Resource Therapy International membership is now open
Resource Therapy International membership is now officially open, creating new opportunities for connection, recognition and professional visibility across our global Resource Therapy community.
Founded by Professor Gordon Emmerson PhD, Resource Therapy is a structured, clinically focused approach to parts-based psychotherapy. It helps therapists identify and work directly with the Resource State holding distress – rather than speaking only about the difficulty from a distance.
Through precise assessment and targeted therapeutic actions, Resource Therapy can support work with trauma, anxiety, rejection, fear, inner conflict and other forms of psychological distress.
The international home of Resource Therapy
Resource Therapy International is the official international professional body supporting the continued development and responsible practice of Resource Therapy worldwide.
The RTI website at resourcetherapy.com is becoming the central international destination for:
RTI membership
The international Clinical Resource Therapist Directory
Recognised Resource Therapy trainers and training
Professional resources and community updates
International events, including the 2027 RTI World Conference in Erlangen, Germany
Whether you are discovering Resource Therapy, have completed your Clinical training, teach Resource Therapy or represent a recognised training organisation, there is an RTI membership pathway for you.
Membership that begins when you join
Your RTI membership begins on the date you join and remains current for a full 12 months.
There is no shared annual renewal date. This means you can join whenever the time is right for you and receive your complete year of membership from that date.
Four membership pathways
Associate membership
For people interested in Resource Therapy, including those currently undertaking recognised training or wishing to stay connected with international developments.
Clinical Resource Therapist membership
For practitioners who have completed the recognised ten-day Clinical Resource Therapy training. Eligible members can apply to be listed in the international Clinical Resource Therapist Directory.
Trainer membership
For recognised Resource Therapy trainers who wish to be identified within the international network and share approved Resource Therapy training opportunities.
Organisational membership
For recognised Resource Therapy training organisations seeking an official organisational presence and the ability to connect eligible trainers with their membership.
Join our international community
This is an important new chapter for Resource Therapy International.
We aim to preserve the integrity and history of Resource Therapy, strengthen connections between countries and make it easier for the public and professionals to find appropriately trained practitioners, trainers and recognised training.
I would love to welcome you to explore our membership options and join our growing international community.
Resistance Alliancing in Resource Therapy: how to work with protective parts.
Quick answer
Resistance Alliancing in Resource Therapy is a clinical action used to work respectfully with a protective part that appears to block or slow therapy. Instead of pushing through resistance, the therapist acknowledges the part, appreciates its protective intention and invites safer cooperation within the client’s personality system.
When resistance may actually be protection
When a client says, “I know what I need to do, but I just can’t,” the therapist may not be meeting resistance.
They may be meeting protection.
Many therapists have sat with a client who says:
“I understand it logically, but something in me won’t let me go there.”
“I know I’m safe now, but my body doesn’t believe it.”
“I want to do the work, but something in me shuts it down.”
From the outside, this can look like resistance.
The client may appear blocked, avoidant, ambivalent, shut down, defensive or hard to reach.
Yet in Resource Therapy, we are invited to ask a more useful clinical question.
What if the resistance is not the problem?
What if the resistance is a part of the client trying very hard to protect them?
At Australia Resource Therapy Institute, we often teach therapists that resistance is not something to overpower. It is something to understand, and we know how to work with it.
In Resource Therapy, resistance may be a protective part asking for respect, safety, slowness and a clearer way forward.
What is Resistance Alliancing in Resource Therapy?
Resistance Alliancing is one of the 15 Treatment Actions in Resource Therapy.
It is used when a part of the client appears to resist, block or slow the therapeutic work.
Rather than pushing past the resistance, the therapist builds a respectful alliance with the protective part.
The therapist:
Acknowledges the part. Appreciates its protective intention. Gently invites the part to consider whether there may now be a safer way forward.
This is one of the elegant features of Resource Therapy and powerful techniques offered with compassion and respect.
Resistance is not treated as defiance, non-compliance or lack of motivation.
It is understood as communication from a part of the personality system.
Why clients can feel stuck even when they have Insight
Many clients do not get stuck because they lack insight.
They get stuck because different parts of the personality system have different needs, fears and protective strategies.
One part may want change.
Another part may fear what change could cost.
One part may want to speak.
Another part may say, “Stay quiet.”
One part may long for connection.
Another part may say, “It is safer not to need anyone.”
This is why a client can say:
“I know this relationship is not good for me, but I can’t leave.”
“I know I should stop avoiding things, but I freeze.”
“I know I want to feel more confident, but I keep shrinking.”
“I know the past is over, but part of me is still living there.”
In Resource Therapy, these statements are clinically important.
They may reveal that different parts of the client’s personality system are active.
The work is not to force one part to win.
The work is to understand which part is present, what it is protecting and what it needs.
A simple clinical example
A client may want to process a painful memory, yet each time the work begins, they become foggy, distracted or suddenly unsure.
They may say, “I don’t know what I feel anymore,” or “Maybe this isn’t important. Why bother?”
In Resource Therapy, this may indicate the presence of a protective part.
Rather than pushing ahead, the therapist can pause and build an alliance with the part that is trying to slow the work down.
The therapist might become curious about the function of this personality part.
Is it worried would happen if the client continued?
What is it trying to prevent?
What does it need to know before it can allow the next step?
This approach helps the therapist stay connected and clinically precise.
It also helps the client experience their inner system with less shame and more understanding and gentle compassion.
Resistance may be a Protective Part
In trauma-informed therapy, it is helpful to remember that protective strategies usually began for a reason.
A part that blocks emotion may have helped the client survive overwhelming pain.
A part that avoids closeness may have protected the client from rejection, betrayal or disappointment.
A part that says, “I don’t want to talk about this,” may be preventing the client from entering trauma material too quickly.
A part that controls, intellectualises, jokes, shuts down or changes the subject may be trying to protect a more vulnerable part underneath.
When these protective parts are criticised, bypassed or pushed aside, they often need to work harder.
But when they are met with respect, curiosity and appreciation, something can soften.
The part does not have to be defeated.
It can be understood.
RT Techniques that work through building alliances
Many therapy models speak about resistance.
Resource Therapy gives therapists a practical way to work with it.
Instead of asking:
“How do I get rid of this resistance?”
The therapist can ask:
“Who is this part protecting?”
“What is it afraid would happen if it stopped?”
“What does it need to know before it can allow the work to proceed?”
This changes the atmosphere in the therapy room.
The therapist does not have to fight the client.
The client does not have to fight themselves.
The protective part is no longer treated as the enemy of change.
It becomes part of the clinical map.
Why Resistance Alliancing Matters Clinically
Resistance Alliancing matters because it helps therapists stay respectful, precise and connected.
When a protective part feels heard, it may no longer need to block the therapy so strongly.
The client’s internal system may become more available for cooperation.
The therapeutic relationship can become safer.
The work can begin to move without force.
This is especially important when working with trauma, anxiety, depression, shame, relationship wounds, dissociation, avoidance and long-standing stuck patterns.
In these presentations, resistance is often not random.
It may be protective intelligence.
It may be a part of the client saying:
“Not yet.”
“Too fast.”
“Don’t trust this.”
“Stay in control.”
“We survived by doing it this way.”
In Resource Therapy, we do not shame that part.
We meet it.
Resistance is not the Enemy
Resistance is not the enemy.
It may be the doorway.
The part that appears to be blocking the work may be showing us where the important clinical work needs to happen.
When we meet that part respectfully, we may discover fear, loyalty, exhaustion, wisdom or pain beneath the surface.
And when that part is no longer treated as an obstacle, it may become an ally in the healing process.
This is one of the reasons Resource Therapy can be so powerful for therapists who want a clear and compassionate way to work with parts.
It helps therapists turn parts work from a beautiful idea into a clinically usable roadmap.
Key Takeaways
Resistance may be a protective part, not a lack of motivation.
Resource Therapy uses Resistance Alliancing to build respectful cooperation with protective parts.
The therapist does not need to fight the client or force change.
When protective parts feel heard, therapy can often move with more safety and clarity.
Resistance may be the doorway to important clinical work.
Learning Resource Therapy as a clinical roadmap
For therapists, Resistance Alliancing is more than a helpful idea.
It is a clinical skill.
It helps us slow down, listen more carefully and recognise that the client’s internal system may have its own protective logic.
When therapists learn to work directly with active parts, therapy becomes less about pushing for change and more about creating the conditions in which change can safely occur.
At Australia Resource Therapy Institute, we teach Resource Therapy as a structured, clinically robust parts therapy model for psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, EMDR therapists and trauma-informed practitioners.
Resource Therapy offers a clear theory of personality, a practical case conceptualisation process and specific treatment actions that help therapists know what to do when clients feel stuck.
Because when therapists understand parts clearly, they can help clients move from inner conflict towards cooperation, relief and greater internal harmony.
Resistance is not the enemy.
It may be the part that most needs our respect.
And sometimes, when that part is finally heard, the whole system begins to move.
Want to learn a structured way to work with protective parts?
Explore Resource Therapy training with Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin at Australia Resource Therapy Institute.
Our Clinical Resource Therapy Program teaches therapists a clear, practical and compassionate parts therapy model for working with trauma, anxiety, depression, stuck patterns and inner conflict.
What is Resistance Alliancing in Resource Therapy?
Resistance Alliancing is one of the 15 Treatment Actions in Resource Therapy. It is used when a part of the client appears to resist, block or slow the therapeutic work. The therapist respectfully acknowledges the part, appreciates its protective intention and invites it to consider whether a safer way forward may now be possible.
Why do clients resist therapy?
In Resource Therapy, resistance is often understood as communication from a protective part of the personality system. The part may be trying to prevent the client from moving too quickly, feeling too much, trusting too soon or entering material that once felt unsafe for valid reasons.
How does Resource Therapy work with protective parts?
Resource Therapy works directly with the part that is active in the moment. Rather than only talking about the part from a distance, the therapist helps identify, understand and work with the part using specific treatment actions.
Is resistance always a problem in therapy?
Not necessarily. Resistance can be clinically useful information. It may show the therapist that a protective part needs to be acknowledged before deeper therapeutic work can continue safely.
Who can learn Resource Therapy?
Resource Therapy is suitable for psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, EMDR therapists and other trauma-informed mental health professionals who want a structured parts therapy model for working with trauma, anxiety, depression, stuck patterns and inner conflict.
About the authors
Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin are directors and lead trainers at Australia Resource Therapy Institute.
Philipa Thornton is President of Resource Therapy International and a Master Trainer and Consultant in Resource Therapy.
Together, Philipa and Chris train therapists in a structured, clinically robust parts work therapy model that helps clinicians work with trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship wounds and long-standing stuck patterns.
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.
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.
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.
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.
