A Guide to Understanding and Applying Resource Therapy (RT)
(7 min read)

Philipa Thornton

Welcome to the world of our parts! Resource Therapy (RT) is a brief psychotherapeutic approach that utilises the multiplicity of our personality parts. RT acknowledges that our personality is made of our ‘parts’, which are unique and known as resources or states in RT, and have wonderful skills, abilities and knowledge.

RT is grounded in a strength-based, trauma-informed, relational model of care that offers a unique perspective on psychological distress and wellness. RT focuses on working therapeutically with the different parts that make up a person's personality. Our 'resources' are like a gold mine on the inside. We can draw upon each resource's unique roles, skills and abilities. RT draws upon the supposition that our parts are there for a purpose, to help us in our lives.

The genesis of RT

Developed by Professor Gordon Emmerson PhD, RT is built on the foundation of Ego State Therapy (EST), and psychodynamic principles. Professor Emmerson, from his knowledge and experience of EST and hypnosis, developed RT theory and techniques. RT has been described as advanced Ego State Therapy.

These resources govern our reactions to different situations, influencing our emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Our resources develop mainly in childhood with neural connections being built through repetition and encouragement or discouragement from our environment and caregivers.

The therapy is client-centred, working with the client's goals and central to their desired change. A key feature that RT therapists learn is how to connect with and work with the part(s) stuck in overwhelming emotion or broken behaviours. RT therapists know specialised techniques for healing within the therapy hour. This saves clients valuable time and energy, while enhancing therapist effectiveness.

The goal of RT

At the heart of RT is the idea that personality is a mosaic collection of distinct parts. RT works with the change identified by the client focusing on the part in distress.

Unique to RT is the theory that the presenting or reporting part is not the part with the problem. Most therapies will talk to the presenting or reporting part, who is able to provide a detailed description and narrative of the problem. This presenting part has very little 'skin in the therapeutic game', if any. As a reporting part it may not even like the part that is at the heart of the issue. Working directly with the part with the problem speeds up therapy time.

RT teaches us through the RT diagnostic process what RT actions to take to resolve unhealthy negative feelings and behaviours, while working with the client collaboratively.

Understanding personality parts

The ship metaphor is a good way to understand our personality parts. If you think of a ship as our body, on board we have our parts, our resources, some on the top deck and some below deck. The top-deck parts are known as surface states. Our surface states are the ones we use day-to-day, as they operate pretty seamlessly by stepping into the driver's seat to pilot our ship, as needed. Basically, these guys run the show on a daily basis. The captain of our ship is the one in charge at any one time and is said to be holding the conscious state. Only one part can be steering the ship at a time.

Below decks we have our underlying states. We can think of these parts as resting in their cabins. They are merely parts we do not use often. In parts work, clients can be in a state of spontaneous hypnosis, as many clinical hypnotherapists will have noted with their clients.

RT's core belief is all our parts are 'good' parts; there are no bad parts. However, sometimes parts can experience or become stuck in emotional distress or use undesired behaviours, which are no longer relevant to, or suitable for, our current life circumstances.

The part in question may be holding pathology, in the sense that it feels trapped in unwanted emotions like fear, rejection, confusion, disappointment or conduct that is outdated or a dysfunctional escape behaviour, e.g. binge eating at home at night to avoid feelings of loneliness.

These parts can be in a variety of conditions. For instance, a part in the normal condition is able to perform and manage their world in a manner that conforms to the client's values and wishes. Parts can be in conflict with each other, which can lead to low level distress such as difficulty getting to sleep at night when one part might be planning for the next day and another part wants to rest the body. Resource states are dynamic and interact in ways that influence behaviour, thoughts, and emotions.

The pathologies of RT

RT identifies eight pathologies each offering insight into different psychological challenges:

1. Vaded in Fear: This pathology denotes parts that are overwhelmed by fear, leading to anxiety and phobic reactions.
2. Vaded in Rejection: This refers to parts feeling rejected, with impacts upon self-esteem and social interactions.
3. Vaded in Confusion: This involves parts that are stuck in states of confusion, often leading to indecisiveness, stuckness and procrastination.
4. Vaded in Disappointment: These are states that are at the basis of presentations of depression.
5. Retro States (Original and Avoiding): These refer to parts that are either stuck in past behavioural coping mechanisms or actively avoiding certain feelings or situations using unwanted behaviours.
6. Conflicted and Dissonant States: These pathologies are concerned with resolving internal conflicts and achieving harmony among different parts and making sure the part with the right skills, knowledges and abilities, is holding the conscious, for the right occasion.

Application of RT in psychological conditions

RT shows efficacy in treating various conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and other trauma-related disorders. It is also powerful in unlocking performance issues such as writer's block, public speaking and improving sports performance.

Treatment of anxiety

In cases of anxiety, RT aims to identify and work with the parts that are stuck in fear, helping to alleviate anxious symptoms. Bridging and resolving the root cause creates a new relationship with current life circumstances.

Addressing depression

RT tackles the parts that may be vaded in disappointment, offering a path to healing and emotional stability, by assisting the client to reconnect with blocked parts, offering physical and social support.

PTSD and Trauma-Related Disorders

The trauma-informed nature of RT makes it particularly effective in dealing with PTSD, focusing on the parts that are holding traumatic memories. With Dissociative Identity Disorder, for example, RT therapists work towards integration and awareness between the alters in a gentle and compassionate manner. The latest neuroscientific research for memory reconsolidation is utilised in this endeavour.

The Therapeutic Process in RT

A typical RT session involves identifying the parts causing distress and employing targeted interventions.

What if it's not a part?

RT has specialised interventions for those client presentations where it seems as if it is a past life experience, or the experiencing of a phenomenon that the client feels is alien to them. The RT term for this phenomenon is 'Other Personalised Identity' or OPI. Some of the most fascinating and freeing work happens when this RT technique is used to address these presentations.

Techniques and interventions

RT uses a variety of techniques, including dialoguing with different parts, re-scripting traumatic memories, bridging, building self-empathy, compassion and renegotiating relationships between parts.

RT Case Study: Claustrophobia and panic

A man in his mid-40s was referred to me in great distress. He was struggling with enclosed spaces. He went to try on some trousers at a department store and suffered a very distressing panic attack. We resolved this by bridging to an earlier time in his life, where he felt his life was in danger. He had pneumonia in his early thirties and thought he was going to die, as many people do die from this disease. Working with 'Afraid' and assisting it to know it was safe was key. We then used the RT Find Resource Action tool to find the best part to take control and be at the helm when the client was in small spaces such as lifts, etc. The client reported a huge relief and restored shopping capabilities.

Comparing RT with other therapies

RT is distinct from other therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in its approach to treating psychological issues.

RT vs. CBT

While CBT focuses on changing thought patterns, RT works on understanding and reconfiguring the parts of the personality holding negative emotions and behaviours. It is a therapy focusing on emotional processing which naturally leads to a change in belief systems being more congruent with the client's desires.

RT and EMDR

RT is often combined with EMDR, as EMDR therapists understand that parts therapy is vital for healing. RT is especially useful with blocking beliefs and developing resources.

Training and development as an RT practitioner

Resource Therapy offers an elegant and effective approach to psychotherapy, perfect for those with a hypnosis background. Its focus on working with personality parts and trauma-informed care provides a comprehensive framework for therapists working with complex psychological conditions by removing blocks to success and enhancing well-being.

Becoming a skilled RT practitioner requires specialised training and a deep understanding of the therapy's principles and techniques. There is a two-day foundation program called an Introduction to Resource Therapy. The full certification or Clinical Resource Therapy program is a ten-day workshop presented online or in person.

RT has global reach, with trained practitioners in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the UK, North America and South East Asia. RT has a governing body with an executive committee supporting therapists, trainers and the RT community in developing practice and conducting research in order to build an evidence base. The organisation is called Resource Therapy International.

In Australia, my husband and I run the Resource Therapy Institute of Australia, where we offer online and in-person programs for RT training, including offshore, in-person trainings in Bali, Indonesia. You can see demonstrations of RT online at the Resourceful Therapist YouTube channel.

Philipa Thornton is President of Resource Therapy International, the official governing body of Resource Therapy founded by Professor Gordon Emmerson Ph.D. She has the privilege of considering Professor Emmerson her friend and mentor. She is CEO and Co-Founder, with her husband Chris Paulin, of the Resource Therapy Institute of Australia and Marriage Works, a professional psychology health service designed to coach couples and individuals toward joyful connection.