Resource Therapy is a trauma-informed, strengths-based psychotherapy that works directly with personality parts to bring healing, resilience, and lasting change.
– Australian Resource Therapy Institute
Resource Therapy (sometimes called Advanced Ego State Therapy) is a branch of Parts Therapy that also includes such modalities as Internal Family Systems, Ideo-Ego Dynamics, Voice Dialogue, Transactional Analysis and Ego State Therapy. Parts work, as this range of techniques is sometimes referred to, recognises the human psyche is not so much a monolithic and stable thing as much as a living process consisting of many different and changing identities, moods, and parts. Resource Therapy refers to them as “resources”. These parts may cooperate and function well together, or they may be at odds with (or even unaware of) each other.
Depression, anxiety, neurosis, addictions, self-destructive behaviour and a general sense of suffering and dis-ease are all expressions of the various different personal identities of an individual being in conflict, or not being allowed to have a voice and healthy role to play in the individual’s life.
Resource Therapy directly talks with each part, or resource, and maps its relationships and how it interacts with other parts. Crucially, when someone comes into therapy, they invariably present a situation that “they” want to change – but what about that part that has been labelled problematic? What is its story? If it’s the “problem”, what does it have to say about itself? What does it want to say, what does it need? As Resource Therapy would put it, this part is a resource that is either not playing the role it should, is protective (even if dysfunctional) , or is simply unheard and under-utilised. If engaged appropriately and compassionately, this dysfunctional aspect has the potential to become a productive and healthy resource.
Resource Therapy deals with these resources-to-be directly, and mediates or productively re-engages them with those other parts of the psyche to create a more whole, integrated and healthy individual. It is an approach designed to provide creative ways to identify and unravel psychological blockages and neuroses, bringing dysfunctional and pathological states back to health and wholeness, and which highlights the natural “ok-ness” of the individual. And while recognising pathologies as dysfunctional in presentation, more importantly they can be approached as resources bringing the potential for reintegration, holistic healing, and greater human thriving.
Resource Therapy is a strengths-based, neuropsychologically and clinically grounded modality that explores and maps the parts (resources) of the client and works with them to directly address fear, shame, trauma, guilt, rejection and guilt.
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