Felt Sense Psychotherapy Blog

What You Didn’t Get — And How to Begin Getting It Now A simple way to think about therapy and healing is to identify what you didn't receive. Notice how you adapted to survive without it. Then slowly begin creating experiences that offer it now.Because healing isn't only understanding what happened.It's receiving what was missing. If you didn't get... You can begin giving yourself... Protection Boundaries, discernment, saying no, leaving harmful situations, choosing safe peop

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach built on the idea that our minds are made up of many different “parts,” each with its own role, emotions, and strategies for helping us survive life’s challenges. Rather than seeing these parts as problems to eliminate, IFS helps us build compassionate relationships with them. When our parts feel understood and supported, they can begin to soften, heal, and work together more harmoniously — with the Self leading the syst

Keywords: dysregulated by happiness, fear of joy, nervous system and happiness, emotional regulation For some people, happiness does not feel safe. Instead of ease, joy can trigger anxiety, restlessness, numbness, or even panic. This experience of becoming dysregulated by happiness is more common than many realize and often has roots in past relational experiences. One reason this happens is emotional shame. If excitement, playfulness, or joy were criticized, dismissed, or mo

Feeling disappointed in your therapist can feel unsettling. Many people enter therapy hoping for perfect attunement, only to encounter moments of misunderstanding, hurt, or frustration. While difficult, these moments can become powerful opportunities for healing. From an object relations perspective, early relational experiences shape the internal templates we carry into adult relationships. If disappointment once meant rejection, punishment, or abandonment, a therapeutic rup

When people think of therapy, they often think of changing their thoughts, challenge beliefs, and reframe how they interpret their lives. While cognitive approaches can be helpful tools, trauma is rarely only a thinking problem. Trauma is fundamentally a neurobiological and embodied experience that impacts the nervous system, body, emotions, relationships, and sense of safety. A core truth in modern trauma therapy is this: trauma is not only what happened to you—it is how yo

For years, many men were taught to stay quiet, push through pain, and handle everything alone. But today, more men are asking a different question: What if strength also means getting support? If you’ve been searching terms like therapy for men, men’s mental health counselling, how therapy helps men, or male therapist near me, you’re not alone. More men than ever are beginning therapy to improve relationships, reduce stress, heal trauma, and feel more in control of their live

Life can feel overwhelming when you understand your patterns intellectually, but still feel stuck emotionally. Many people know why they struggle, yet continue to experience anxiety, self-doubt, disconnection, or repeated relationship patterns. Insight alone does not always create change. For individuals and couples seeking deeper healing, therapy can offer a space to move beyond overthinking and into meaningful transformation. At our Nepean psychotherapy office, clients can

Ethical non-monogamy (ENM) is often misunderstood. Some people imagine it as chaotic, commitment-free, or an easy way out of relationship challenges. Others see it as exciting, expansive, and deeply honest. The truth is — it can be both liberating and confronting. At its core, ethical non-monogamy isn’t about avoiding commitment. It’s about redefining commitment through transparency, consent, and communication. The Fun of Ethical Non-Monogamy Ethical non-monogamy can offer fr

Couples Therapy Ottawa Many couples wait far too long before coming to couples therapy. By the time they reach out, they often feel hurt, stuck, or like they’re having the same argument over and over again with no resolution. Couples therapy isn’t about deciding who is right or wrong — it’s about understanding the cycle you’re stuck in and learning how to repair, reconnect, and feel safe with each other again. The Biggest Fear About Couples Therapy One of the most common fear

Introduction Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t know what to expect. The first session at Felt Sense Psychotherapy is designed to help you feel informed, safe, and understood. It’s a slower, intentional session where we focus on understanding you — not rushing into fixing anything. We Start With the Consent Form During the first session, we will go over the consent form together. This includes:- Confidentiality and its limits- How your personal in

Beginning therapy can bring up a mix of hope, curiosity, and uncertainty. At Felt Sense Psychotherapy, we believe that understanding the process helps your nervous system settle enough to engage in meaningful work. Our approach is relational, attachment-informed, and somatically grounded. Therapy with us is not about quick fixes or surface-level coping strategies — it’s about understanding patterns, building insight, and creating change that translates beyond the therapy room

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach that helps people understand and heal the different “parts” of themselves with compassion rather than judgment. Many people come to therapy feeling confused by their inner world — wanting change, yet feeling blocked, overwhelmed, or at odds with themselves. IFS offers a framework that helps make sense of these experiences in a way that is validating, empowering, and deeply humane. The Core Ide

Have you ever noticed that your body seems to know something your mind hasn’t yet figured out? Maybe there’s a tightness in your chest, a pit in your stomach, or a heaviness in your shoulders that shows up when you think about a situation — even if you can’t put it into words. Focusing is a therapy technique that helps you tune into these bodily signals to uncover feelings, insights, and guidance that live in your body. It’s a gentle, evidence-informed method that supports em

The relationship we build with ourselves is the longest relationship we will ever have. It shapes how we see the world, how we move through anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress, and how we connect with partners, family, and friends. In therapy in Ottawa, one of the most important goals is helping people develop a healthier, more compassionate relationship with themselves. At Felt Sense Psychotherapy in Ottawa, we understand that emotional healing involves developing a kind

Finding Clarity Through Therapy in Ottawa, Ontario There’s a particular kind of stuckness that doesn’t come from indecision. It comes from doing everything you thought you were supposed to do—and still feeling empty, restless, or alone. Maybe you worked toward the life you imagined you wanted. Maybe you made choices that made sense on paper. And yet, something in you feels misaligned. If you’re searching for therapy because you feel lost, disconnected, or unsure what you actu

Trauma-Informed & Attachment-Based Grief Counselling in Ontario Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. It doesn’t move in neat stages. And it doesn’t live only in thoughts or memories. For many people, grief shows up in the body—tightness in the chest, exhaustion, numbness, anxiety, or a feeling of being fundamentally changed. If you’re searching for grief therapy in Ottawa, you may already know that “talking it out” hasn’t been enough. At Felt Sense Psychotherapy, we offer grief c

Trauma-Informed Therapy in Ottawa, Ontario If you’ve ever searched “Do I need therapy?”, “Why do I feel overwhelmed all the time?”, or “Therapist near me”, you’re not alone. Many people come to therapy not because something is “wrong,” but because something feels off—in their body, relationships, or sense of self. At Felt Sense Psychotherapy in Ottawa, we specialize in helping individuals and couples reconnect with themselves through trauma-informed, attachment-based, and som

Attachment-Based & Trauma-Informed Therapy in Ottawa, Ontario Many people understand their relationship patterns intellectually. They know they’re anxious, avoidant, or stuck in push-pull dynamics. They can trace these patterns back to childhood or past relationships. And yet—when conflict happens, their body reacts before their insight can help. This is because attachment isn’t just psychological—it’s physiological. At Felt Sense Psychotherapy in Ottawa, we integrate attachm

Are you actually resilience or did you dissociate from your experience and push through? Resilience is often praised as the ability to “push through,” stay strong, and keep going no matter how much something hurts. For many people, resilience has come to mean overriding pain, minimizing emotional impact, and functioning at all costs. But that isn’t resilience. That’s survival. True resilience isn’t about how much you can endure without breaking. It’s about how well you can fe