If you work with couples, you know the feeling.
You’ve introduced great tools. You’ve taught active listening, mirroring, and validating. You’ve helped them identify their cycles.
And yet… something still feels stuck.
One partner keeps shutting down. The other grows more reactive.
You’re managing emotional flare-ups, dissociation, blank stares – and despite your best efforts, it feels like you’re not getting to the root of the issue.
Sound familiar?
You are not alone.
Whether you are a seasoned couples therapist or new to relational work, these challenges are increasingly common. We know this from the ACES studies and neuroscience advances – trauma is everywhere. And they are often not a sign of clinical inadequacy, but of something deeper: unmet trauma showing up in the room.
That is why trauma-informed couples therapy is not just a buzzword – it is becoming an essential skillset for every therapist who works with relationships.
When Talk Therapy Is Not Enough
The traditional communication-based models – like Imago, EFT, Gottman, or PACT – are powerful. But when a client’s nervous system is overwhelmed by unresolved trauma, insight alone often does not land.
That is when you see:
- Looping arguments that never resolve
- One partner freezing or becoming flooded
- Outbursts that seem out of proportion to the topic
- Sessions where you leave drained or uncertain
This is where trauma-informed, body-aware approaches can create real shifts.
As trauma specialist and senior Imago therapist Maureen McEvoy says:
“When we integrate nervous system awareness and parts work into our couples sessions, we meet people where they are – not just where we want them to be.”
Why This Workshop Is A Must-Attend
We are thrilled to welcome Maureen McEvoy (Canada) to Sydney this November for a rare two-day workshop designed specifically for couples therapists:
🧠 Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection
🗓️ 8–9 November 2025 | 📍 Crow’s Nest Community Centre, Sydney
🌐 Book now to avoid disappointment
This is Maureen’s only Australian appearance in 2025, and it is a chance to learn directly from one of the field’s most integrative, compassionate, and experienced trainers.
She brings over 30 years of experience in:
- Imago Relationship Therapy (Certified Senior Advanced)
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
- Somatic Experiencing
- PACT
- Creative approaches such as art therapy
- Justice Institute trauma counselling education
- Clinical supervision and therapist mentoring
Whether you are Imago-trained, PACT-oriented, EFT-inspired, or creatively curious, this training will enrich your practice.
What You Will Learn
In two experiential, practice-rich days, you will explore how to:
- Work safely with trauma activation in the couple space
- Identify trauma responses like freeze, fight, and dissociation in session
- Use somatic and parts-based techniques to reach stuck clients
- Integrate co-regulation tools and nervous system language into your framework
- Support both partners while staying grounded and present yourself
- Combine Imago, EFT, PACT, and other approaches through a trauma-informed lens
This workshop is not just about information – it is about transformation.
You will walk away with practical skills, renewed confidence, and a fresh sense of what is possible in your couples’ work.
Who It’s For
💪 You’re a couple’s therapist who has hit roadblocks in sessions
💪 You want to integrate body-based and trauma-informed tools into your relational work
💪 You feel a calling to deepen your presence and precision with complex couples
💪 You crave a training that is warm, experiential, and deeply practical
This training is open to therapists of all models and modalities. And if you are newer to couples work? It is the perfect foundation to build your confidence from the ground up.
Bonus Benefits
🟡 A beautiful Sydney weekend
Enjoy time with colleagues, connect with the Imago and wider therapy community, and take a tax-deductible CPD trip to a fabulous city.
🟡 Connection & Collegiality
Maureen’s teaching style is warm, inclusive, and collaborative. You will learn in a space where your experience is valued, and your questions are welcomed.
🟡 Practical Tools You Can Use Right Away
You will leave with worksheets, practices, and somatic tools ready to bring into your next session.
Final Places – Register Now
🎟️ Early bird price: $995 (ends 31 August)
💳 Standard price: $1195 AUD from 1 September
This event is hosted by Philipa Thornton and Chris Paulin, wife and husband co-directors of the Australian Resource Therapy Institute. We are proud to bring this rare opportunity to the local community, and we look forward to welcoming you.
🌿 Secure your place now and transform your couple’s work from stuck… to healing.
