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:

  1. Pick the therapist “crew member” you most identify with (Foggy Fran, Not-Enough Nellie, Burnout Baxter, etc).
  2. Write up to 100 words on why and how you’ll apply this training in your practice.
  3. 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.

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 !

The Trauma Training You Didn’t Know You Needed (But Won’t Forget)

CouplestherapytraumatrainingSydneyWorkshopNov2025

Live in Sydney | 8–9 November 2025 | CPD-Approved In-Person Workshop

Imagine feeling calm, confident, and equipped the next time a client’s trauma story overwhelms the room.
Imagine knowing how to hold space, without burning out.
Imagine doing it live, in the room, with a therapist who has walked the walk for over 30 years.

This November, Maureen McEvoy, one of Canada’s most beloved Imago Relationships trauma educators, is coming to Sydney for a powerful two-day training:

🧠 Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection
📍 Crows Nest Community Centre, Sydney
🗓️ 8–9 November 2025

Hosted by the Australian Resource Therapy Institute, this rare in-person event is your opportunity to go beyond theory, and experience what it truly means to integrate trauma-informed care into your practice.


This Workshop Is For You If…

  • You want to feel more confident working with disorganised attachment
  • You’re curious about how to integrate parts work, ego state therapy, art therapy, and somatic tools
  • You don’t specialise in couples work, but you know relationships are always in the room
  • You’ve felt overwhelmed by trauma disclosures, and want real tools to respond
  • You’re tired of online training and ready for face-to-face learning that sticks

This isn’t just for couples therapists. It’s for anyone who works with humans. Therapists, psychologists, doctors, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, coaches – all are welcome.


What You’ll Learn (And Use Straight Away)

✅ Practical interventions for relational trauma and emotional regulation
✅ Creative techniques using art therapy, body awareness, and parts dialogue
✅ How to build co-regulation and relational safety
✅ A clear, experiential understanding of how your own attachment style shapes your work
✅ A flexible framework you can integrate with Imago, EFT, PACT, and other modalities

This is not a sit-and-watch weekend. This is an engaged, experiential deep dive with one of the best in the field.

“I wish I’d done this years ago.”
– Every therapist who’s trained with Maureen


Who Is Maureen McEvoy?

Maureen is a Certified Advanced Imago Therapist with over three decades of clinical experience. She is known for her grounded presence, gentle humour, and ability to translate complex trauma theory into skills that work in the real world, with real clients.

Her approach is integrative and accessible. You’ll learn how to blend modalities like:

  • Parts work (including Resource Therapy, Ego State Therapy, and IFS-aligned thinking)
  • Imago Relationship Therapy
  • EFT and PACT principles
  • Somatic and art-based interventions
  • Attachment-centred frameworks for emotional safety and healing

Whether you’re just starting out or decades into practice, Maureen meets you where you are – and helps you grow from there.


Why You’ll Want to Act Now

🕰️ This is Maureen’s ONLY Sydney workshop in 2025
🎟️ Super Early Bird, ends 30 June – and it’s timed perfectly for your end-of-financial-year CPD claims
📉 Save by registering early
📍 In-person, live, human-centred – no recordings, no replays, no second chances


Details at a Glance

📍 Venue: Crows Nest Community Centre, Sydney
🗓️ Dates: 8–9 November 2025
🕘 Time: 8.30 am – 5.00 pm both days

🎓 CPD certificate provided


💸 Investment:

  • $895 Super Early Bird (until 30 June – EOFY special!)
  • $995 Early Bird (1 July – 31 August)
  • $1100 Standard (from 1 September)
    🎓 Includes CPD certificate

Ready To Book?

Spots are limited and already filling.
📩 Email philipathornton@gmail.com to register
📝 Or Click here to download the registration form


Final Thought

As therapists, we often hold everything for everyone else.
This workshop is a chance to reconnect with your purpose, your people, and your presence.

You didn’t know you needed this.
But once you’ve been there, you won’t forget it.

We can’t wait to meet you!

Warmly, Philipa and Chris.


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