Returning home after a long absence can be bittersweet. In my absence, my goal to contribute to this blog quarterly has been in the back of my mind and I felt bad that I was unable to keep it going as I had initially intended. As I make my transition into my practice full time, I reflect on working double time to meet obligations for my employer as well as my business this past two years which unfortunately left time for little else. Thank you for your patience.
As I embark on this next chapter, I am both excited and apprehensive, it feels like a leap of faith. The freedom to offer services that I am passionate about and have work/life balance has been my dream. The time has come to live it fully. WOW!
My education over the last couple of years has been phenomenal. Since my last entry, which was written from an ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) perspective, I have discovered and trained extensively in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. IFS has enhanced my work and I have been so excited to share this with my clients. IFS has been a beautiful modality to support healing. For more information about IFS, please refer to the resource section at the IFS Institute https://ifs-institute.com/ and IFSCA at https://ifsca.ca/
As I have learned about myself through the IFS lens, I have connected with many of my parts including my critic (mentioned in Blog 1). Understanding how my critic tries to help me, has shifted my relationship with it and it is no longer such a source of pain. These days, the part of me that cries out the loudest, is the part that craves balance. Making time for the people I love and the things I enjoy doing such as yoga, skiing, and scuba diving, are as important as my time for work. When I can be centred in my Self, I am able to find more space to help my clients in a way that serves them better. Thank you, IFS.
I look forward to how this blog will evolve over the next few years. I make no promises as to how often I will contribute, rather, I will write only what is heart felt and authentic. Thank you so much for sharing my journey.
Warmly,
Allison