When Talk Isn’t Enough: How Parts Work Heals Couples After Trauma

TraumahealingTherapisttrainingworkshopwithinternationalguestinpersonSydney

When trauma enters the couple dynamic, talk therapy alone often isn’t enough. Integrating parts work, such as Resource Therapy alongside Imago, EFT, Gottman, PACT, art therapy, and somatic therapy, helps therapists reach beneath conflict to the wounded parts of each partner, restoring safety, connection, and repair.

Why Isn’t Talk Therapy Enough?

Even the most experienced couples therapist knows the moment when dialogue breaks down, when one partner shuts down, the other escalates, and connection feels out of reach. Beneath these reactions often lie unhealed trauma and protective parts that keep both partners stuck in familiar patterns of pain.

Traditional communication techniques, while valuable, cannot always touch the raw emotional injuries that live in the body and nervous system. As neuroscientist Daniel Siegel (2012) reminds us, “Integration is health.” Without integrating the fragmented self – those younger, reactive, or overwhelmed parts – relationships remain in a state of survival mode.

This is where parts work offers profound leverage.

How Parts Work Transforms the Couple Space

Approaches such as Resource Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Ego State Therapy recognise that we all have multiple “selves” or Resource States with their own memories, emotions, and strategies for safety.

In couples therapy, these states interact across the relationship. One partner’s Vaded in Fear part might activate the other’s Retro Avoidant protector. The cycle continues until each state can be compassionately met, heard, and healed.

As Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada), says:

“When trauma shows up in couples therapy, we can’t stay at the level of communication skills. We need to help each partner recognise and regulate the parts that get triggered in the dance.”

By giving these parts a voice through dialogue, imagination, somatic awareness, and creative interventions, therapists create a bridge between the internal world and the relational field. The result is genuine repair, not just behavioural change.

Integrating Attachment, Neuroscience, and Somatic Work

Research across attachment theory and neuroscience supports this integration.

  • Bowlby (1988) showed that early attachment ruptures shape adult intimacy.
  • Porges (2011) explained, through the polyvagal theory, how safety and connection depend on the regulation of the nervous system.
  • van der Kolk (2014) demonstrated that trauma is stored not only in memory but also in the body, requiring somatic processing.

Somatic and art therapies help externalise, and re-regulate these implicit memories. 

Through drawing, movement, or guided imagery, clients can express what words cannot. 

When integrated with parts-based awareness and relational attunement, these creative modalities become powerful vehicles for healing.

Inside the Workshop: Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection

🗓 8–9 November 2025

📍 Sydney – Crows Nest Community Centre

🎓 12 CPD hours (PACFA, ACA, AASW, ASCH, AAPI, APS)

👩🏫 Presenter: Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada)

🟡 Sponsored by Australian Resource Therapy Institute (ARTI)

In this two-day exclusive training, Maureen McEvoy, an internationally respected trauma and Imago couples specialist of Canada, guides therapists through experiential, embodied learning. Participants will:

  • Understand the what, why and how of trauma-informed couples work
  • Practise mapping reactive and protective parts between partners
  • Learn somatic regulation and co-regulation strategies
  • Explore integration methods from Imago, Gottman, EFT, PACT, Art therapy, Somatic Therapy and parts work
  • Build confidence in managing high-intensity emotional sessions

Every exercise is grounded in safety, compassion, and practical skill-building. Numbers are strictly limited to ensure personalised attention and rich peer learning.

 You will leave not only inspired but equipped to use these approaches immediately in your own practice. Plus the added benefit of refreshing our energy, learning and community connection cup.

Imago Case Consultation Day – 10 November 2025

For those wanting to extend their learning, Maureen McEvoy, in association with the Australian Imago Relationship Therapy Association (AIRTA), will offer an Imago Case Consultation Day on Monday, 10 November 2025.

This optional day provides an opportunity for Imago therapists to:

  • Present their own cases for group consultation – videos welcome 
  • Receive direct feedback and supervision from Maureen
  • Deepen understanding of Imago theory in complex trauma cases
  • Explore how parts work and attachment models can complement the Imago dialogue

Why This Matters for Therapists

Working with couples in the relational space can be some of the most rewarding and confronting clinical work we do. When we can recognise the inner worlds operating beneath conflict, we move from blame to understanding, from fear to connection.

Parts work reminds us that no partner is the enemy; the true problem lies in the protective adaptations of wounded parts trying to stay safe. Healing begins when both partners can witness and integrate these inner dynamics with curiosity rather than defence.

Join Us in Sydney

Join us in Sydney this November to experience how trauma-informed parts work can transform your couples’ sessions.

👉 Secure your place today: Healing Trauma Nov 8/9

Maureen, and I can’t wait to meet you there!

References

Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent–child attachment and healthy human development. New York, Basic Books.

Emmerson, G., & Essing, C. (2025). Therapist Gold: Treating fear-based trauma and attachment trauma. Melbourne, Australia: Old Golden Point Press.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Siegel, D. J. (2012). The pocket guide to interpersonal neurobiology: An integrative handbook of the mind. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York: Viking.

🌴 Why Therapists Learn Best in Paradise: The Neuroscience Behind Deep, Restorative Learning

Background: Lush Ubud jungle or misty sunrise over rice terraces (soft pink-gold ARTI overlay at 35 % opacity). Foreground text: White rounded box or transparent gradient with copy text centred: 🌴 Why Therapists Learn Best in Paradise The Neuroscience Behind Deep, Restorative Learning Bali 2026 · Evidence-Informed CPD · 60 Hours resourcetherapy.com.au

By Philipa Thornton, BA Psych (Hons), President – Resource Therapy International


Therapists learn best when their nervous systems feel safe. This evidence-informed approach to training blends neuroscience, psychology, and paradise. Discover why Resource Therapy’s 2026 Bali Hybrid Program offers the ideal balance of learning, restoration, and community.

When therapists learn in a calm, sensory-rich environment, something extraordinary happens.

Our brains — and our hearts — open.

As trauma-informed practitioners, we know regulation is the foundation for transformation. Yet many CPD programs are delivered in cold rooms under fluorescent lights, with little time to breathe. The result? Cognitive overload instead of embodied learning.

🌿 The Science Behind Learning in Safety

Neuroscience shows that a regulated nervous system enhances neuroplasticity.
When we feel safe, the prefrontal cortex re-engages, memory consolidates, and creativity rises. Perfect for parts work!

In other words, we don’t just hear new information – we wire it in.

That’s why the 2026 Bali Clinical Resource Therapy Hybrid Training was designed as an immersive retreat rather than a standard classroom course.
It blends online foundations for cognitive understanding with in-person experiential mastery in the lush, grounding landscape of Ubud.

Therapist takeaway: The calmer your own nervous system, the deeper your client’s work becomes.

🧠 Clinical Precision Meets Human Connection

This program restores therapists while they learn. It’s both evidence-informed and neuropsychological, grounded in trauma, memory, and state theory research — yet deeply human and relational. Discover the power of parts work for yourself.

  • Evidence-informed & strength-based: rooted in decades of psychological science.
  • Hybrid design: two online blocks (Feb & Mar 2026) plus a 10-day Bali intensive (June 2026).
  • 60 CPD hours: accredited professional development that feels like self-care.

You’ll learn to diagnose and treat Conflicted, Retro, and Vaded States, apply memory reconsolidation principles, and see how RT fits into many other models despite being a stand alone therapy. Perfectly suited for EMDR, Clinical Hypnotherapists, professionally certified Coaches, DBR, IFS, and somatic mental health clinicians — all while reconnecting with your own calm centre.

🌴 Reserve My Spot for Bali 2026 :

🌴 Why Bali Works

Environment matters.

Ubud’s rhythm naturally supports reflection and restoration. Therapists consistently tell us they return home clearer, calmer, and more clinically confident. With the bonus of the Yoga Barn and beautiful restaurants and cafes only minutes away. Bali Bliss!
The tropical environment isn’t a luxury — it’s an essential part of the learning process.

“It was the most nourishing CPD I’ve ever done.” — Social Worker, Perth

At the Evitel Resort, Ubud, your nervous system gets to exhale while your professional skills expand. This immersion for professional development and tax break offers a genuine reset.

Therapist takeaway: When you feel restored, your clients feel safer with you.

🧭 Your 2026 Training Calendar at a Glance

  • Online Foundations: 22–23 February 2026
  • Bali Intensive: 10–12 June & 15–17 June 2026
  • Advanced Clinical Training (Australia): TBA November 2026
  • Sydney Clinical Program: 22-24 February,22, 23, & 24 March,26 & 27 April, 10 & 11 May 2026

All programs are delivered through the Australian Resource Therapy Institute (ARTI) and count toward full Clinical Certification as the internationally recognised qualification from Resource Therapy International.

Presented by:
Philipa Thornton BA Psych (Hons) – President, Resource Therapy International
Chris Paulin, MA Psychology UNSW – Co-Director, Australia Resource Therapy Institute, with Professor Gordon Emmerson, PhD – Founder of Resource Therapy (special guest appearance, if available).


💛 Final Thought

Therapists give so much of themselves.
This year, gift yourself an experience that gives back.

Reignite your passion, deepen your mastery, and remember what drew you to this work in the first place.

🔗 Related Links

📄 Discover the Bali Clinical Resource Therapy Hybrid Training

📄 Clinical Resource Therapy Online Training

📄 Foundation Resource Therapy Online Training

📄 Master Class Programs Online and In-person Training

❓ Therapist FAQs

Q: Can I attend the Clinical training online?
A: Yes. Resource Therapy’s 2026 Clinical Program offers both a fully online and a Bali hybrid retreat option. Both pathways are accredited and lead to Clinical Certification.

Q: How many CPD hours will I earn?
A: Up to 60 accredited CPD hours, recognised by PACFA, ACA, APS, AASW, and AAPI.

Q: Who is this training for?
A: Therapists, counsellors, and psychologists seeking a structured, trauma-informed, and evidence-based parts therapy model that transforms both therapist and client.


✨ Love That Lasts: A World-Renowned Couples Workshop Comes to Sydney

Philipa Thornton certification badge as Imago Workshop Presenter

Most relationships don’t end because of a lack of love.

They drift apart because they lose the language of connection.

After 1.5 years of advanced training and mentorship (and yes, more than a few late nights and chocolate fixes along the way), I am honoured to share that I am now a certified Imago workshop presenter, accredited to deliver the internationally acclaimed Getting the Love You Want couple’s workshop.

The first in-person Sydney event will be held on 7–8 March 2026. For couples who can’t travel or are balancing parenting and busy lives, we’ll also be offering an online evening option — like a live class you can join from your sofa once the kids are in bed.

💙 Why Couples Choose This Experience

This isn’t ordinary couples counselling, and it’s not relationship therapy. It’s an immersive, experiential weekend that helps partners:

  • Break the cycle of conflict and rediscover safety
  • Reignite intimacy not just sex, but affection, laughter and joy
  • Feel seen and understood in a way that softens defences and opens hearts
  • Move from autopilot to intentional connection, learning a new language of love

And it’s not just for couples in crisis. 

Many attend because things are good, but they want to go even deeper. 

Think of it as relationship coaching at its highest level: a chance to take a good relationship to extraordinary depth.

We live in an age where love is tested by work demands, endless screens, and family pressures. Couples often find themselves “fine” but not fulfilled. Others slip into what I call the silent divorce, living side by side, yet emotionally worlds apart.

This workshop offers an antidote.

It’s where couples pause, breathe, and rediscover the spark that first drew them together.

It’s about love that not only endures but stays passionately alive.

Chris often jokes that when we met through dancing, we weren’t just learning steps we were learning how to lean in, listen and move together. That’s exactly the spirit of this workshop: finding your rhythm again.

Philipa Thornton certification badge as Imago advanced Clinical Therapist in Sydney and on line
  • Proven worldwide – delivered in over 30 countries for more than 40 years
  • Grounded in science – built on neuroscience, attachment theory, and empathy-based tools
  • Safe and private – all core work happens between you and your partner
  • Transformational – many couples describe it as “months of therapy in two days”

And it’s delivered by a partnership, too. Alongside me will be my husband, Chris Paulin, consultant psychologist, co-founder of the Australian Resource Therapy Institute, and co-director of Marriage Works.

Chris has been my steady support throughout this journey (he likes to say he’s my “number one fan and loudest cheer squad”, and he’s right). Together, we bring decades of clinical experience and a shared passion for helping couples heal and thrive.

Do we share personal issues in public?

No. All core work is private with your partner. Demonstrations are sometimes offered so couples can see how the dialogue unfolds. Some choose to volunteer because it helps everyone learn — but it is always optional.

Can I join if I can’t attend in person?

Yes. For those balancing parenting, long work hours, or who live outside Sydney, we offer an online evening format. The same tools and practices are delivered live across several evenings, designed to fit into everyday life.

When is the next workshop?

The first in-person Sydney workshop will be held on 7–8 March 2026. Online evening options will also be available. Early-bird pricing and dates will be released first to the waitlist.

Whether you’re seeking repair after disconnection or wanting to elevate a strong relationship to the next level, this is your invitation to invest in love that lasts.

👉 Join the Sydney launch waitlist now for priority access to the 7–8 March 2026 workshop and early registration for the online evening program. Join the Waitlist Here

This certification is more than a credential; it is a mission. I believe every couple deserves the chance not just to survive together. But to thrive, to experience love that is safe, vibrant, and alive with possibility.

I am deeply grateful to Chris, my husband, co-founder, and constant support, for walking this path with me. Together at Marriage Works and the Australia Resource Therapy Institute, we are committed to helping couples and therapists globally.

Love is the greatest investment you can make.

And in March 2026 in Sydney, we look forward to welcoming couples ready to begin that journey.

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