Remembering Derek Scott
Founder of IFSCA | Teacher, Mentor, Visionary, Ancestor
Derek Scott was many things; therapist, teacher, activist, friend, father. But above all, he was a deeply Self-led human being whose life’s work helped thousands find compassion for themselves.
As the founder of the Internal Family Systems Counselling Association (IFSCA), Derek played a foundational role in bringing IFS to Canada and beyond.
He was a pioneer in online learning, a passionate advocate for marginalized communities, and a gifted teacher with a trademark blend of clarity, humour, and warmth.
Through his YouTube videos, courses, community calls, and one-on-one mentorship, Derek helped make IFS accessible to people who may never have found it otherwise.
But his influence extended far beyond his teaching.
For over 40 years, Derek practiced psychotherapy with courage and care. He spent nearly two decades working on the frontlines of the AIDS pandemic, serving queer communities, sex workers, people struggling with addiction, and others navigating grief and oppression. That work shaped his deep commitment to anti-oppressive practice and his lifelong dedication to healing shame.
Derek’s impact on the IFS world is hard to overstate. He championed fellow teachers, mentored new practitioners, and created inclusive learning spaces where people felt safe to be fully themselves. Even after being diagnosed with cancer, he continued to teach, write, and record, devoted to his calling until his final days.
He lives on in the students he trained, the colleagues he inspired, the communities he shaped, and the many, many people whose lives were changed by his work.
In his last video, Derek said simply: “I did good! It was a good way to spend this incarnation.”
We couldn’t agree more, Derek.
Read Derek’s Final Gift
Dead (Spoiler Alert): A Psychotherapist’s Journey with Cancer isn’t just a memoir. It’s a luminous, courageous exploration of dying as a sacred transition.
Written in the final months of his life, the book chronicles Derek’s journey from his early discoveries of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and psychedelic medicine to his final reflections on death, grief, healing, and legacy. Through journal entries, text messages, and narrative vignettes, Derek invites readers into the intimate terrain of a Self-led death, one marked not by fear, but by clarity, curiosity, and peace.
Rather than resisting the end of life, Derek approached it as a homecoming. He believed that cancer was the body’s call to facilitate a deeper spiritual journey, and he answered that call with profound honesty, love, and humour.
This book is for anyone navigating a cancer diagnosis, grieving a loss, or simply curious about how we might die the way we live: with courage, meaning, and connection. It’s a tender and radical offering from someone who not only walked the path, but lit the way for others to follow.
“It is amazing how a book that explores such heavy topics can be so uplifting.”
– Darcy Harris, PhD., Professor, Dept. of Thanatology, University of Western Ontario
“Healing. Inspiring. Poignant.”
– Dr. Richard Schwartz, Founder of Internal Family Systems
“We who will inevitably follow him into the bardo have gratitude.”
– Martha Sweezy, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School
👉 Order your copy here
Derek's Final Goodbye
“So whoever you are…, however you are, I wish you the best! I wish you the best!
I wish you ongoing access to the beauty at your core, to the magnificence of who you are in the world, and your parts, and how they like to manifest… the gift of you, the gift of your parts, the gift that you are bringing to humanity… Thank you for your gifts.”