Why Today’s Couples Therapists Need Trauma-Informed Training

Couples therapist Trauma infomred training with Maureen McEvoy, Sydney November 8/9 Imago workshop presenter from Canada Healing Trauma Restoring Connection sponsored by the Australia Resource Therapy Institute.

Every couple’s therapist knows the moment.

The couple across from you begins to spiral. One partner escalates, the other shuts down. The session feels stuck. You reach for your skills, but nothing seems to land.

If you’ve ever left the room doubting yourself – “Did I miss something? Why couldn’t I shift them?” You’re not alone. Therapists across Australia and beyond are encountering the same challenges.

And it isn’t because you’re not skilled. It’s because couples today are bringing something bigger into therapy: trauma histories, attachment injuries, ADHD and nervous system dysregulation.

Why talk therapy isn’t always enough

Traditional approaches to couples work focus on communication skills, conflict resolution, and attachment repair. These are valuable, but they can stall when trauma is active in the room.

Sessions loop in circles without resolution.
Partners escalate beyond the therapist’s containment.
Shutdowns leave the couple, and therapist in silence.
Therapists burn out, carrying their clients’ trauma home.

Without trauma-informed tools, even experienced clinicians feel under-resourced.

The answer: trauma-informed couples therapy

That’s why we are hosting:

Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection – Trauma-Informed Couples Therapy Training

📍 8–9 November 2025 | Crows Nest Community Centre, Sydney

🎓 12 CPD Hours elegible (PACFA, ACA, APS, AASW, ACA AAPI)

🟡 Sponsored by Australian Resource Therapy Institute (ARTI)

This two-day intensive brings Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada), International Imago Faculty to Australia for her only 2025 training. Maureen is an internationally respected therapist and trainer known for integrating trauma work with relational models in ways that are practical, safe, and deeply human.

What you’ll gain

Across two days, you’ll learn to:

✅ Integrate Imago, EFT, Gottman, and PACT approaches with Bruce Perry’s neurodevelopmental insights.

✅ Apply somatic and creative arts methods for in-session regulation and repair.

✅ Recognise when trauma is disrupting couples dynamics — and how to respond effectively.

✅ Strengthen your therapist presence so you leave sessions grounded, not depleted. ✅ Connect with a professional community who share your challenges.

You will walk away with practical interventions you can use immediately in your practice.

🏆 Scholarship Competition – #WhichCrewRU

To celebrate this rare event, we’re offering:

Five full-fee scholarships (value $1,250 AUD each)
Five half-fee scholarships

How to enter:

Pick the therapist “crew member” you most identify with (Foggy Fran, Not-Enough Nellie, Burnout Baxter, etc).
Write up to 100 words on why and how you’ll apply this training in your practice.
Email your entry to philipa@resourcetherapy.com.au by 15 October 2025.

Then share your reflection on social media using #WhichCrewRU to join the conversation.

ARTi Scholarship 10 therapist Crew #whichCrewRU for the two day couples therapist trauma informed training with Imago faculty member Maureen McEvoy MA RCC of Canada — ARTi Scholarship 10 therapist Crew #whichCrewRU for the two-day couples therapist trauma-informed training with Imago program presenter Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC of Canada

Who this training is for

Q: Who should attend?

A: Couples therapists, psychologists, counsellors, and mental-health professionals seeking to expand their trauma-informed skill set.

Q: I’m early in my career — is it still for me?

A: Yes. Newer therapists will gain foundational trauma-informed skills. Experienced therapists will discover fresh tools and integration strategies.

Q: What if I mainly practise one model (Imago, EFT, Gottman, Art Therapy, Somatic Therapy)?

A: This training shows you how to integrate modalities through a trauma-informed lens. It doesn’t replace your current approach — it strengthens it.

Why is this training different?

Rare: The only trauma-informed couples therapy training of its kind in Australia, in 2025.
International expertise: Learn directly from Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada), International Imago Workshop presenter
Recognised: Eligible for 12 CPD hours across major professional bodies.
Practical: Tools and interventions you can take into sessions straight away.
Community: Step out of isolation and into a supportive network of colleagues.

Event details at a glance

Detail Information

Who Couples therapists, counsellors, psychologists, and mental-health professionals

What Two-day trauma-informed professional training workshop

Trainer Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada), International Imago Faculty

When 8–9 November 2025

Where Crows Nest Community Centre, Sydney

Fees September Saver: $995 until 30 Sept · Standard: $1,100 from 1 Oct

CPD 12 hours recognised by APS, PACFA, AASW, AAPI ACASecure your place

⚡ September Saver: $995 until 30 Sept

👉 Register now: resourcetherapy.com.au/professional -training/master-classes/

Seats are capped to ensure an interactive learning environment. Don’t miss your chance to be in the room.

Key take-home

Couples therapy is changing. Clients are bringing deeper trauma, faster escalation, and greater disconnection into our rooms. Without trauma-informed frameworks, therapists risk feeling stuck, isolated, or burnt out.

This special workshop program equips you with the tools, presence, and community you need to guide couples from reactivity to reconnection.

September 6, 2025

Lonely Leo: When Private Practice Feels Like an Island

Our ship of therapist parts for healing trauma restoring connection

💭 “Private practice feels like an island — no co-pilot, no crew.”

Many therapists resonate with Lonely Leo. The freedom of private practice can be a gift, but it can also feel like isolation. You sit with couples carrying the weight of trauma, attachment wounds, and relational ruptures — and while you hold their storm, you sometimes realise you’re holding it alone.

It’s a silent struggle. Therapists don’t often talk about the loneliness of the work. We champion connection for our clients, yet behind the closed door of the consulting room, many of us feel cut off from our peers, uncertain whether we’re “doing it right,” and longing for community.

The hidden cost of private practice

Private practice offers independence, flexibility, and the ability to work in alignment with your values. But it also removes the natural scaffolding of team life — those corridor conversations, the quick peer debriefs, the reassurance that you’re not the only one struggling with a tough couple.

Over time, isolation can grow heavy. You may notice:

The self-doubt that creeps in after a difficult session.
The fatigue of carrying complex trauma stories without support.
The paralysis when couples spiral and you feel unsure which model to use.
The ache for professional community — colleagues who understand the unique challenges of this work.

This is where Leo comes in. His story reminds us that no therapist was meant to work alone on an island.

Why trauma complicates couples’ work

When trauma walks into the couples therapy room, everything becomes more complex. Sessions may feel turbulent — sudden escalations, frozen silences, or spirals that don’t respond to ordinary dialogue techniques.

Without a trauma-informed framework, therapists can feel adrift. Do I use Imago here? Is this an EFT moment? Should I try Gottman structure, or is PACT more suitable? That scatter — the uncertainty of “which map do I use?” — is where isolation cuts deepest.

What we need is not only clarity and confidence but also connection — a professional crew that reminds us we’re not alone in navigating these storms.

Why this workshop is different

That’s why the Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection workshop exists. It’s not just about skills; it’s about anchoring therapists back into community.

🎙️ Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada) is a trauma therapist with over 30 years’ experience — and an International Faculty Member of Imago Relationship Therapy. She has trained thousands of therapists internationally and brings a rare gift: the ability to weave multiple modalities into one coherent, trauma-informed framework.

In this workshop, Maureen integrates:

✨ Parts therapy approaches

✨ Imago Relationship Therapy

✨ EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy)

✨ Gottman Method

✨ PACT

✨ Somatic therapy practices

✨ Art therapy interventions

This is the only Australian workshop in 2025 where you can learn directly from Maureen.

What you’ll gain

Over two days in Sydney, you will:

Learn parts-based tools to understand what happens when trauma hijacks a couple’s dynamic.
Discover how to integrate different modalities without getting stuck in “which model do I use?” paralysis.
Add somatic and creative interventions to help couples regulate in the moment.
Build the confidence to step into turbulent sessions with clarity.
Most importantly, reconnect with a community of peers who share your challenges, your questions, and your passion for couples therapy.

A personal reflection

Think of the last time you left a session feeling uncertain — wondering whether you had missed something, doubting whether you had helped enough.

Now imagine stepping out of that same session knowing:

You have a framework to hold the trauma safely.
You can name and work with the parts of each partner that are triggered.
You have colleagues to debrief with, to normalise the struggle, and to celebrate the breakthroughs.

That shift — from isolation to connection — is the difference this training can make.

Event details – Healing Trauma Restoring Connection

📅 8–9 Nov 2025 | Sydney

🎙️ Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada) — International Imago Faculty

🟡 Sponsored by ARTI | 🎓 12 CPD Hours

⚡ September Saver: $995 until 30 Sept – save $105

Final thought

If you’ve ever felt like Lonely Leo — flying solo without a co-pilot or crew — this workshop was designed for you.

We can’t always eliminate the turbulence, but we can learn how to navigate it together.

Hurry spaces are filling fast – join us today !

August 14, 2025

Why This November Could Change the Way You Work With Couples Forever

wintersavinghealingtraumacouplestrherapy

For the first time in years, Canadian trauma and couples therapy educator Maureen McEvoy is coming to Sydney – and there’s a Winter Special that ends 31 August.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a couple’s session where emotions spiral, histories collide, and past trauma takes over the room, you’re not alone. Even with the best models – Imago, EFT, EMDR, Gottman, PACT, Schema – it’s easy to feel under-prepared when trauma shows up between partners.

The Gap Most Couples Therapists Face

Many highly skilled couples therapists feel confident with structured interventions – until trauma histories surface. Suddenly, the conversation isn’t about who forgot to take out the rubbish; it’s about abandonment, loss, and deep-seated fear.

Without a clear, integrated trauma framework for couples work, progress can stall. Clients leave sessions feeling misunderstood, and therapists leave feeling drained.

Why Learn from Maureen McEvoy?

Maureen has spent over 30 years bridging the worlds of trauma recovery and couples therapy. As a Senior Faculty member of Imago Relationships North America, she’s trained thousands of therapists internationally to confidently navigate the most challenging moments in couples work.

This November, in a rare Australian appearance, she’s bringing her expertise to a two-day, CPD-approved workshop hosted by the Australian Resource Therapy Institute.

What You’ll Walk Away With

In Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection – A Trauma-Informed Approach to Couples Therapy, you’ll learn how to:

Recognise trauma patterns in couples’ dynamics
Build safety and trust in high-intensity sessions
Use somatic and parts work tools for real-time regulation
Integrate trauma-informed strategies into your preferred couples therapy model
Adapt interventions to avoid re-traumatisation and promote reconnection

The Winter Special – Ends 31 August

Right now, you can secure your place at the Special Winter Rate of $975.
On 1 September, the price moves to the September Saver rate of $995, then to $1100 Standard, and finally $1250 for the last release.

This special is our way of rewarding early action-takers – the therapists who know they want in, and don’t want to miss a rare learning opportunity.

Join Us in Sydney – 8–9 November 2025

📅 Dates: 8–9 November 2025
📍 Venue: Crows Nest Community Centre, Sydney
🎓 Eligible for 12 CPD Hours – PACFA, ACA, ASCH, AASW, AAPI, APS Members
🔗 More info & booking: resourcetherapy.com.au/professional-training/master-classes

If you’ve been thinking about sharpening your skills for those moments when trauma shows up in couples work, this is your chance.
Join us, meet Maureen, and leave with tools you’ll use for the rest of your career.