“Insight without action is like diagnosis without treatment.”
– A sentiment many seasoned therapists know all too well.
As trauma therapy continues to evolve, clinicians are embracing parts-based approaches that honour the complexity of the human psyche. But not all parts models are created equal.
You’ve probably heard of Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ego State Therapy, or even the parts-based elements that emerge within EMDR sessions. But if you’ve ever felt something missing – structure, clarity, or real-time transformation – it may be time to explore what makes Resource Therapy (RT) so uniquely effective.
Let’s compare four popular modalities using what matters in clinical practice:
| Approach | Access to Parts | Protocols | Pathology Diagnosis | Real-Time Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFS | ⚠️ Sometimes | ❌ None | ⚠️ Conceptual only | ✅ Yes |
| Ego State | ✅ Direct | ⚠️ Variable | ❌ None | ⚠️ Sometimes |
| EMDR | ⚠️ Indirect | ✅ Yes | ❌ None | ✅ Yes |
| RT | ✅ Direct | ✅ Yes | ✅ Formal system | ✅ Always |
1. Access to Parts – Who’s in the Captain’s Chair?
All four models work with parts – or internal voices and states – acknowledging that our psyche is not a single voice, but a crew.
Where IFS and Ego State offer reflective access, and EMDR may surface parts indirectly through trauma targets, Resource Therapy takes you straight to the part that needs help – fast.
Using Vivify Specific (Action 2), RT locates the exact Resource State holding distress, unmet needs, or outdated beliefs, and brings it forward to speak for itself.
“RT does not just observe the part. It gives it a voice, a seat at the table, and a path to healing.”
– Gordon Emmerson, PhD
2. Protocols – Structure or Stumble?
Therapists know that when trauma, resistance, or emotional overwhelm enters the room, structure matters.
- IFS is exploratory and open-ended.
- Ego State Therapy can vary significantly among practitioners.
- EMDR brings excellent structure, but not state-specific treatment.
- RT offers a clear, flexible system with 15 targeted Treatment Actions.
Whether you need to express, clear introjects, relieve emotional pain, or build internal strength, RT gives you the tools to act with purpose.
3. Pathology Diagnosis – Can We Map What Needs Treating?
Here’s where Resource Therapy steps into its own.
Many models avoid pathologising parts – a welcome shift. But what if we could offer non-judgmental diagnosis that guides treatment?
- IFS affirms that all parts are good, but lacks a diagnostic map.
- Ego State Therapy and EMDR avoid classification usually.
- RT introduces a structured, compassionate diagnostic system:
- Vaded States – carrying unmet emotional needs
- Retro States – stuck in old roles or protections
- Conflicted States – caught between opposing drives
- Dissonant States – wrong part in the captains seat
- Normal Condition of States – right part out with appropriate skills to suit the occasion
This means you can identify what is stuck and know exactly how to treat it.
Think of RT as the Google Maps of parts therapy – locating the issue and showing you the route out.
4. Real-Time Action – Can We Change the State in the Session?
Many therapists feel stuck in insight. The client knows what’s wrong… but nothing changes.
- IFS fosters beautiful awareness, but often delays transformation.
- Ego State Therapy may stop at catharsis.
- EMDR creates desensitisation, but not always internal change.
- RT enables the client to change from within, in the moment.
When a client speaks from their Vaded State and gets relief, or when a Retro State steps aside and a stronger self emerges – that is RT in action.
“RT is like a laser pointer for the psyche – precise, effective, and immediately transformational.”
– Clinical RT Graduate
A Quick Story
Anna had done IFS and EMDR. She could name her parts. She had insight. But every time she was triggered by her partner, she collapsed into silence and shame.
Her therapist used RT. Within minutes, they accessed the exact state holding the freeze. Anna spoke from the part, not about it. They cleared the internalised introject, processed the hurt, and anchored her back to strength.
“I’ve spent years understanding my trauma. But this is the first time I actually felt it shift.”
That is the power of action. That is Resource Therapy.
Why Therapists Are Switching to RT
RT is not a blend of parts models. It is a clinical evolution.
- ✅ A full internal diagnostic system
- ✅ Immediate access to the presenting state
- ✅ Action-based treatment, not talk-based delay
- ✅ Designed for both brief and complex trauma work
- ✅ Integrates seamlessly with EMDR, Imago, DBR, and more
“RT is the structured answer to the parts therapy movement.”
You Belong With Us
If you are a therapist who wants more than insight…
If you want a parts therapy that does more than label…
If you want change, not someday, but now, Resource Therapy is waiting for you.
Join a movement of clinicians who believe in healing with heart and action.
🌟 Clinical RT Training 2025 – Enrol Now
- Online Program starts 31 August / 1 September 2025
- Bali Intensive Program returns in 2026
- Led by Philipa Thornton & Chris Paulin – Psychologists & Master Trainers
- Fully accredited. Experiential. Clinically practical.
“Every therapist should be trained in this. RT changed how I work – and how I heal.”
– Recent Graduate
🔗 Learn more and enrol at resource therapy training dates and fees
