IFS – Resource Therapy

December 3, 2023

Navigating the World of Parts Therapy: Finding Your Perfect Fit

REsource Therapy will have you and your client smiling !Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik

In the ever-evolving field of psychology, the emergence of Parts Therapy has been nothing short of revolutionary. As a dedicated psychologist with a deep-rooted passion for this approach, I am thrilled to share insights into the diverse world of Parts Therapy.

Among the myriad of methods like Resource Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Transactional Analysis, Voice Dialogue, and more, choosing the right one can seem daunting. Let’s delve into these fascinating therapies and discover which resonates with your unique values and beliefs.

The Diverse Landscape of Parts Therapy

Parts Therapy has become a cornerstone in the practices of psychologists, therapists, counselors, and other professionals. With various approaches like Resource Therapy, IFS, Ego State Therapy, and others, the field is rich with options. Each method offers a unique perspective on personality parts, catering to different needs and therapeutic goals.

Celebrating the Differences: IFS and Resource Therapy

As someone deeply involved in Resource Therapy (RT), I find it enlightening to compare it with other methods like IFS. While IFS focuses on increasing SELF-energy and unburdening wounded parts, RT emphasizes direct engagement with wounded parts for healing and empowerment. This distinction highlights the diverse ways these therapies approach the concept of inner parts.

IFS vs. RT: Diverse Approaches to Healing

IFS views the mind in terms of parts as exiles, managers, firefighters, and Self Energy.

RT, on the other hand, says our personality holds parts that were once joyous and fun-loving, altered by wounding experiences. Our parts can be Vaded in like fear, shame, or guilt, and it aims to empower these parts to regain control over past traumas.

In RT our distinct parts are there for a reason and purpose and can be of different ages to our adult self. This perspective underscores the unique philosophies underlying each therapy.

Why Resource Therapy Might Be Your Ideal Choice

In RT, we believe in the power of communication, compassion, cooperation, and collaboration between parts. We see our parts as ‘Internal Resources’ – capable of healing, growth, and positive change. RT is not only about healing; it’s about empowering each part to play its most effective role in our lives.

The Power of Client-Centered Therapy

A cornerstone of RT is its adaptability to the client’s belief system. Whether it’s addressing Other Personalized Introjects (OPIs) or negotiating new roles for parts, RT is designed to respect and work within the individual’s unique psychological framework. This flexibility makes it a profoundly client-centered approach.

The world of Parts Therapy is vast and varied, offering a rich tapestry of methods to explore. As you navigate this landscape, consider what resonates with your personal and professional ethos. Whether it’s Richard Schwartz’s unique model of IFS or Gordon Emmerson’s empowering and empathetic techniques of Resource Therapy, there’s a parts therapy that aligns with your values.

I invite you to join the conversation. In the comments section below, share your thoughts about which parts model speaks to you and why. Your insights are invaluable as we continue to explore this fascinating field together.

Thank you for reading and engaging with this journey into Parts Therapy.

With love and Light,

Philipa Thornton
President, Resource Therapy International
Master Trainer and Consultant in Resource Therapy
Certified in EMDR
Marriage Works & the Resource Therapy Institute Australia

November 11, 2023

What’s the Benefit for Therapists in Using Parts Therapy?

Our parts are like an internal family with may relationships. They are our Resources

We know Parts Therapies are all the rage in the USA and Europe. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media.

So there must be something to this parts of therapy hype, right?

Let’s face it you came into this therapy business to help people change, while achieving healing ethically, respectfully, and compassionately.

Maybe this is your second career as you wanted to do more than work to live, you wanted greater meaning in your life and work. Imagine feeling the reward of seeing authentic shifts in your patient’s health and well-being.

You have spent hours not to mention thousands learning psychotherapy models and theories. You have practiced client-centered, narrative, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and hopefully EMDR.

Perhaps you have a Master’s in Counselling or are finishing your psychology or social work degree.

Don’t you want the confidence to know what to do in sticky situations, and how to handle resistance while really getting to the crux of your client’s anxieties and frustrations?

How would it be to offer your clients respectful methods for:

Memory Reconsolidation
Trauma Processing
Self-Compassion
Empowerment
End Self Sabotage
Resolve Imposter Syndrome
Cease addictive patterns
Feel in Control – emotionally and in charge of their lives
Have meaningful relationships
Remove blocking beliefs

With Resource Therapy, you can.

Resource Therapy ( RT) is a parts-therapy-based model that offers you easily learned techniques and a clear structure to support your work with clients.

One participant in our Clinical program recently said “It’s like a sleek pared down version of Ego State Therapy.” RT could be viewed as an advanced form of Ego State Therapy as it offers evolutionary new methods for State or parts work.

With 15 Treatment Actions, there is an elegant structure providing a road map for change. Clear action steps are designed to treat your patient’s issues and goals for therapeutic results.

Imagine knowing what to do, why you are doing it, and when to apply the RT Actions in your therapy rooms. Feel the sense of relief and burden of responsibility taken from you, allowing your clients to feel comfortable, safe, and supported.

When we as therapists work directly with the Personality Part stuck in patterns of pain, anxiety, abandonment, confusion, rage, or acting out of control offers rapid results. It’s like a keyboard shortcut tapping into the root of the problem and allowing for memory reconsolidation and inner healing.

Join us in 2024 to discover the power of parts therapy in this amazing modality online or in Bali! Hurry spaces filling fast.

Memory Reconsolidation and inner healing happens when we work with the Personality Part with the Problem which is different to Internal Family Systems IFS

April 17, 2023January 9, 2024

So many Parts Therapy’s – IFS, Ego State etc, which one do I choose?

Thank goodness for the revolution in Personality Part’s Therapy points of view available to psychologists, therapists, counsellors, mental health nurses, and other trauma-informed professionals. Resource Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Transactional Analysis, Ego State Therapy, Voice Dialogue, and Family Constellations, are the major approaches I know of. No doubt there are loads more psychology, counseling hypnosis, and coaching ‘parts’ models out there.

Love sharing my passion for Part’s Therapy approaches, here’s a Blog post I wrote noting key differences in Part’s Personality perspectives, click to read it now.

Truly, I am all for the Parts System that fits your values and belief system. We are all unique with our wonderful Parts or Resources as we term them in Resource Therapy (RT).

A beautiful colleague (used with permission) who’s done many IFS trainings and RT workshops who is a wonderful and experienced clinician has shared some of the things they were not comfortable with around the IFS model included:

IFS is an Ego State therapy with an emphasis on increasing SELF-energy and unburdening wounded parts of self.

RT has an Inner Self-concept along the lines of Ego States. Some people are very in touch with this Resource and others are less so. RT teaches how we may connect with and be guided by our Inner-Self for a useful purpose.

RT connects directly with the wounded parts for reparation and internal healing. RT uses the Empowerment Protocol to foster a loving nurturing adult part/ Resource for inner connection, assisting in reparative information and emotional resolution.

IFS Doesn’t believe in Introjects.

RT says Introjects belong to Resources. RT Therapists empower the Resources rather than work to change Introjects.
This varies from traditional Ego State Therapy. Which sees Introjects almost as parts to be fought with, captured changed. RT Therapists don’t bother. We just work directly with the hurt state or part with the need according to our client’s goals for change.

IFS generally does not talk directly to the parts.

RT does both. Our Resources can be spoken with directly. The most common and useful method.

Why spend time talking to an Intellectual state or reporting part? RT teaches us to work with the personality part in emotional distress, causing unwanted behaviour or imagining they are stuck in trauma time, not the present moment. There are other ways we can speak with Resources indirectly. This is taught in the clinical program.

This advanced mental health clinician said,” I don’t find it as spiritual or as compassionate or as respectful.”

RT works within the client’s belief system. We acknowledge personality manifestations such as Other Personalised Introjects (OPIs). RT works to channel those to where they can go artfully.

We always respect our Resources and will negotiate new roles or reassign tasks to more competent parts most suited to the tasks at hand. Retro Negotiation is a powerful process.

IFS believes parts have always existed as joyful fun-loving parts before a wounding experience, not that they are created from a traumatic experience.

RT says our parts become Vaded, the big emotions of Shame Fear, Rejection, Confusion, Guilt, and Disappointment. RT therapists are trained to assist the Part/ Resource to gain a sense of power and control over the past. All our parts are there for a good purpose, though may need an update.

In a live IFS training demonstration, the group witnessed the trainer place a 12-year-old part in the corner of the house and leave it there, all alone. The prime focus was how the “Self” felt and no attempt to bring the child part back into the fold of other parts. It seemed as if the other parts are not important. Resource Therapists know attachment repair occurs when a nurturing part is found for connection and care.

Resource Therapy allows parts to communicate, cooperate and collaborate as necessary. Both in the counseling session and out in the real world. Clients can call on the appropriate Resource best suited to the occasion, who has the most appropriate skills, and level of awareness in accordance with a personal values base to be the captain of the ship, guiding through life’s ocean of possibilities.

Richard Schwartz has rejected the idea of “resourcing” because he believes it’s invalidating to wounded parts having painful emotions, preventing them from trusting the process.

That is why we call our Resources, Resources as they can be freed from emotional pain, and past disturbances. Connecting with Nurturing Resource for healing. We apply RT Action 7 Relief, a vital phase in the Empowerment protocol where an unconditionally loving Resource becomes available. Healing from the inside out.

As one of my clients said of her nurturing Resource called Caring – “No one can’t take her away from me, she can’t die, and she won’t leave me, ever.” Demonstrating exactly how Resource Therapy provides an Attachment informed model.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, and what parts model speaks to you and why. Thanks for reading, Philipa.