Resource Therapy Clinical Training Program: What Bali reminded us about parts work and clinical confidence.

Resource Therapy training graphic about Bali, parts work, case conceptualisation and a clinical roadmap for therapists interested in parts work.

Resource Therapy training helps psychologists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, Clinical Hypnotherapists, EMDR therapists, and trauma-informed practitioners learn a structured parts therapy model. With easily learned case conceptualisation, diagnostic conditions of parts holding distressing emotions, broken behaviours, and blocking beliefs, acting out parts are assisted toward resolution. With 15 Treatment Actions, to guide you as your therapeutic, practical, clinical roadmap.

Resource Therapy training graphic about Bali, parts work, case conceptualisation and a clinical roadmap for therapists interested in parts work.

There are many ways to talk about parts. A client may say, “Part of me wants to move forward, but another part keeps pulling me back, afraid.”

As a therapist, you may hear the conflict immediately.

The language makes sense. The client feels understood.

And yet, one important clinical question remains.

What Do We Do Next?

This is where many therapists become interested in Resource Therapy.

Not because they need another beautiful idea.

But because they want a clinically practical way to work with parts.

They want a parts therapy model that helps them understand which part is present, what condition that part is in, and what therapeutic action may be needed next.

They want theory.

They want case conceptualisation.

They want a treatment roadmap.

They want parts therapy that feels respectful, structured and clinically usable in the therapy room.

That was one of the strongest reminders from our recent Clinical Resource Therapy training in Bali.

The psychologists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and trauma-informed practitioners who attended were not simply looking for inspiration.

They were looking for clarity and a course of action to support client led goals.

They wanted an affordable, structured and clinically robust parts therapy model that could be brought back into real clinical practice.

And this is where Resource Therapy offers something distinctive.

Resource Therapy helps therapists turn parts work from a beautiful idea into a clinically usable roadmap.

Bali, Learning and the Power of Taking Time Out for Learning

There is something very special about teaching Resource Therapy in Bali.

Perhaps it is the warmth of the people. In Indonesia, Ramah, which means a hospitality of a welcoming group.

Perhaps it is the beauty of the setting, the jungle, the pools, the massages, the food in paradise.

Perhaps it is the rhythm of the training days, where therapists step away from the pace of ordinary clinical life and enter a space dedicated to learning, reflection and practice.

Or perhaps Bali simply makes it easier to remember something important.

Therapists need spaces where they can breathe, think deeply and reconnect with why they do this work.

In Bali, we watched clinicians lean into the model with curiosity and courage.

They asked thoughtful questions.

They reflected on real clients.

They practised.

They laughed.

They stretched.

They recognised familiar clinical moments through a new lens.

And again and again, we saw that quiet shift that happens when a therapist begins to think:

“This makes sense, I love the structure.”

“I can see how I would use this.”

“This gives me a way forward with my clients”

That is the moment Resource Therapy begins to land.

Not only as a theory.

But as a clinical map.

Who is this Parts Therapy Training for?

Resource Therapy training is designed for psychologists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, EMDR therapists, trauma-informed practitioners, Clinical Hypnotherapists, and other mental health professionals who want a structured and practical approach to parts therapy.

It is especially relevant for clinicians working with trauma, anxiety, depression, attachment wounds, internal conflict, procrastination, avoidance, blocking, shame, anger, self-sabotage and protective responses.

Many therapists are already using parts language in some form.

Clients often naturally describe their inner world this way.

“Part of me knows I am safe, but another part still feels terrified.”

“Part of me wants the relationship, but another part shuts down.”

“Part of me understands the problem, but another part keeps doing it.”

“Part of me wants to start, but another part blocks me.”

For clients, this language can feel relieving.

It gives shape to inner conflict.

It can reduce shame.

It can help a person understand that they are not broken or irrational, but internally divided.

For therapists, parts work can offer a compassionate and powerful way to understand complexity.

But compassion alone is not always enough.

A therapist may recognise that a client is working with parts and still wonder:

Which part is active right now?

Which part is carrying the distress?

Which part is protecting the system?

Which part has outdated information?

Which part is in conflict?

Which part needs therapeutic attention first?

And once that part is identified, what do I actually do?

This is the gap Resource Therapy addresses.

Resource Therapy is not simply a language for parts.

It is a model of personality.

It offers a way to understand Resource States our personality parts, and how to assess their condition, conceptualise the case presentation, and choose an appropriate treatment action directed by your clients goals for change.

For therapists who want parts work to feel less vague and more clinically usable, this can be a profound relief.

From Insight to Change

Most therapists sense the moment when a client has insight, and yet the pattern continues.

The client says:

“I know why I do this.”

“I understand where it comes from.”

“I know I am safe now.”

“I know I need to stop.”

“I really do want to change.”

And yet, the pattern remains.

This can be frustrating for the client.

It can also be quietly frustrating for the therapist.

From a Resource Therapy perspective, this makes sense.

The part of the client who understands the problem may not be the part carrying the fear, rejection, shame, grief, anger, confusion, attachment pain or protective response.

Insight may be held by one Resource State.

Distress may be held by another.

The part that wants change may not be the part that is blocking change.

The part that can talk calmly about the problem may not be the part that needs therapeutic attention.

When therapists understand this, something softens.

The client is no longer “resistant”.

The therapy is not “stuck” because the client is unwilling.

Instead, the therapist becomes curious.

Which part is at the helm?

What is that part trying to do?

What is it afraid would happen if it changed?

What condition is it in?

What does it need now?

This shift is deeply respectful.

It moves us away from blame and towards precision.

A Clinical Roadmap for Parts Therapy in Ten Days

One of the reasons therapists value Resource Therapy is that it gives structure to complexity.

The model offers a theory of personality, a diagnostic framework, case conceptualisation and theory lead Treatment Actions.

This matters.

How often as therapist have you been there sitting with trauma, anxiety, depression, procrastination, internal conflict, shame, attachment wounds or protective blocking? It can be easy to feel pulled into the complexity of the client’s story. Maybe even lost not knowing where to from here.

Resource Therapy helps the therapist listen differently.

Rather than only asking, “What happened?”

The therapist knows, “Which Resource State is present now?”

Rather than only asking, “Why is this pattern repeating?”

The therapist is aware and has access to, “Which part is carrying outdated information, distress or protection?”

Rather than relying on intuition alone, you the therapist has a treatment roadmap.

That roadmap does not replace clinical judgement.

It supports it.

It does not replace the therapeutic relationship.

It strengthens it.

It does not make therapy mechanical.

It helps the therapist stay oriented, attuned and purposeful.

For many clinicians, this is the missing piece.

Resource Therapy gives them a way to move from:

“I think this is a parts issue.”

To:

“I understand which part is present, what condition it is in, and what therapeutic action may be needed next.”

That is a very different place to work from.

Feeling Called to Learn Resource Therapy?

Our Clinical Resource Therapy Program gives therapists a structured way to understand parts, conceptualise cases and apply the 15 Treatment Actions in clinical practice.

The program is designed for mental health professionals who want an affordable, practical and theory-based parts therapy model that can support clinical clarity and confidence.

Enquire about Resource Therapy training

Why Returning to the Parts Model Matters

After completing our Bali Clinical Resource Therapy training, we have now begun our next online Clinical Resource Therapy Program.

It has been beautiful to see the learning continue.

Some participants are beginning their Resource Therapy journey for the first time.

Others are returning through our special resit and refresher offer, choosing to revisit the Clinical Program with fresh clinical experience, new questions and a deeper appreciation of the work.

We love this.

Because returning is not remedial.

Returning is mastery.

The first time a therapist learns Resource Therapy, they are often taking in the language, structure and treatment actions.

They are learning the map.

But once they begin using the model with clients, new questions naturally arise.

A client presentation suddenly reminds them of a Resource State condition.

A protective part blocks the work.

A therapist wonders whether they are working with the right part.

A treatment action makes sense in theory, but feels more complex in practice.

Then, when they return to the training, they hear it differently.

A demonstration lands more deeply.

A question becomes more precise.

A treatment action that once felt technical begins to feel clinically elegant.

A case they have been holding in mind suddenly becomes clearer.

This is why resitting and refreshing can be so valuable.

The model deepens because the therapist has changed.

They are no longer learning Resource Therapy only as theory.

They are learning it through the lived experience of their clinical work.

Already Trained in Resource Therapy?

Past graduates are welcome to ask about our special resit and refresher options.

Returning to the Clinical Resource Therapy Program can be a valuable way to refresh the 15 Treatment Actions, revisit case conceptualisation and strengthen confidence in applying the model with real clients.

Returning is not remedial.

It is a pathway to fluency, confidence and mastery.

From Bali to Online Learning

Bali gave us immersion, connection and depth. A community, new friendships, experiences and deepening of connection.

Our online Clinical Resource Therapy Program now offers continuity, structure and access.

For many therapists, live online training makes it possible to learn deeply without needing to travel.

They can join from their own practice, their own city and their own professional context.

They can bring their real clinical questions.

They can revisit the material between training days.

They can absorb, practise, reflect and return.

And because Resource Therapy is a structured model, it lends itself beautifully to progressive learning.

Therapists build the model step by step.

They learn the theory of personality.

They learn to recognise Resource State conditions.

They learn case conceptualisation.

They learn the 15 Treatment Actions.

They learn how to think clinically about which part needs attention, what that part needs and how to proceed.

Over time, the therapist begins to feel more confident.

Not because every session becomes simple.

But because complexity becomes more understandable.

Taught by Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin

Resource Therapy training with the Australia Resource Therapy Institute is taught by Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin.

Philipa Thornton is President of Resource Therapy International, a psychologist, Master Trainer and Consultant in Resource Therapy.

Chris Paulin is a Consultant Psychologist and International Resource Therapy Trainer.

Together, Philipa and Chris as a husband and wife team teach Resource Therapy through the Australia Resource Therapy Institute, offering live online and in-person training for mental health professionals who want a structured, compassionate and clinically practical approach to parts therapy.

For Therapists New to Resource Therapy

For therapists beginning the Clinical Resource Therapy Program, welcome from Chris and I.

You are entering a model that offers a clear and compassionate way to understand clients who feel stuck, conflicted, overwhelmed or unable to move forward despite insight.

Resource Therapy helps therapists work directly with the part of the personality that needs help.

Not just the part that can talk about the problem.

Not just the part that understands the story.

Not just the part that wants change.

But the Resource State carrying the distress, protection, conflict or outdated information.

For many clinicians, this brings a new level of clarity into the therapy room.

It gives you, the therapist a practical way to conceptualise cases, identify the part at the helm and choose the treatment action that fits.

And for your clients, this can feel profoundly relieving.

Instead of being seen as difficult, resistant or self-sabotaging. RT understands us as having parts of the personality system, who are trying to help, protect or survive with information that may no longer be necessary.

That understanding opens the door to more respectful and targeted therapeutic work.

For Past Graduates Considering a Refresher

If you have trained in Resource Therapy or even when Gordon Emmerson was teaching Ego State Therapy, before and have been thinking, “I would love to feel more confident using this again,” this may be a beautiful time to return.

Our current online Clinical Resource Therapy Program has already begun, and several past participants are joining us through our special resit and refresher offer.

You may want to refresh the 15 Treatment Actions.

You may want to revisit case conceptualisation.

You may want to strengthen your confidence in identifying which part is at the helm.

You may want to feel clearer when working with trauma, anxiety, depression, attachment wounds, procrastination, internal conflict or protective blocking.

Or you may simply want to sit inside the learning again and remember why Resource Therapy mattered to you in the first place.

All of those are good reasons.

Clinical confidence is built through repetition, reflection and practice.

And parts therapy becomes more powerful when therapists have both a compassionate lens and a clear roadmap. If this fits with your heart and story as a therapist we’d love to meet you.

Continuing the Journey

Bali reminded us that therapist training is not only about acquiring new techniques.

It is about becoming more attuned.

More precise.

More confident.

More able to meet the client where the pain, protection or conflict actually lives.

As our online Clinical Resource Therapy Program continues, we feel deeply grateful to be walking alongside both new and returning participants.

To our Bali graduates, thank you for your openness, courage and willingness to learn deeply.

To our current online Clinical group, welcome.

And to past graduates considering returning for a refresher, we would love to have you with us.

Sometimes the next step in mastery is not learning something entirely new.

Sometimes it is returning to the work that already changed the way you see your clients and allowing it to deepen.

Interested in Resource Therapy training?

If you are a psychologist, clinical psychologist, counsellor, psychotherapist, EMDR therapist or trauma-informed practitioner looking for a structured, affordable and clinically practical parts therapy model, we warmly invite you to explore Resource Therapy training with the Australia Resource Therapy Institute.

Our Clinical Resource Therapy Program offers a theory of personality, case conceptualisation, diagnosis and the 15 Treatment Actions as a practical treatment roadmap.

New participants are welcome to enquire about future training dates.

Past graduates are welcome to ask about our special resit and refresher options.

Resource Therapy gives therapists a way to understand which part is present, what that part needs and how to work with the personality system more directly, respectfully and effectively.

New to Resource Therapy? Ask us about the next Clinical intake.

Previously trained? Ask about returning as a refresher.

To enquire about Resource Therapy training, future Clinical Program dates or refresher options, please contact Australia Resource Therapy Institute.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Resource Therapy training?

Resource Therapy training teaches mental health professionals a structured and ethical way to work with parts of the personality. It includes a theory of personality, case conceptualisation, diagnosis and the 15 Treatment Actions as a practical clinical roadmap.

Who is Resource Therapy training for?

Resource Therapy training is suitable for psychologists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, EMDR therapists, trauma-informed practitioners and other mental health professionals seeking a practical parts therapy model.

How is Resource Therapy different from general parts work?

Resource Therapy is more than parts language. It provides a structured model of personality, a diagnostic framework, case conceptualisation and specific treatment actions to guide clinical decision-making.

What are the 15 Treatment Actions in Resource Therapy?

The 15 Treatment Actions are the clinical roadmap used in Resource Therapy to guide therapeutic work with different Resource State conditions. They help therapists understand what action may be needed once the relevant part has been identified.

Can I return to Resource Therapy training as a refresher?

Yes. Past graduates may enquire about special resit and refresher options. Many therapists find that returning to the Clinical Resource Therapy Program helps deepen confidence, fluency and clinical application.

Is Resource Therapy training available online?

Yes. Australia Resource Therapy Institute offers live online Clinical Resource Therapy training as well as in-person training opportunities. Online training allows therapists to learn progressively while bringing real clinical questions from their practice.

What Makes Resource Therapy as a Parts Work Model Special ?

A cinematic Resource Therapy graphic showing a calm captain at the helm of a wooden ship, surrounded by Australian animal crew members representing different Resource States. The sea shifts from stormy to calm golden light, symbolising movement from distress to clarity. The image reflects Resource Therapy’s Australian origins, parts-based framework, and structured clinical map for trauma-informed healing.Philipa Thornton A therapist-like captain at the helm of a ship with Australian animal crew members, symbolising Resource Therapy as an Australian parts therapy model with a clear clinical map.

Ok I will admit my bias as President of RTI here. While most therapies help clients talk about the problem..

Resource Therapy helps therapists speak directly with the part of the person that is carrying it. The one holding stuck emotions, outdated coping behaviours or old shame.

That is the clinical elegance of Resource Therapy. And I think one of the reasons it is gaining attention among psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and trauma-informed practitioners globally.

Developed in Australia by Professor Gordon Emmerson, PhD. I love this ! Resource Therapy grew from the lineage of Ego State Therapy. Gordon has developed RT into it’s own distinctive model. Indeed RT is often referred to as Advanced Ego State Therapy for this very reason.

Through Gordon’s many  books, including Ego State Therapy, Healthy Parts Happy Self, Resource Therapy Primer, Resource Therapy, Learn Resource Therapy, and Therapist Gold we see this.

Gordon Emmerson offers therapists a practical, structured, and deeply respectful way to understand personality as a system of inner Resource States – our inner crew.

These states are not “broken parts.” They are inner resources.

Some are confident, calm, loving, creative, or competent. Others carry old pain, fear, rejection, confusion, avoidance, anger, disappointment, or conflict.

In Resource Therapy, symptoms are not treated as random pathology. They are understood as signals that a particular state is active, distressed, protective, or stuck in an old emotional learning.

That is where the model becomes powerful.

Resource Therapy gives therapists a clear clinical road map. Rather than asking, “What is wrong with this person?” RT asks:

Which part is at the helm?
What is this Resource State carrying?
What does this state need in order to heal, update, or relax?

This creates a more compassionate and precise therapy process.

A client may present with anxiety, but the real work may be with a Vaded State carrying fear. Client’s may describe depression, but the therapist may discover a state holding disappointment or rejection. A client who avoids closeness may not be “resistant” at all. They may have a Retro Avoiding State trying to protect them from old attachment wounds. Couples may appear locked in conflict, when underneath the fight are hurt states longing for safety, connection, and repair.

This is what makes Resource Therapy so useful in trauma work, relationship therapy, addictions, shame, anxiety, depression, and stuck therapeutic patterns. It does not leave therapists guessing. It offers a structured framework of diagnosis and treatment actions, so the clinician can identify the active state and choose the next therapeutic step with confidence.

Resource Therapy is also beautifully Australian in spirit. Which is why we use Aussie animals, and me being a kiwi a few from NZ too.

It is practical, direct, warm, and down-to-earth.

It does not overcomplicate healing. Instead it simplifies.

It gives therapists language clients can understand and targetted interventions that can create meaningful change in session.

At the Australia Resource Therapy Institute, we often describe the model through the ship and crew metaphor. The person is not one flat, fixed self. They are more like a ship with many crew members. Sometimes the wise, steady Captain is at the helm. At other times, a frightened, rejected, angry, confused, or protective crew member takes over the wheel.

Recognising the Captain of the moment who is driving is a key skill.

Resource Therapy helps the therapist meet that crew member with respect, not judgment. And then, gently and precisely, help the right part heal.

That is what makes Resource Therapy special.

It is not just another parts model – similar, yes, to IFS, EGO State Therapy, and Voice Dialogue. But unique in its structure, where you know what key actions to take and when. Applying your own therapeutic artistry.

It is an Australian-born, clinically structured, attachment-informed therapy that gives therapists a clear way to work with the part that needs help now.

Less guessing. More precision. Deeper healing.

Love learning? Join us in June.

References

Emmerson, G. (2007). Ego state therapy. Crown House Publishing.

Emmerson, G. (2012). Healthy parts, happy self: 3 steps to like yourself. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Emmerson, G. (2014). Resource therapy primer. Old Golden Point Press.

Emmerson, G. (2014). Resource therapy. Old Golden Point Press.

Emmerson, G. (2014). Resource therapy trainer’s manual: For Resource Therapy Foundation Training and Resource Therapy Clinical Qualification Training. Old Golden Point Press.

Emmerson, G. (2015). Learn resource therapy: Clinical qualification student training manual. Old Golden Point Press.

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

Clinical Program Training Dates Announced!

Happy place the beach and online Resource Therapy Training join us for the fun

We have loved going on line, although we certainly miss seeing your beautiful selves in person.

At the Resource Therapy Institute Australia, our trainees have said it was engaging and so accessible being online. They were glad to have the ease of no travel expenses, and comfort of their surroundings. Plus what a gift to connect with people from South Australia, the USA, Europe, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, and Perth. Love to have someone from the Northern Territory join us.

Real-time demonstrations, practice, and all the interactivity you have in-person all happen in this new live forum. Added bonus***You will be able to view the recordings for 30 days post-training.

Resource Therapy Clinical Program Dates Online via Zoom

  • Monday 19 April & Tues 20 April Day 1 & 2
  • Monday 3 May & Tues 4 May
  • Monday 17 May & Tues 18 May
  • Monday 31 May & Tues 1 June
  • Monday 7 June & Tues June 8

All 9.30-5 pm online from the convenience of your space. Sydney Australia Time Zone.

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