Ana Maria Ramirez Mendoza, IFS Therapy in California & Florida

Hi, I am so glad you are here! I believe there is no true freedom while we remain under the domain of our psychological burdens, being taken over by parts in inflexible roles. I hope this is the beginning of a significant inner journey where I can support you in developing harmonious relationships between your different parts based on a strong Self leadership, which leads to better relationships with others. 

My Approach

Ultimately, you are the expert of your internal world and therefore, as your counselor I aim to be fully present, authentic, curious, playful, non-judgmental, and respectful of  all your parts. I value my background in depth psychology and believe that our parts give us important messages through our dreams, so I am open to exploring dreams from a parts perspective if it is something that you are interested in. I enjoy including music and art as alternate modes of self expression, and other tools like mapping your system as a way to better understand what’s happening inside..   

My Journey

I came across the IFS model in 2019 and was so amazed by it that right after finishing an online course, I did Level 1 with the IFS institute. Besides this formal education, I am constantly engaging with books, videos, audio, and personal application of IFS. 

I have a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Javeriana University in Bogota-Colombia (2006-2012) where I worked with: people in intensive care, diagnosed with HIV, diagnosed with psychotic and mood disorders, and also with children in challenging psycho-socio-economic contexts. That was a very rich experience that put me in contact with social injustice, grief and pain, the power of connection, and our inner wisdom.

I did a Masters in counseling psychology with emphasis in depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara CA. Through that degree I became convinced that the mind is multiple, but more importantly, that one of the best investments a person can ever make is to understand and attend to their inner world. By healing our psychological wounds we have the opportunity to live  a life of meaning instead of numbing or despair.

Specialities

I am Bilingual in English and Spanish and because of my life path I care about being culturally aware. I have experience working with people going through life transitions, grief, relationship difficulties, substance use, anxiety, depression, and trauma. I have previously led an ongoing  mindfulness group and now incorporate this knowledge in my practice. I have a background in psychodynamic psychotherapy, depth psychology, and Gestalt.

About Me

I am a LMFT in California born and raised in Colombia, but have been living in California for 9 years. This means I have the joy of having two homes accompanied by a sadness that comes with the longing for the land and family I love. Psychotherapy is my passion, music my joy. Nature and gardening recharge my energy and fill me with awe. Spirituality is the center of my life and I am grateful that I have been able to explore different religions like Catholicism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. I have been a psychotherapy client for many years receiving multiple modalities of therapy and so far IFS is the most effective and beautiful model I have experienced. I am thrilled to be part of IFS Collective. 

I’d love to help you.

Please contact our client care team to get matched with an IFS therapist who would be a good fit for you.