When Talk Isn’t Enough: How Parts Work Heals Couples After Trauma

TraumahealingTherapisttrainingworkshopwithinternationalguestinpersonSydney

When trauma enters the couple dynamic, talk therapy alone often isn’t enough. Integrating parts work, such as Resource Therapy alongside Imago, EFT, Gottman, PACT, art therapy, and somatic therapy, helps therapists reach beneath conflict to the wounded parts of each partner, restoring safety, connection, and repair.

Why Isn’t Talk Therapy Enough?

Even the most experienced couples therapist knows the moment when dialogue breaks down, when one partner shuts down, the other escalates, and connection feels out of reach. Beneath these reactions often lie unhealed trauma and protective parts that keep both partners stuck in familiar patterns of pain.

Traditional communication techniques, while valuable, cannot always touch the raw emotional injuries that live in the body and nervous system. As neuroscientist Daniel Siegel (2012) reminds us, “Integration is health.” Without integrating the fragmented self – those younger, reactive, or overwhelmed parts – relationships remain in a state of survival mode.

This is where parts work offers profound leverage.

How Parts Work Transforms the Couple Space

Approaches such as Resource Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Ego State Therapy recognise that we all have multiple “selves” or Resource States with their own memories, emotions, and strategies for safety.

In couples therapy, these states interact across the relationship. One partner’s Vaded in Fear part might activate the other’s Retro Avoidant protector. The cycle continues until each state can be compassionately met, heard, and healed.

As Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada), says:

“When trauma shows up in couples therapy, we can’t stay at the level of communication skills. We need to help each partner recognise and regulate the parts that get triggered in the dance.”

By giving these parts a voice through dialogue, imagination, somatic awareness, and creative interventions, therapists create a bridge between the internal world and the relational field. The result is genuine repair, not just behavioural change.

Integrating Attachment, Neuroscience, and Somatic Work

Research across attachment theory and neuroscience supports this integration.

Bowlby (1988) showed that early attachment ruptures shape adult intimacy.
Porges (2011) explained, through the polyvagal theory, how safety and connection depend on the regulation of the nervous system.
van der Kolk (2014) demonstrated that trauma is stored not only in memory but also in the body, requiring somatic processing.

Somatic and art therapies help externalise, and re-regulate these implicit memories.

Through drawing, movement, or guided imagery, clients can express what words cannot.

When integrated with parts-based awareness and relational attunement, these creative modalities become powerful vehicles for healing.

Inside the Workshop: Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection

🗓 8–9 November 2025

📍 Sydney – Crows Nest Community Centre

🎓 12 CPD hours (PACFA, ACA, AASW, ASCH, AAPI, APS)

👩🏫 Presenter: Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC (Canada)

🟡 Sponsored by Australian Resource Therapy Institute (ARTI)

In this two-day exclusive training, Maureen McEvoy, an internationally respected trauma and Imago couples specialist of Canada, guides therapists through experiential, embodied learning. Participants will:

Understand the what, why and how of trauma-informed couples work
Practise mapping reactive and protective parts between partners
Learn somatic regulation and co-regulation strategies
Explore integration methods from Imago, Gottman, EFT, PACT, Art therapy, Somatic Therapy and parts work
Build confidence in managing high-intensity emotional sessions

Every exercise is grounded in safety, compassion, and practical skill-building. Numbers are strictly limited to ensure personalised attention and rich peer learning.

You will leave not only inspired but equipped to use these approaches immediately in your own practice. Plus the added benefit of refreshing our energy, learning and community connection cup.

Imago Case Consultation Day – 10 November 2025

For those wanting to extend their learning, Maureen McEvoy, in association with the Australian Imago Relationship Therapy Association (AIRTA), will offer an Imago Case Consultation Day on Monday, 10 November 2025.

This optional day provides an opportunity for Imago therapists to:

Present their own cases for group consultation – videos welcome
Receive direct feedback and supervision from Maureen
Deepen understanding of Imago theory in complex trauma cases
Explore how parts work and attachment models can complement the Imago dialogue

Why This Matters for Therapists

Working with couples in the relational space can be some of the most rewarding and confronting clinical work we do. When we can recognise the inner worlds operating beneath conflict, we move from blame to understanding, from fear to connection.

Parts work reminds us that no partner is the enemy; the true problem lies in the protective adaptations of wounded parts trying to stay safe. Healing begins when both partners can witness and integrate these inner dynamics with curiosity rather than defence.

Join Us in Sydney

Join us in Sydney this November to experience how trauma-informed parts work can transform your couples’ sessions.

👉 Secure your place today: Healing Trauma Nov 8/9

Maureen, and I can’t wait to meet you there!

References

Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent–child attachment and healthy human development. New York, Basic Books.

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

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Siegel, D. J. (2012). The pocket guide to interpersonal neurobiology: An integrative handbook of the mind. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York: Viking.

September 21, 2025

How Resource Therapy Transforms Trauma into Growth

Bright Pixar-style illustration of a colourful ship with a smiling female captain steering and four expressive crew characters, symbolising Resource Therapy ‘captain of the moment’ metaphor Australia Resource Therapy Institute uses.

Resource Therapy (RT) is a powerful, evidence-informed approach to trauma and personal growth. Developed by Professor Gordon Emmerson, RT helps people understand and heal the different “parts” or Resource States that live within all of us.

Whether you’re a therapist or someone curious about inner transformation, this explainer walks you through how Resource Therapy works step by step.

Origins in ego state and psychodynamic traditions

Resource Therapy didn’t appear out of nowhere. It grew from decades of ego state therapy, first described by Paul Federn, and later advanced by John and Helen Watkins of America. These early pioneers explored how distinct “ego states” (now called Resource States in RT) hold unique memories, emotions, and roles.

Professor Gordon Emmerson, PhD, built on this foundation, blending and evolving:

Ego State Therapy principles – recognising that discrete states can be accessed and healed directly.
Psychodynamic insights – understanding how early experiences and unconscious processes shape present reactions.
Contemporary trauma research – integrating neurobiology and brief-therapy methods to create a focused, strengths-based model.

This heritage means Resource Therapy is evidence-informed: it respects the depth of psychodynamic theory while offering structured, time-efficient interventions for modern clinical practice.

1. The big idea – your mind as a ship with a flexible crew

Imagine your personality as a ship with many skilled crew members—each a unique Resource State with its own memories, feelings, and abilities.
Whoever is at the helm right now is the captain of the moment, steering your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour until another crew member steps forward.

Some crew members are confident and calm; others may carry pain or fear from past experiences. When a distressed state takes the wheel, you might feel anxious, stuck, or reactive.

2. Meeting the parts that need care

In a Resource Therapy session, a trained therapist helps you notice which state is currently “on deck at the wheel.”
Instead of talking about feelings in the abstract, you engage directly with the specific part that’s hurting or overwhelmed.
This focused dialogue often feels like finally being heard, and if necessary, empowered through the principles of memory reconsolidation because the therapist is speaking to the part of you that carries the pain.

3. Fifteen targeted Treatment Actions

RT offers a practical map of 15 Treatment Actions—structured techniques that guide healing.
Examples include:

Expression & Relief: allowing a part to safely release long-held emotion.
Introject Work: giving a voice to a wounded state so it can speak to an internalised critic or past memory.
Negotiation & Integration: helping conflicted states find balance so you can move forward.

Therapists select the exact Action your inner crew needs in the moment, making every session focused and efficient.

4. Why Resource Therapy feels different

Direct & experiential: you engage the exact part in distress, not just a story about it.
Brief & strengths-based: many clients feel relief in fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy.
Trauma-informed: sessions proceed at a safe pace, honouring your nervous system.

5. What a typical session looks like

Check-in: You share what’s happening now—no need for a full life history.
State awareness: The therapist helps you notice which Resource State is “captain of the moment.”
Targeted Action: Together, you use the appropriate RT technique.
Integration: The part feels heard, emotions settle, and you regain a sense of inner balance.

6. Who benefits?

Resource Therapy supports people navigating:

Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety, depression, or grief
Relationship struggles
Self-esteem and identity concerns
Creative blocks and performance issues

It also empowers therapists, coaches, and mental-health professionals seeking a clear, compassionate parts-based method.

Take the next step

If you’re curious about learning or experiencing Resource Therapy:

For individuals: look for a Clinical Resource Therapy therapist trained through the Australian Resource Therapy Institute (ARTI).
For professionals: explore the Clinical Resource Therapy Program to become certified.

Key takeaway

Resource Therapy helps you meet, heal, and integrate the parts of yourself that most need care so your whole ship can sail into safe harbours and navigate the inevitable storms of life.

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.