Last updated on August 14th, 2024 at 09:14 pm
Philipa is a Medicare Registered Psychologist Practising in the Sydney Eastern Suburbs
Philipa Thornton: Your Partner in Healing and Strengthening Relationships
Hi, I’m Philipa Thornton, and I’m here to help you navigate the ups and downs of your relationship. With over 30 years of experience in relationship counselling, I’ve seen firsthand the struggles that couples face—whether it’s constant arguments over the same issues, feeling disconnected from your partner, or wondering if you’ve lost the love that once brought you together. If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone, and there is hope.
As the Principal Director of Marriage Works in Sydney, Australia, alongside my husband Chris Paulin, I’ve dedicated my career to helping couples just like you find their way back to each other. Relationships are hard work, and life’s challenges can sometimes get in the way of the love and connection you once had. Whether it’s stress from work, parenting pressures, or unresolved issues from the past, these pain points can cause distance and conflict in even the strongest relationships.
One of the most common problems I see is the communication breakdown. You know the pattern—one partner feels unheard, the other gets defensive, and before you know it, a small disagreement turns into a major argument. This cycle can leave you both feeling frustrated, lonely, and disconnected. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Through Imago Relationship Therapy, I help couples break out of these destructive patterns. Imago Therapy is all about understanding the underlying needs and fears that drive your behaviour in a relationship. By exploring these deeper issues, I guide you and your partner to communicate in a way that truly connects, helping you both feel heard, valued and loved.
In addition to my work in Imago Therapy, I also run the “Getting the Love You Want” Couples Program. This intensive workshop is a powerful, transformative experience that helps couples reconnect and rediscover the love that brought them together. It’s designed to address the specific challenges that couples face, whether it’s communication breakdowns, intimacy issues, or simply feeling like you’ve lost that spark. Through a series of guided exercises and discussions, I help you and your partner develop a deeper understanding of each other’s needs and desires, paving the way for a more fulfilling and lasting relationship. Many couples find this program to be a game-changer, offering practical tools and insights that can be applied immediately to strengthen your relationship.
I’m also a psychologist certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) and trained in Deep Brain Reorientation (DBR) Level 1. These advanced techniques are especially effective in treating trauma and deeply ingrained emotional patterns that may be affecting your relationship. EMDR is a well-established method for helping individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences, while Deep Brain Reorientation offers cutting-edge insights into reprogramming the brain’s response to emotional triggers. Integrating these approaches into my work allows me to offer a holistic and deeply healing experience for couples who are dealing with the aftermath of trauma or chronic emotional pain.
Another common pain point is the lingering impact of past trauma. Whether it’s something from your childhood or a more recent experience, trauma can cast a long shadow over your relationship, causing mistrust, anxiety, and emotional distance. My approach combines trauma treatment with Resource Therapy, powerful parts work method that helps you heal and move forward. Together, we’ll work to release these emotional blocks so you can rebuild trust and intimacy with your partner.
I understand that every relationship is unique, and so is every challenge. That’s why I tailor my approach to meet your specific needs, whether you’re struggling with intimacy issues, feeling stuck in a cycle of conflict, or simply wanting to reconnect on a deeper level. My goal is to help you not just resolve these issues, but to build a stronger, more fulfilling relationship that can withstand life’s ups and downs.
Imagine what it would feel like to truly understand your partner, to feel connected and loved, and to have the tools to navigate any challenges that come your way. This is possible, and I’m here to help you achieve it.
If you’re ready to take the first step towards healing and strengthening your relationship, I encourage you to reach out. Visit our website to learn more about how I can support you on this journey. Let’s work together to turn your relationship into a source of joy and strength.
Because you both deserve a love that lasts.
Love my role in the Association of Imago Relationships Therapists Australia – AIRTA Board committee is Training Coordinator. Proud to be President of Resource Therapy International.
Here are my academic credentials- BA Psych (Hons), BA Criminology, Grad. Dip Systemic Couples Therapy, EMDR EMDR Consultant in Training. Certified Imago Couples Therapist, EFT, and EMDR certified practitioner with the EMDR Association of Australia.
Essentially I am a relationship psychologist, a board-approved clinical supervisor of psychologists, and the Founder and CEO of the Resource Therapy Institute Australia with my darling husband Chris Paulin.
After over 25 years in the mental health field, my experience in psychology keeps me busy.
In the past I have worked at the NSW Health Department, Salvation Army, the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC), Kirketon Road Centre, Langton Centre Relationships Australia, tutored undergraduate doctors for the University of New South Wales, and ran the Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN).
My journey has given me the gift of a 30-something daughter (Jessica) who lives with her wonderful husband Dean and dog Tyson.
Humbly, I have been featured in Todd Sampson’s Mirror, Mirror Channel 10, Australian Women’s Weekly, Addictions Australia, A Current Affair, The Project, ABC Radio, Radio NZ, and presented at Mental Health Conferences on addictions, trauma in association with the Aboriginal Drug, and Alcohol Council and am regularly interviewed on Radio and other media by journalists on relationship and psychological issues.
Please contact me via phone at 0434559011 or philipathornton@gmail.com and I will be happy to help you with your story or show.
Chris Paulin
Hello, I am a Co-Director with my wife Philipa Thornton of Marriage Works. I am also the Co-Founder of the Resource Therapy Institute Australia.
We run in-person and online workshops and offer supervision and master classes in Resource Therapy, and Relationship coaching.
My academic qualifications include a B.Sc. Psychology, Hons. and Master of Clinical Psychology (equivalent to a Clinical Psychologist), Senior Clinical Resource Therapist, Advanced Clinical Trainer, and RT Supervisor.
I also have extensive training in Narrative Therapy, and Systemic Therapies, EMDR (Chris is a founding EMDR Clinician having trained with Francine Shapiro the originator of EMDR Therapy on her first Australian training), and Imago Relationship Therapy.
I am registered as a Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency and the Australian Psychology Society. During my career in Psychology, over the past 45 years, I have worked and taught in government-provided mental health services, both community and hospital-based, and in private practice.
Chris is seeing couples, individuals, couples, and their families. Please call Chris on 0411144646 now to book
Philipa – Call Call Philipa for a free 15-minute chat now.
Philipa Thornton and Chris are experienced and qualified Sydney Eastern Suburbs registered psychologists offering Individual therapy, Relationship counselling, and Couple Therapy.
Hi it’s funny how god works that o would find this site my issue is trust my marriage is at the stage of my husband adamant about ending it to many times we had a plan to do something and I didn’t follow through my insecurities caused lots of havoc to the point he feels he’s losing his sanity and can’t trust my word he wants us to tell the kids we’re ending it. Is there any hope we have been married 13 years and been together 17
Dear Kim,
yes I think where there is life in a relationship, there is hope.
So the key is not to try and change him, or suggest anything. Do the LRT and practice complete acceptance of his experience and wishes. So many people when they hear their partner complain and talk of leaving, will remind them of the good times, the kids etc. This will come across as – “here we go again, they still are not getting me and my pain, and yes I should leave for the kids.”
There is such power in really hearing and sitting with a persons feelings.
Kim you need to deal with your insecurities pronto – great you recognise how they have contributed to relationship stress – well done, now do something! xx