Relational Integrative EMDR (RI-EMDR) & Relational Integrative Parts Therapy (RIPT)

EMDR Relational

At EMDR Relational, my consultation and supervision are grounded in the two models I have developed with my colleague Amy English: Relational Integrative EMDR (RI-EMDR™) and Relational Integrative Parts Therapy (RIPT™). Both grew naturally from many years of clinical practice and training, and both share a deep belief that healing happens within the relationship.

Relational Integrative EMDR (RI-EMDR™)

When something disturbing happens and is not fully processed, the memory can remain stored in isolation, along with the beliefs we come to hold about ourselves, the emotions, the body sensations, and the sensory impressions of what we saw, heard, smelt, tasted and touched. RI-EMDR helps these fragments come together, so the memory can be held as something that belongs to the past, rather than relived through the body’s survival responses of fight, flight or freeze.

RI-EMDR is a whole-person, whole-system approach that brings together evidence-based practice and ways of knowing that reach beyond the evidence base. It works within the EMDR framework while holding space for the relational field, the body, the ancestors, the spirit and the parts, and weaves together attachment-informed EMDR, RIPT, Compassion Focused Therapy, Imagery Rescripting, somatic and polyvagal approaches, and Indigenous wisdom, held with deep respect and without any claim of ownership. It was developed for therapists working with complex and intergenerational trauma, who know that what heals is not only technique, but trust and the depth of presence the therapist brings.

Part 1: Working with Relational Trauma is the foundational RI-EMDR experience. Therapists deepen their understanding of relational trauma through the lens of attachment-informed EMDR, learn to identify and work with parts using RIPT, explore polyvagal theory and the intersubjective space between therapist and client, and build practical skills across all eight phases of EMDR through a body-informed lens. This is where the shift from technique to presence begins, supporting growth in courage, intentionality and clinical confidence.

Part 2: Intergenerational Trauma, Dreams and Spirituality goes deeper into the ancestral, spiritual and energetic dimensions of trauma. Therapists learn to work with intergenerational and collective trauma, including its ancestral and epigenetic dimensions, to recognise and work with introjects and FBEs (The Others), and to understand how the body holds what we carry that is not ours to carry. Part 2 also introduces guides and spiritual representations within a client’s inner world, and dreamwork as a healing pathway within RI-EMDR.

Relational Integrative Parts Therapy (RIPT™)

When a person carries unresolved trauma or loss, they often feel fragmented. One part may long for connection while another keeps people at a safe distance. We all have different parts of ourselves that show up at different times and under different kinds of stress, and when trauma or internal conflict is present, these parts can become larger and more at odds with one another.

For many years I was a Clinical Resource Therapy trainer (Advanced Ego States), and this work gave me a rich foundation. Over time, through our clinical practice and training, Amy’s and my way of working with parts naturally deepened and grew into something of its own. This became RIPT, and I have since stepped away from training in Clinical Resource Therapy to focus on it. RIPT honours each client’s Inner World, the whole living landscape of their parts, held within a guiding philosophy that all parts are loved, valued and welcomed. The therapist walks as a Fellow Traveller, a compassionate witness rather than a director, following the pace of the client’s system. Healing unfolds within the relational space held between therapist and client, as burdened parts are met, ruptures are repaired, and what we carry that is not ours to carry is gently released, restoring balance and harmony.

With gratitude

Our work is enriched by many gifted teachers, including Dolores Mosquera, Anabel Gonzalez and Kathy Steele in their work with dissociation and C-PTSD, Linda Thai’s compassionate somatic approach, and Arnold and Amy Mindell’s earth-based spiritual approach.

Consultation and supervision

I offer individual and group consultation and supervision, in person and online, for clinicians working with RI-EMDR and RIPT.

“Healing is not only about what happened to us, but also about what we needed and never received.”

Unknown Author