Lisa Ivany Psychotherapy

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Canada
Parry Sound, ON
Lisa Ivany Psychotherapy

After 27 years as a pediatric physiotherapist, I have fully transitioned into my new role as a Registered Psychotherapist.

I have a passion for helping caregivers and parents live more balanced, happier lives, allowing us to bring the best to our kids.

10/26/2025

Self-Care Sunday: Listening to Your Inner Voice

We all have that voice inside, the one that tells us we’re not doing enough, not good enough, not something enough.

In IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapy, we think of this as a part of us, an inner critic that, deep down, has a positive intention. It wants us to be our best, to avoid mistakes, to stay safe. However, sometimes the way it speaks to us is harsh, critical, or punishing, rather than kind or helpful.

This week, try simply noticing your inner critic.

What does it sound like?

Is it your voice or maybe someone else’s that you took in along the way?

Years ago, one of my own therapists said something that stayed with me:

“Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to your daughter.”

At the time, my daughter was a toddler, and that thought changed the way I spoke to myself.

You have to live with your inner voice for the rest of your life.

You can’t silence it completely, but you can change its tone.

Start with awareness, and then offer it a little kindness.

How does your inner critic sound today?

10/24/2025

It’s Friday Funny time …

Sometimes, it’s not that we’ve lost our minds; it’s that we’re drawn to what stirs them up.

Therapy has a way of helping us notice the patterns we chase (even the “crazy” ones). A little humour helps us hold it all with compassion.

Have the best Friday, Everyone! 😊

10/19/2025

Self-Care Sunday: Boundaries That Protect Your Energy

Some people seem to move through life with strong, clear boundaries, knowing what’s okay for them and what’s not.

For others, especially those who were taught to keep the peace or meet others’ needs first, boundaries can feel blurry. This was me for a significant portion of my life.

Terry Real describes this as being “boundaryless” - when our external boundaries, the invisible line between where we end and others begin, are too porous. Instead of protecting our energy and values, we may take on others’ moods, expectations, or criticisms as our own. Over time, that can leave us feeling drained, resentful, or unsure of who we are in certain relationships.

If this feels familiar, try this short visualization to strengthen your external boundary:

Sit comfortably and take a slow, deep breath.

Imagine a gentle, flexible light surrounding you, like a soft bubble or glow.

This light is yours. It lets in warmth, kindness, and care, but filters out harshness, criticism, or pressure.

When you’re around someone who challenges your sense of self, picture that light brightening just a little.

You don’t need to harden or shut down, just protect what’s inside.

Your boundaries don’t make you cold or distant; they help you stay you, even when the world around you pulls in different directions.

How do you know when your boundaries need tending to?

10/17/2025

Another dog-themed Friday-Funny! May your day be gentle and may you see yourself as your dog sees you! 😊

10/12/2025

Self-Care Sunday | Thanksgiving Weekend

Nine years ago, when fear, loss, and anxiety about the unknown felt overwhelming, someone suggested I start a gratitude journal.

So I did. Twice a day, I would sit down and desperately try to find five things to be grateful for … to give thanks for what was still here.

I won’t pretend it was easy. In the beginning, gratitude felt hard to reach. But over time, it became easier. My brain began to notice what was good more naturally.

And science tells us this isn’t just emotional, it’s neurological. Regular gratitude practice has been shown to quiet the brain’s alarm system (the amygdala) and strengthen the pathways linked to calm, perspective, and resilience. In other words, with practice, our brains can learn to look for what’s steady and safe, even in difficult seasons.

That tiny practice changed my life. It didn’t erase the hard things, but it shifted my relationship to them.

Today, gratitude journaling is still part of my daily rhythm, something I look forward to each morning and evening.

So on this Thanksgiving weekend, I offer it to you to consider. Maybe try it for a week and see what happens when your attention turns gently toward what’s already here.

Here’s what made my list this morning:

My son arriving home safely from Kingston on Friday evening.

The sun shining, allowing walks outside with our pup.

The flexibility in my schedule to spend Friday morning helping at a wonderful community event.

Knowing my beautiful family, from BC to Newfoundland, are all healthy and celebrating this weekend in their own ways.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with small moments of gratitude and connection.

10/10/2025

This week’s Friday funny made me think of our own little Ms. Molly who absolutely thinks she’s integral to the process!! Whether you realize it or not, you definitely NEED some pup-provided emotional support (according to Molly) and she’s only too happy to provide it!

Happy Friday! 😊

10/05/2025

Self-Care Sunday: The People Who Hold Us

Harvard’s 80-year study on happiness has shown that the number one predictor of happiness isn’t money, success, or even good health; it’s the quality of our relationships.

This weekend, I was lucky to spend time with one of my fierce female friends, a friendship that goes all the way back to high school. We’ve walked through each other’s joy and grief, through the messy middle of life and motherhood. There’s no competition, no performing; just two women showing up as we are, masks off, hearts open.

It’s moments like these that remind me why connection matters so deeply.

Being known, really known, makes life softer, steadier, and more meaningful.

So maybe today’s self-care isn’t something you do alone.

Maybe it’s a call to a friend. A coffee date. A walk. A text that says, “I’m thinking of you.”

Time with our people isn’t just time spent, it’s time invested.

And it makes all the difference. ❤️

Waldinger, R. J., & Schulz, M. S. (2023). The Good Life: Lessons from the world’s longest scientific study of happiness. Simon & Schuster.

10/03/2025

Happy Friday Funny, Everyone! 😊

09/28/2025

Self-Care Sunday

The news has been heavy lately. It’s no wonder so many parents and caregivers are lying awake at night, hearts aching, minds racing.

For the mom who worried for one moment that one pain reliever during pregnancy might have changed her child’s future.

For the parent wondering what rights their daughter will have when she grows up.

For the caregiver of a trans teen, quietly questioning if the world will keep them safe.

You are not alone in these fears. They speak to how deeply you love. And they are heavy to carry.

A few ways to soften the weight:

Pause your intake: give yourself permission to step away from the news, even briefly.

Ground in your body: feel your feet on the floor, take a slow breath, place a hand on your heart.

Name what you can control: connection with your child, small daily routines, moments of joy.

Lean on safe people: let someone you trust hold a piece of your worry, even for a moment.

The world feels uncertain, but your love is steady. And that matters.

How do you care for yourself when the noise of the world feels too loud?

09/24/2025

I want to thank you for your patience and understanding as I skipped my Self-Care Sunday post this week, to literally practice self-care. For me, that meant unplugging from my screens for anything that wasn’t absolutely essential.

The truth is, the transition from my former physiotherapy role into this still-new-to-me psychotherapy role has been challenging in ways I didn’t expect. There’s more sitting, and much more screen time, between documentation, supervision, virtual clients, social media, and navigating the many platforms that keep the business side of this work running. It’s a more digital world than I have ever lived in before, and if I’m being honest, it can leave me feeling drained.

So this weekend, I chose to step back. Instead of scrolling or typing, I napped, read, journaled, walked in the woods, snuggled my pup, baked, and filled my soul. It was exactly what I needed.

I’d love to hear from you; how do you find balance with screen time? Do you have ways of stepping away from this new world necessity?

With gratitude,
Lisa

💚

09/19/2025

Most of my clients and colleagues know I grew up in Newfoundland. And if you’re from Newfoundland, well, you’re always a Newfie. One of the things we’re known for is our ability to laugh at ourselves and bring humour into even the hardest times.

Therapy often touches on the heavy and the hard. And while we take that work seriously, many of us therapists also lean on humour. It’s a way of softening, connecting, and sometimes just breathing a little easier. I often bring it into sessions when it feels right and well-received.

So, I’ve decided to start a new weekly tradition here: Friday Funny. Each Friday, I’ll share a bit of humour, most of it borrowed from brilliant people who make me laugh, in hopes it brings a smile, or even a good belly laugh, to you too.

As Emily and Amelia Nagoski, authors of Burnout, remind us: laughter is one of the best ways to move through our emotional tunnels.

Here’s to a lighter heart and a brighter Friday. 💛

Address

145 Gibson Street
Parry Sound, ON
P2A1Y1

Telephone

+17057739940

Website

https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1192949, https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https%

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