Lisa Ivany Psychotherapy

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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.

12/05/2025

I learned today that I was voted one of Almaguin & Parry Sound’s Best Mental Health Consultants, receiving Platinum, alongside two practices I deeply admire: Colleen McLean of Sound Youth Counselling (Diamond) and the team at Whole Life Counselling (Gold).

To be named in the company of such respected, established, and deeply caring clinicians feels both humbling and meaningful. This community is fortunate to have so many dedicated people doing this work, and I’m grateful to be part of it.

Thank you. Miigwetch to everyone who took the time to vote. And most importantly, thank you to the brave, thoughtful, complex, beautiful humans who trust me with your stories. You invite me into some of the most tender parts of your lives, and I don’t take that lightly. It is a privilege to walk alongside you, in the messy moments, the small shifts, the grief, the hope, and all the ordinary days in between.

I’m grateful to do this work, and I’m grateful for each of you.

11/25/2025

Not Looking Forward to the Holidays? You’re Not Alone.

Something I’m hearing a lot in sessions lately is a quiet truth many people carry this time of year:

“I’m not looking forward to the holidays.”
Or even, “I wish I could skip them altogether.”

If that’s you, I want to gently say, there is nothing wrong with you.
And you’re far from alone.

The holidays can stir up so much: grief, pressure, loneliness, comparison, old wounds, or the ache of what used to be. For many people, this season isn’t cozy or magical; it’s complicated.

I’ll share a small piece of my own experience, in case it helps soften the edges for you.

After my divorce, our first Christmas was … hard.
We all cried at some point that day.
The kids blamed it on a broken miniature drone, but the tears were about so much more. Loss. Change. The picture we thought we’d always have.

For several years after that, I went through the motions for my kids, wrapping, decorating, cooking, trying to make it feel “normal,” even when it didn’t feel that way inside. I put on a brave face because I loved them, and because I didn’t know what else to do.

And now, nearly nine years later, I can honestly say:
I enjoy the holidays again.
Not because life went back to what it was, but because we rebuilt something new. Slower. Softer. Ours.

It didn’t happen quickly. And it didn’t happen all at once.

Here are a few things that helped, things that might help you, too:

✨ Let yourself feel what shows up.
Some songs still make me cry. Certain memories still sting. I don’t fight it anymore. I let it be what it is: grief for an old version of my family, love for what we had, and tenderness for what changed.

✨ Let go of traditions that no longer serve you.
I don’t cook a turkey anymore. For my little family, it’s an overwhelming amount of work, and the kids get to enjoy that meal with their dad’s family.
Releasing it made space for something lighter.

✨ Create new traditions that actually feel good.
Tobogganing. A full day in pyjamas. A movie marathon.
Or, if you’re lucky enough, escaping somewhere sunny for a week.
Small or big, choose what feels nurturing, not performative.

✨ Remember: this is your life.
You get to rewrite what holidays look like now.
You get permission to grieve, to rest, to simplify, to rebuild joy in quiet, gentle ways.

If this season feels heavy for you, you’re not doing anything wrong.
You’re just human.
And you deserve a holiday that fits the version of yourself you’re becoming, not the one you feel pressured to be.

You’re allowed to take your Christmas back.
Slowly. Honestly. Tenderly.
And in your own time. 💛

11/11/2025

Today, as we pause to honour those who have served and continue to serve, I’m feeling especially proud and deeply reflective.

Both of my kids wear the uniform.

Sophia serves in the Navy in Halifax, and Aaron is in his fourth year of engineering at the Royal Military College in Kingston, on track to become a naval officer in 2026.

Remembrance Day holds layered meaning for many of us. For some, it’s pride. For others, grief. And for many, especially those with loved ones in uniform, it can evoke a quiet hum of worry, gratitude, and vulnerability all at once.

Days like today invite us to remember not only the sacrifice and service of those who have come before, but also the emotional landscapes carried by those who serve now, and by the families who love them.

If you find this day stirring something in you, sadness, pride, guilt, confusion, or even numbness, know that all of it makes sense. Our minds and bodies remember in their own ways.

Take a moment to slow down, to breathe, and to connect with a memory, with gratitude, or with someone who understands.

Remembrance is not only about looking back; it’s also about caring for the living.

11/02/2025

This will be my last Self-Care Sunday post until the new year.

Once again, my own self-care is asking me to pause and reassess what’s on my plate, and how full it’s become. As we move into the holiday season, I find myself in a period of rebranding, developing a new website, and doing my best to make space for the people and things that matter most.

That means intentionally stepping back from social media for a while to create more room for real, in-person connection. The kind that fills my cup in ways no screen ever could.

This pause is not a goodbye, but a mindful decision to slow down, to practice what I so often invite others to do: notice when you need rest, and honour it.

I’ll return in the new year with new reflections, but for now, I’m taking a breath.

How are you taking care of you as we move into the darkness of winter and this season of life?

— Lisa 🤍

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! 😊

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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