develop protective relationships with food or body image as a response to pain. IFS is sometimes used alongside other eating disorder care to explore what those patterns are protecting.
People exploring identity or sense of self
IFS can be useful for people who feel fragmented, uncertain about who they are, or cut off from their emotions. The model offers a concrete way to explore inner life without judgment.
People working through relationship patterns
Recurring conflict, difficulty trusting others, or a pattern of withdrawing or over-functioning can often be traced to parts doing their best to keep someone safe. IFS helps explore those patterns from the inside.
People who have not connected with other therapy approaches
Some people find cognitive or skills-based approaches do not reach what they are dealing with. IFS works through the relationship between parts rather than primarily through insight or behavior change, which can feel like a different entry point.
What happens in a session?
- 1
Identify what is present
The therapist invites you to notice what is coming up for you, whether a feeling, a thought pattern, or an impulse, and to get curious about it rather than immediately trying to change or suppress it.
- 2
Distinguish the part from the Self
You practice shifting from being blended with a part (fully caught up in it) to observing it with some space. The therapist may ask how you feel toward the part, which helps gauge how much Self-energy is present.
- 3
Get to know the part
You explore what the part is doing, what it is afraid would happen if it stopped, and what it is trying to protect. Most parts, even disruptive ones, are found to have a protective purpose.
- 4
Access exiles with care
Once protective parts trust the process enough, the therapist may guide you toward the more vulnerable parts that carry earlier pain. This is done gradually and with attention to what the system can manage.
- 5
Witness and unburden
The Self witnesses what an exile experienced and offers it the compassion it did not receive at the time. This process, called unburdening, can shift how the part feels and reduce the intensity of its role in the system.
- 6
Integrate and reassign
After unburdening, parts can take on new, less extreme roles. The therapist helps you check in with how the whole system feels and what has shifted.
How it compares to other approaches
EMDR
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to reprocess traumatic memories through a structured protocol. IFS does not use eye movements or a fixed reprocessing sequence. Both can address trauma, but IFS tends to move more slowly through internal relationship-building before approaching difficult memories.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT works primarily by identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. IFS does not focus on reframing thoughts. It works through building a relationship between parts and the Self, which can shift patterns without directly targeting the thoughts.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Both IFS and psychodynamic therapy explore how past experience shapes present patterns. Psychodynamic therapy tends to work through interpretation and relational dynamics with the therapist. IFS uses the parts model more explicitly and gives the client a structured internal map to work with.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy works directly with body sensation, posture, and movement as a way into trauma. IFS may involve noticing body sensations as a way to locate parts, but its primary mode is internal dialogue and relationship rather than somatic technique.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT encourages defusion from thoughts and acceptance of difficult internal experiences. IFS shares an interest in relating differently to inner experience, but goes further by exploring the specific protective roles of parts and working to heal what they carry.
Parts-based and ego-state approaches
Ego-state therapy and other parts-based approaches share conceptual overlap with IFS, including the idea that the mind contains multiple states or parts. IFS has a more specific framework around the Self and the unburdening process that distinguishes it as a distinct model.
How to choose an Internal Family Systems therapist
Questions to ask before booking:
- 1
Ask about their training in IFS specifically. The IFS Institute offers formal training at Levels 1, 2, and 3. A therapist with Level 1 certification has completed foundational training, while higher levels indicate more advanced practice.
- 2
Ask whether they work with the kinds of concerns you are bringing. IFS is used for trauma, anxiety, relationship patterns, and more, but some therapists specialize in particular areas.
- 3
Ask how they typically structure sessions. IFS can vary in pace depending on the client. Some therapists move more slowly through mapping parts before any deeper work, while others may move more directly.
- 4
Ask whether they combine IFS with other approaches. Many therapists integrate IFS with somatic work, EMDR, or other modalities. Understanding their approach helps you know what to expect.
- 5
Ask what they do if a session becomes activating. Knowing how a therapist handles distress and paces the work gives you a sense of how they work with emotional safety.
- 6
Ask what a realistic course of treatment looks like. IFS can be shorter or longer depending on what someone is working through. Asking about their sense of pacing helps you plan.
When this may not be the right fit
IFS involves contacting and staying with difficult inner experiences. If you are in acute crisis or do not yet have basic stabilization, a therapist may suggest building coping resources before beginning parts work.
If you are experiencing psychosis or active dissociation that makes it hard to stay grounded in the present, IFS may need to be adapted significantly or paired with other approaches. A qualified therapist will assess this carefully.
Some people find the parts framework does not resonate with how they understand themselves. If you prefer a more behavioral or skills-focused approach, CBT or DBT may fit better with how you like to work.
IFS is not a substitute for medical assessment. If you are experiencing symptoms that have not been evaluated medically, a therapist will encourage you to pursue appropriate care alongside any psychological work.
Related specialties
Frequently asked questions
What is Internal Family Systems therapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy model developed by Richard Schwartz that views the mind as made up of multiple parts, each with its own role. Sessions focus on building a relationship between those parts and a calmer core called the Self, which can help reduce internal conflict and heal past wounds.
What does IFS therapy help with?
IFS is used for trauma, anxiety, depression, eating difficulties, self-criticism, relationship patterns, and identity concerns. It may help people who feel stuck in repetitive emotional responses or who have not found other approaches to be a good fit for what they are working through.
How long does IFS therapy take?
The length varies depending on what you are working through. Some people notice shifts within a few months. Deeper trauma work may take longer. Your therapist can give a more specific estimate based on your goals and how the early sessions go.
Is IFS evidence-based?
IFS is recognized as an evidence-based treatment by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Research supports its use for trauma and PTSD, with growing studies examining its application for depression, anxiety, and physical health conditions.
What is the difference between IFS and parts work?
Parts work is a broad term that describes any therapy using the idea that the mind contains different states or voices. IFS is a specific model within that umbrella, with its own framework around the Self, Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles, and a defined process for unburdening.
Can IFS be done online?
Yes. Many therapists trained in IFS offer virtual sessions. The approach relies on internal awareness and conversation rather than physical techniques, which makes it well suited to online formats. Check individual therapist profiles for available session types.
Do I have to believe in the parts model for IFS to work?
Not necessarily. Many people start therapy skeptical of the parts framework and find it useful once they try it. Therapists typically introduce the model gradually. If it truly does not resonate after a few sessions, that is worth discussing with your therapist.
Looking for an Internal Family Systems therapist?
Browse therapists in Canada who specialize in internal family systems. Filter by location, fee, and session format to find the right fit.