Internal Family Systems Therapy in Ottawa & Online Across Ontario
IFS Therapy in Ottawa: Healing Through Parts Work
If you are seeking IFS therapy in Ottawa or virtual Internal Family Systems therapy in Ontario, I provide a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach to help you heal the different parts of yourself.
We all have different “parts” of ourselves — some are protective, some are wounded, and some carry unmet needs from earlier experiences. Many of these parts have been working hard to do their best to protect us from pain.
In my Ottawa psychotherapy practice, we work to understand why these parts respond as if past dangers are still present, creating the inner conflict, anxiety, or harsh self-criticism you may be experiencing today.
IFS helps you reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been carrying pain or unmet needs. Through exploration, you can begin to offer self‑forgiveness, acceptance, and care to all parts of you — including those that have been hidden, misunderstood, or protective for a long time — so your authentic self can lead with greater clarity, balance, and calm.
What to Expect from Parts Work: Support for Ontario Residents
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is based on the idea that the mind is a system of parts, each with its own role and beliefs. In IFS therapy in Ontario, we can help you understand why they exist and what they need.
This work is particularly effective for:
The Inner Critic: Softening harsh self-judgment and perfectionism
The People-Pleaser: Understanding the protective need to prioritize others
The Anxious Protector: Calming the parts that drive overthinking and overwhelm
Emotional Shutdown: Reconnecting with parts that numbed out to keep you safe
How Internal Parts Form: Addressing Childhood Trauma in Ottawa
Protective parts often step in response to early experiences where emotional safety or attunement were missing. Whether you grew up with emotional neglect, instability, or had to suppress your needs to maintain connection, your nervous system adapted.
Protective parts step in to manage emotions, control situations, or react strongly to perceived threats. While these strategies were once necessary for survival, they can later keep you stuck in patterns that no longer serve you.
Through relational IFS therapy in Ottawa, my work is grounded in understanding that there are no bad parts—only parts carrying burdens they were never meant to hold.
Meet Gal Zohar, IFS-Informed Psychotherapist in Ontario
In IFS therapy, we work to access your core self — the part of you that is calm, curious, compassionate, and grounded. As an IFS-informed therapist in Ontario, I help you lead your internal system with greater clarity.
Our work may focus on:
Identifying Protective Parts: Understanding the positive intention behind their roles
Healing Wounded Parts: Connecting with parts of you that carry pain, shame, or fear
Restoring Internal Trust: Helping your parts release burdens so your authentic self can lead
Inner System Integration: Pacing the work to ensure your system feels safe and grounded
Parts work allows transformation to happen through understanding, safety, and compassion. Over time, internal conflict decreases and your system becomes more harmonious.
Is Online Parts Work Therapy Right for You?
Many clients seeking online parts work therapy in Ontario find it helpful for:
Self-criticism, shame, or perfectionism
Anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or shutdown
Disconnection from yourself or your needs
Childhood trauma or relational wounds
Wanting a compassionate, non-pathologizing approach to healing
Ready to Begin Internal Family Systems Therapy?
Every part has a story & every part deserves understanding. If you’re ready to explore parts work therapy and build a more compassionate relationship with yourself, I welcome you to reach out.