By Philipa Thornton | Australian Resource Therapy Institute
A couple sits in front of you. One partner shuts down, eyes glazed. The other leans forward, voice rising in frustration. The air is heavy.
As the therapist, your chest tightens. Do you try dialogue? Do you redirect? Do you wait?
This is trauma in the room. And it’s the kind of moment that Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC-ACS, has spent her career helping therapists navigate.
📺 Watch the interview on The Resourceful Therapist
On our YouTube channel, The Resourceful Therapist, I sat down with Maureen for a powerful conversation about trauma, dissociation, and couples therapy.
Maureen holds a Masters in Counselling Psychology and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Approved Clinical Supervisor in British Columbia. For over 30 years, she has guided therapists in staying grounded when trauma and dissociation collide with relationship pain. We are so grateful to have her visiting us in Sydney!
In this special feature, Maureen shares:
- Why trauma shows up in almost every couple’s story.
- How dissociation is often misinterpreted as stonewalling or abandonment.
- A live mini-exercise you can use tomorrow to restore safety in session.
- A preview of her signature 3 R’s Trauma-Informed Couples Framework™.
👉 Watch the full interview here: The Resourceful Therapist
Trauma-informed couples therapy: why it matters now
Traditional models like Imago, EFT, or Gottman all offer powerful tools. But without a trauma lens, even the best interventions can falter.
- EFT can stall when a partner dissociates.
- Gottman repair attempts collapse if the nervous system is flooded.
- Imago dialogue breaks down if safety isn’t restored first.
What therapists need now is a multi-modal, trauma-informed approach — one that honours both the nervous system and the couple’s bond.
That’s exactly what Maureen brings: an integrative method that combines Imago, Gottman, somatic trauma therapies, and her 3 R’s Trauma-Informed Couples Framework™.
Dissociation in relationships: what therapists need to know
Many of us have seen it:
- A partner “goes blank” during conflict – frozen.
- Another escalates, desperate for a response – fight response.
- Both feel misunderstood, abandoned, or attacked.
What looks like rejection is often a survival strategy.
What looks like anger may be fear in disguise.
As Maureen puts it: “When we understand trauma as survival, we stop pathologising and start creating safety with polyvagal tools. That’s when healing becomes possible.”
The hidden challenge: loneliness in practice
Private practice can be deeply rewarding. But it can also be lonely.
We carry the most painful stories, often with no team around us. When trauma and relational distress collide, it can feel overwhelming to hold it all by ourselves.
That’s why the Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection workshop is more than CPD. It’s a gathering of colleagues who “get it.” A rare chance to step out of isolation, learn together, and leave feeling not only more skilled, but also more supported.
Sydney CPD workshop: Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection
🧠 Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection with Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC-ACS
📍 Crows Nest Community Centre, Sydney
📅 8–9 November 2025 | 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
🎓 12 CPD Hours (PACFA, ACA, APS, AASW, ASCH, AAPI)
Over two immersive days, you will:
- Identify how trauma and dissociation shape couple dynamics.
- Apply trauma-informed interventions in moments of escalation or withdrawal.
- Integrate methods from Imago Relationship Therapy , EFT, Gottman, PACT, creative arts, and somatic approaches.
- Strengthen your own presence and regulation in high-intensity sessions.
- Reduce burnout while holding complex trauma stories.
- Practise experiential tools that restore connection, not just communication.
Seats are limited to 50 therapists only to preserve intimacy and depth of experiential learning.
👉 Secure your place now: https://resourcetherapy.com.au/professional-training/master-classes/
