ARTI Is Now An IICT Approved Training Provider For Resource Therapy Training – Advanced Parts Work in Aussie

Nautical ARTI graphic announcing that the Australia Resource Therapy Institute is now an IICT Approved Training Provider for Resource Therapy training, with navy and gold branding and a sailing image.

A New Chapter For Resource Therapy Training In Australia And Beyond

Some announcements are simply administrative.

This one feels different.

It feels like a moment on deck, when the wind shifts, the sails catch, and you realise the journey has entered a new chapter.

The Australia Resource Therapy Institute is delighted to announce that ARTI is now an official IICT Approved Training Provider.

For our students, graduates, and growing Resource Therapy community, this is more than a professional tick of approval. It is a meaningful step forward in recognition, credibility, and support for therapists choosing to train in one of the most practical, compassionate, and clinically powerful parts therapy models available today.

Led by Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin, ARTI brings together decades of clinical experience, international Resource Therapy leadership, and a warm, practical teaching style that helps therapists feel confident working directly with parts, trauma, anxiety, depression, inner conflict, and complex client presentations.

At ARTI, we have always believed that Resource Therapy deserves to be taught with depth, rigour, warmth, and clinical precision.

Not as a passing trend.

Not as a loose collection of “parts work” ideas.

But as a sophisticated, structured, attachment-informed, trauma-informed clinical model that helps therapists know exactly which part of the client needs help, and what to do next.

IICT approval supports that vision.

And yes, we are celebrating.

Why This Approval Matters

When therapists invest in professional development, they are not just buying a course.

They are investing in confidence.

They are investing in clinical clarity.

They are investing in the hope that the next time a client becomes stuck, shut down, ashamed, conflicted, panicked, avoidant, or overwhelmed, they will have a better map.

That is where Resource Therapy shines.

Resource Therapy helps therapists move beyond vague understandings of “parts” into a clear method for identifying and working directly with the Resource State that is active in the moment.

Instead of asking, “Why is this client resisting?” we begin to ask a far more useful question:

Which part is here now, and what does this part need?

That one shift can change the entire therapy session.

It turns frustration into curiosity.

It turns stuckness into direction.

It turns symptoms into signals.

It turns the therapy room into a place where the right part can finally be met.

IICT approval now gives ARTI trainees and graduates an added layer of professional recognition and support around this important work.

Ready to explore Resource Therapy training?
Visit resourcetherapy.com.au to view upcoming programs.

What Is IICT?

The International Institute for Complementary Therapists, known as IICT, is a professional membership body supporting practitioners and training providers across a wide range of therapeutic, complementary, and integrative modalities.

IICT approval gives recognised training providers a professional pathway through which eligible graduates may apply for IICT membership and, depending on their location, qualifications, scope of practice, and modality, access insurance options through IICT’s recommended partners.

This matters because many therapists today work integratively.

They may be psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, hypnotherapists, EMDR clinicians, somatic therapists, coaches, or mental health professionals expanding their scope through high-quality additional training.

For those practitioners, professional recognition matters.

Insurance pathways matter.

Credibility matters.

And feeling part of a respected professional community matters too.

IICT states that its membership is recognised in many countries worldwide, although recognition and insurance eligibility can vary depending on local laws, professional titles, regional requirements, and insurance partner approval.

As always, each therapist remains responsible for checking what applies to their own profession, registration, location, and scope of practice.

But for ARTI, becoming an IICT Approved Training Provider is a beautiful and important step forward.

What This Means For ARTI Graduates

For graduates of ARTI training, IICT approval may provide access to additional professional support, including:

Professional membership pathways
Recognition of approved training
Insurance options through IICT’s recommended partners
Greater confidence when communicating your training background
Connection with a wider international professional community

For some practitioners, this may be especially helpful if Resource Therapy sits alongside other modalities within a broader private practice.

For others, it may help strengthen their professional identity as they bring parts-based therapy more visibly into their work.

And for many, it simply offers reassurance.

A sense of, “Yes, this training is recognised. Yes, this pathway is supported. Yes, I am part of something growing.”

That is no small thing.

Therapists do courageous work.

You sit with trauma, grief, shame, anxiety, depression, attachment pain, avoidance, betrayal, inner conflict, and the tender places clients often cannot name.

You deserve training that supports you well.

And you deserve professional recognition around the skills you have worked so hard to develop.

Why Resource Therapy Is Growing

There is a reason so many therapists are becoming interested in parts therapy.

Clients are complex.

Human beings are not one simple, consistent self.

A person may genuinely want connection, and then suddenly pull away.

They may long for success, and then sabotage the next step.

They may love their partner, and also attack, withdraw, freeze, or collapse.

They may understand something intellectually, yet still feel hijacked by fear, shame, anger, or confusion.

Resource Therapy gives therapists a way to understand these shifts without pathologising the client.

In Resource Therapy, we understand that different Resource States may carry different memories, learnings, emotions, roles, and protective strategies.

The “Captain of the Moment” can change.

And when the Captain changes, the client’s inner world can feel completely different.

This is not weakness.

It is not manipulation.

It is not resistance.

It is the inner system trying to survive, protect, avoid pain, or complete unfinished emotional business.

Resource Therapy gives us a respectful and precise way to work with that system.

What Makes Resource Therapy Different?

Many therapists are familiar with the general idea of “parts work.”

But Resource Therapy offers something beautifully practical: a clear map and a direct method.

Rather than spending long periods talking about parts from a distance, Resource Therapy teaches therapists how to work directly with the Resource State that needs help.

It includes clear clinical diagnosis of Resource State conditions, including Vaded States, Retro States, Conflicted States, and Dissonant States.

It offers the 15 Treatment Actions, giving therapists a practical pathway for choosing the right intervention for the right part at the right time.

And importantly, it is not just conceptual.

It is experiential.

It is alive.

It is often deeply moving.

Clients frequently feel profound relief when the part that has been carrying distress is finally heard, understood, and helped.

For the therapist, Resource Therapy can bring something equally powerful: clarity.

That precious moment when you know where you are in the work.

You know which part is present.

You know what kind of distress is being held.

And you know the next therapeutic step.

That is the kind of confidence therapists remember.

Why ARTI Sought IICT Approval

At ARTI, we are not only training therapists in Resource Therapy.

We are helping build the professional future of Resource Therapy in Australia and internationally.

That means holding the work carefully.

It means maintaining quality.

It means teaching the model with respect for its founder, Professor Gordon Emmerson, PhD, while continuing to make it accessible, practical, and clinically relevant for today’s therapists.

It means supporting students not only during training, but as they take the work into real therapy rooms with real clients.

IICT approval aligns with that larger mission.

It strengthens our professional framework.

It adds recognition for our graduates.

It helps Resource Therapy stand more visibly within the wider therapeutic landscape.

And it reminds us that this work is growing because therapists are hungry for methods that are both compassionate and effective.

Guided By Experienced Clinicians And Trainers

Behind ARTI is a deeply human story.

The Australia Resource Therapy Institute is led by Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin, two experienced psychologists, trainers, and clinicians who have spent decades helping people understand, heal, and transform the inner patterns that shape their lives.

Philipa Thornton is a psychologist, President of Resource Therapy International, Co-Director of the Australia Resource Therapy Institute, and a Master Trainer and Consultant in Resource Therapy. She is also trained in EMDR, Deep Brain Reorienting, and Imago Relationship Therapy, bringing a rich, integrative, trauma-informed, and attachment-informed lens to her teaching.

Chris Paulin is a consultant psychologist with more than 40 years of clinical experience, and brings deep wisdom, steadiness, humour, and clinical insight to the training room.

Together, Philipa and Chris create a learning environment that is practical, safe, engaging, and deeply respectful of both therapist and client.

Their teaching is not simply theoretical.

It comes from years of sitting with real clients, real couples, real trauma, real complexity, and real human pain.

That is part of what makes ARTI training so distinctive.

Students do not just learn the Resource Therapy model. They learn how to think clinically, respond compassionately, and work directly with the Resource State that needs help.

Philipa and Chris bring the work alive through case examples, live teaching, demonstrations, practical exercises, and the now well-loved ARTI ship metaphor.

In this model, the client’s inner world is like a ship, with different Resource States coming to the helm as the “Captain of the Moment.” Some parts are confident and capable. Some are frightened, ashamed, avoidant, angry, conflicted, or overwhelmed. Resource Therapy helps therapists understand which part has taken the helm, and what that part needs in order to heal.

This is where ARTI training becomes more than professional development.

It becomes a way of seeing clients with more compassion.

A way of understanding complexity without overwhelm.

A way of helping therapists feel clearer, steadier, and more effective in the room.

With IICT approval now adding another layer of professional recognition, Philipa and Chris are delighted to continue sharing Resource Therapy with therapists in Australia and around the world.

Resource Therapy Training With ARTI

ARTI offers a clear training pathway for therapists who want to learn Resource Therapy with depth and confidence.

The Foundation Certificate In Resource Therapy is a two-day introductory program. It introduces the core concepts of Resource Therapy, including Resource States, the Conscious State, pathology, diagnosis, and the foundational principles of working directly with parts.

The Clinical Resource Therapy Certification Program is the full ten-day clinical training pathway. It includes the Foundation Program and then expands into deeper clinical application, including the 15 Treatment Actions, Vaded States, Retro States, Conflicted States, Dissonant States, trauma, anxiety, depression, stuckness, avoidance, and complex clinical presentations.

The Advanced Clinical Training is designed for experienced Resource Therapists who are ready to deepen their clinical mastery, refine their precision, and expand their confidence with more complex work. Our next Advanced Clinical Training begins in November.

These programs are designed for therapists who want more than theory.

They are for practitioners who want to sit with a client and think:

“I know how to help this part.”

A Moment Worth Celebrating

This approval is a proud moment for ARTI.

But the real celebration is not the badge.

The real celebration is the ripple effect.

It is every therapist who feels more confident walking into session.

It is every client whose frightened part is finally met with compassion.

It is every protective part that no longer has to work so hard.

It is every moment when shame softens, confusion clears, grief speaks, anger finds its rightful place, and the client’s inner crew begins to work together again.

That is the work.

That is the mission.

That is why this recognition matters.

Resource Therapy is growing because therapists can feel its usefulness in the room.

They can see the shift.

They can feel the relief.

They can witness the moment a client says:

“That makes sense now.”

And once you have seen that, you do not forget it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ARTI an IICT-approved training provider?

Yes. The Australia Resource Therapy Institute is now an official IICT Approved Training Provider for Resource Therapy training.

What Does IICT Approval Mean For Resource Therapy Graduates?

IICT approval may support professional recognition, membership pathways, and insurance options for eligible graduates. Requirements can vary depending on each practitioner’s location, qualifications, scope of practice, and professional registration.

Does IICT Approval Replace Professional Registration?

No. IICT approval does not replace any legally required professional registration, licence, or protected professional title. Therapists should always check the requirements that apply to their profession and region.

Who Can Study Resource Therapy With ARTI?

Resource Therapy training is suitable for qualified psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, hypnotherapists, and eligible mental health professionals who want to deepen their work with parts, trauma, anxiety, depression, inner conflict, and complex client presentations.

When Is The Next Resource Therapy Training?

The Clinical Resource Therapy Certification Program begins this June, and Advanced Clinical Training begins in November.

Come On Board

If you have been feeling called to deepen your work with parts, trauma, anxiety, depression, inner conflict, relationship wounds, avoidance, or stuck protective patterns, this is a wonderful time to explore Resource Therapy training.

ARTI is now an IICT Approved Training Provider.

Our crew is growing.

The work is strengthening.

And Resource Therapy is taking its place as a powerful, practical, and deeply compassionate model for therapeutic change.

Clinical Resource Therapy Certification Program – commencing this June
Advanced Clinical Training – commencing this November

Explore upcoming training with the Australia Resource Therapy Institute:

resourcetherapy.com.au

Australia Resource Therapy Institute
Training therapists in the art and science of Resource Therapy.

Phew it was worth it drafts back and forth Yay! Philipa

A Psychologist Explains Parts Work: The Secret to Turning Internal Clashes Into Smooth Sailing

A diverse multi-ethnic crew of smiling friends standing together on the sunny deck of a sailing boat on open blue water representing aligned personality parts in Resource Therapy.

Ever feel like you’re a walking, talking contradiction? One minute you’re a calm, confident professional leading a high-stakes meeting, and the next you’re completely overwhelmed by a minor bit of critical feedback, feeling like a misunderstood child.
If that sounds familiar, let’s clear something up right now: You haven’t lost your marbles. You’ve just got a lively internal crew on deck, and a couple of your personality “parts” are clashing.

A historic masted tall ship navigating dark choppy ocean waters under a dramatic stormy sky representing psychological conflict and parts work therapy similar to IFA.
When your internal crew is out of sync, it feels like navigating a violent psychological storm.. Source: Pngtree

As psychologists and global parts therapy trainers, we believe the most misunderstood, under-utilised form of human intelligence isn’t something measured on a standard cognitive test.
It’s your Internal Intelligence. It’s how well you know, respect, and steer the different emotional parts living inside you.

When these parts engage in an internal tug-of-war, it feels like your ship is caught in a violent squall. Here is what is actually going on beneath deck, and how parts work can help get your inner crew working in brilliant harmony across Australia, New Zealand, and internationally.

The Myth of the “Single Self”

An antique vintage maritime navigation chart displaying complex ocean routes and a detailed compass rose mapping out personality parts framework.
Your personality isn’t a single point on a map; it’s a vast, interconnected network of internal routes and destinations. Source: StockCake


We are taught from childhood that we have one single, uniform personality. But our everyday language tells a completely different story. Think about how often you say things like:

  • “A part of me really wants to apply for that promotion, but another part is terrified of failing.”
  • “I don’t know why I snapped like that—that part of me just took over.”
    The reality? You aren’t just one lonely sailor on deck; your personality is made up of a whole inner crew. In the psychological framework of Resource Therapy (RT), we call these facets your Resource States or parts.

Every single part stepped on board for an excellent reason: to handle a specific life situation. You have an analytical part for work, a playful adventurer for friends, and a fiercely protective lookout who watches for danger.
Ideally, your ship should operate under a beautifully clear system: The Normal Condition.

The Normal Benchmark: This is the ultimate goal for every single member of your inner crew.

A “Normal” part is completely healthy, grounded, and acting appropriately for the *here and now*. When a part is in this state, it steps up as the absolute best Captain of the Moment to suit the occasion, fully armed with the necessary skills to navigate your current reality smoothly. But just like a real ship crew, sometimes your inner parts get tired, hurt, or stuck in ancient patterns, throwing the whole vessel off course.

The Four Internal Clashes Potentially Sabotaging Your Life Voyage

When our internal intelligence breaks down, it’s usually because an everyday adult part has slipped into a part not equipped for the journey. If you feel like you are constantly fighting your own ship, look closely at these four common patterns:

1. The Vaded Parts (Trapped in Old Storms)

These are parts of your crew that have become flooded (vaded) by intense, unresolved emotions from past shipwrecks. They are stuck in an emotional time loop.

  • Vaded in Fear: Flooded with old trauma, keeping your inner lookout in a state of constant anxiety and hyper-vigilance.
  • Vaded in Rejection (The “Not Enough” Part): Carrying deep feelings of inadequacy and shame, causing this part to withdraw to the lower decks.
  • Vaded in Disappointment: Operating with a low-energy, hopeless tone that mutters, “What’s the point? Abandon ship.”
  • Vaded in Confusion: Trapped in endless rumination, looping guilt, or blame.

2. The Retro Parts (Outdated Navigation Software)

These parts are running on ancient, overlearned habits that no longer serve your current voyage.

  • Retro Original: Old, automated behaviours your other parts dislike, like nail-biting, or defensive snapping under pressure.
  • Retro Avoiding (The Numbing & Scrolling Part): Numbing strategies, like mindlessly scrolling your phone for hours or reaching for an extra glass of wine, are designed entirely to push uncomfortable feelings deep down into the cargo hold.

3. The Conflicted Parts (The Internal Tug-of-War)

This is classic psychological paralysis. Two of your internal parts are vehemently competing for the steering wheel with opposite goals. One part wants to speak up boldly and steer forward; the other is afraid of rocking the boat with conflict and locks your jaw, freezing the rudder.

4. The Dissonant Parts (Wrong Sailor at the Wheel)

This happens when an otherwise capable part shows up at the wrong station. Imagine your strict, hyper-analytical “corporate manager” part hijacking the wheel during a relaxed, romantic weekend away. Planning the next business decision in the boardroom. It’s an excellent, highly skilled part, but it’s in the completely wrong role for the current waters. Here, your romantic ‘partner’ part will be best to be in the driver’s seat.

🧭 Interactive Tool: Map Your Inner Crew

Want to see how your own internal team operates? Click below to try our live interactive parts passport. You can adjust the state of your inner crew to see exactly who takes the wheel as your Captain of the Moment. The link below opens up Philipa’s parts passport as a PDF file.

👉 Try the Inner Crew Parts Passport


Smooth Sailing Ahead: Review and Repair

True psychological agility isn’t about tossing challenging parts overboard or fighting yourself. Mutiny never brought peace to a ship. Instead, effective parts work is all about a supportive process of review and repair.

Our primary aim at Resource Therapy is to step in, compass in hand, to safely review what each part needs, repair the old distress, and guide them back to their healthy, Normal condition.

⚓ The Journey from Mutiny to Harmony

Where You Are Now (Current Reality)The Healing Voyage (Our Steps)Where We Are Steering (Desired Reality)
Flooded Parts: Anchored in past distress.1. Identify & Review: Meet the part with compassion.Smooth Sailing: An internal ship that glides effortlessly.
Internal Mutiny: Parts fighting for control.2. Repair Old Pain: Safely unburden and heal the hurt.The Right Captain: The perfect state leading at the perfect time.
Stuck in Habits: Outdated coping mechanisms.3. Return to “Normal”: Anchor the part back in the present.Total Alignment: A crew that works together beautifully.


We don’t try to eliminate your protective or anxious parts. We listen to them. We help the *Vaded* parts safely release their old pain, we negotiate peace treaties between *Conflicted* parts, and we guide the *Dissonant* parts back to the roles where they actually thrive.
The ultimate goal is beautifully simple: ensuring that whatever waters life throws you into, the part acting as the Captain of the Moment is returned to its healthy, normal state, perfectly suited to the occasion, completely grounded, and armed with the exact skills you need to navigate ahead.

A diverse multi-ethnic crew of smiling friends standing together on the sunny deck of a sailing boat on open blue water representing aligned personality parts in Resource Therapy.
The ultimate goal of Resource Therapy: An aligned internal crew holding clear passports, working together seamlessly under the Captain of the Moment.. Source: Lydia Paleschi

Meet the Captains of Global Resource Therapy

Bringing harmony to your inner crew requires a safe, experienced, and deeply compassionate pair of hands. That’s where we come in.

As the leading global authorities on Resource Therapy, Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin bring decades of combined clinical expertise, warmth, and down-to-earth kindness to this profound parts-work framework. Operating from our hub in Sydney, Australia, we oversee the growth of this transformative therapy worldwide as the directors of the Australia Resource Therapy Institute and leading voices for Resource Therapy International.

Our mission is to ensure every part of you gets the stamp of validation it deserves, making this fast, respectful, and powerful clinical tool accessible to therapists and clients everywhere.

Whether you are looking to book a personal consultation to find your own internal alignment or you’re a practitioner ready to revolutionise your clinical practice, we are here to support you every nautical mile of the way.

Ready to update your passports? If you are looking for a psychologist in Sydney, or you are based anywhere across Australia or New Zealand and want to experience the rapid, life-changing shift of parts work, explore our global directory to find a certified Clinical Resource Therapist near you.

For practitioners in Australia and NZ ready to upgrade your clinical toolkit with world-class expertise, join Philipa and Chris in our upcoming professional training cohorts online and in person. Secure your passport to advanced clinical excellence on our workshop training page here.

About the Authors


Philipa Thornton & Chris Paulin are General/ Consultant Psychologists, senior international trainers, and founders of the Australia Resource Therapy Institute (ARTI). As the President and Treasurer, they are on the executive committee of Resource Therapy International. They specialise in helping individuals and practitioners master advanced parts work to create rapid, lasting emotional healing.

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