My path to this work wasn’t linear. It was shaped by lived experience, repeated turning points, and a deep curiosity about what helps people truly change and improve their lives rather than simply cope.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent years in a high pressure corporate environment. I was capable, driven, and outwardly successful, but increasingly disconnected from myself. Burnout eventually forced a reckoning and opened the door to a different way of working, one that valued presence, attunement, and the body as much as the mind.
That shift led me to pursue a massage therapy certification in 2005, where I worked one on one with clients for many years. That's when my understanding of healing deepened. I saw firsthand how much of what people carry in their body lives beneath words, and how safety, consistency, and embodied connection can create change that feels both subtle and profound.
When a wrist injury brought that chapter to an end, it marked another transition. What initially felt like a loss became an opportunity to pursue something even more aligned with my purpose. I returned to university to train as a psychotherapist, drawn by a desire to support people in making sense of what they've lived through and reclaiming a sense of direction and choice.
My approach today is shaped by all of these experiences. I’m especially drawn to work that honours complexity, respects the nervous system, and allows space for depth rather than quick fixes. I value therapy that is relational, thoughtful, and paced in a way that feels sustainable, not forced.
Above all, I believe meaningful change happens when people feel safe enough to be honest with themselves. My role is not to push or direct that process, but to offer a steady, grounded presence that supports insight, integration, and growth over time.
Alba Marussi, MA, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
My path to becoming a therapist
How I work
My work is grounded in trauma therapy that respects your pace, your nervous system, and your inner complexity. Rather than focusing on one technique or model, I draw from several complementary approaches and adapt them to what is most supportive for you in the moment.
A core part of my work is helping people develop a deeper relationship with their internal landscape. This often involves noticing patterns, emotions, and internal conflicts with curiosity rather than judgment, and learning how to respond to them with more clarity and steadiness over time. I view symptoms, patterns, and emotional reactions as adaptive responses that once served a purpose, but now may be causing distress.
Much of this work is informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), which understands the mind as made up of different parts, each shaped by experience and trying to help in its own way. Therapy becomes less about fixing or overriding yourself and more about building a clearer, more compassionate relationship with the patterns that drive your symptoms. This approach tends to resonate with people who are interested in understanding themselves more deeply, with the goal of reducing distress in a way that's sustainable over time.
I also work experientially, paying close attention to how experiences live in the body. Somatic techniques can help bring awareness to physical sensations, impulses, and nervous system signals that often sit outside of conscious thought, especially when words are not enough. This can support regulation, grounding, and a greater sense of safety in your body over time.
When appropriate, I may incorporate elements of EMDR Therapy as part of a broader therapeutic process. These tools are used selectively and collaboratively, not as a one size fits all solution, and may support emotional processing, integration, and nervous system balance when someone is specifically seeking this kind of work.
For those who have chosen to explore altered states of consciousness through psychedelic medicines, I offer harm reduction oriented preparation and integration support. This work is not about promoting or directing experiences, but about helping you make sense of what emerged, process insights, and gently weave them into your life in a grounded and meaningful way.
Overall, therapy with me is not about forcing change or chasing outcomes. It’s about creating enough safety, clarity, and support for change to unfold naturally, at a pace that respects your system and your lived experience.
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology (Hons.) (2015)
Master of Arts, Counselling Psychology (2022)
EMDRIA-approved EMDR Basic Training (2022)
Internal Family Systems, Online Circle (2022)
Neurobiology of Attachment (2023)
Education & Professional Development
Internal Family Systems Immersion (2023)
Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy, TheraPsil (2024)
Psychedelic-Informed Internal Family Systems (2024)
Internal Family Systems Trauma Treatment Program (2025)
Contacts
info@selfhaven.ca
(343) 453-0211
Location
Bronson / Gladstone
Centretown, Ottawa, ON