A Trauma informed Approach to Working with Subpersonalities

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Working with Subpersonalities

Psychosynthesis – The Original Parts Model

Workshop Purpose

This 1-day experiential workshop introduces a contemporary, trauma-informed approach to working with subpersonalities, rooted in the tradition of Psychosynthesis and updated through current trauma theory and clinical practice.

Psychosynthesis was one of the first psychological models to recognise the multiplicity of the psyche and to offer a structured approach to working with subpersonalities. Assagioli described subpersonality theory as “one of the chief points” of his approach, highlighting the dynamic interplay between multiplicity and unity within the human psyche.

Today, parts-based approaches are central to many contemporary therapeutic models; however, the original contribution of Roberto Assagioli is often overlooked. This workshop seeks both to reclaim Psychosynthesis as the original parts model and to evolve its clinical application through a trauma-informed lens.

Drawing from and integrating mindfulness- and parts-based relational models such as Trauma-Informed Stabilisation Treatment (TIST), Relational Life Therapy (RLT), and developments in neuroscience and attachment theory, the workshop explores how subpersonalities are formed in response to trauma and how they function as adaptive survival strategies.

At the heart of this approach is a trauma-informed understanding of the survival personality or adapted child as an overarching organisational structure within the psyche, rather than a single, unified part. From this perspective, the adapted child can be understood as an umbrella term encompassing a constellation of subpersonalities, each shaped in response to specific relational and environmental pressures.

Seen through this lens, behaviours are no longer understood as fixed traits or resistance, but as intelligent adaptations organised around core evolutionary defence responses. These include fight, flight, freeze, submit (also expressed as fawn, fix, please, or appease), attach, and collapse.

Each of these subpersonalities carries a distinct protective function: to preserve safety, maintain connection, or defend against overwhelming experiences such as abandonment, shame, or psychological annihilation. By working with these parts as differentiated yet interconnected aspects within the broader survival personality, clinicians are better able to recognise the intelligence of these adaptations and respond in ways that are both attuned and relationally grounded.

Through a combination of theory, experiential exploration, and clinical application, participants will develop the skills and confidence to work with subpersonalities in ways that are safe, relational, and grounded in nervous system awareness, supporting integration without overwhelm.

Who is it for?

This workshop is open to trainee and qualified therapists, counsellors, psychologists, coaches, and mental health professionals, as well as practitioners in related fields and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of subpersonalities and parts work within Psychosynthesis.

Learning Outcomes

The workshop will offer an overview of:

The lineage of subpersonality theory, positioning Psychosynthesis as an original model of parts work and exploring its influence on contemporary approaches
Multiplicity as a core theme across psychological models, including key foundational frameworks
The evolution of trauma theory and its impact on contemporary psychotherapy
The neurobiological foundations of trauma, including the brain’s response to threat and core survival responses (fight, flight, freeze, submit, attach)
The formation of subpersonalities in response to trauma and early relational environments, including processes of splitting, dissociation, and adaptation
The concept of the survival personality / adapted child and its role in maintaining attachment, safety, and relational survival
A trauma-informed reworking of the Psychosynthesis model, including an updated understanding of the Egg Diagram
Processes of identification, disidentification, and integration in subpersonality work
An updated, trauma-informed model for working with subpersonalities (5-stage process)
Practical ways of working with subpersonalities safely, relationally, and effectively in clinical practice

What to Expect

Participants will:

Explore the historical lineage of parts work and Psychosynthesis’ contribution to the field
Be introduced to a trauma-informed framework for working with subpersonalities
Engage in experiential exercises to deepen awareness of inner parts, including processes of identification (blending) and disidentification (unblending)
Develop an understanding of how trauma shapes internal systems and survival strategies
Explore clinical applications through case material, discussion, and reflective practice
Consider how to integrate this approach into their own therapeutic work
Have space for questions, dialogue, and shared learning

About the Trainer

Dolma Beresford is a UKCP- and BACP-accredited psychotherapist with an MA in Psychosynthesis Psychology. She works in private practice in London with individuals and couples, offering an integrative, trauma-informed approach.

Her work brings together Psychosynthesis, Trauma-Informed Stabilisation Treatment (TIST), Relational Life Therapy (RLT), and psychosexual therapy, grounded in contemporary neuroscience and attachment theory. She has a particular interest in how subpersonalities form in response to trauma and has developed a model that integrates Psychosynthesis with modern trauma-informed approaches to parts work.

Dolma teaches and delivers workshops internationally, with a focus on evolving Psychosynthesis for contemporary psychotherapy. Her work emphasises both the reclamation of Psychosynthesis as the original parts model and its integration into current clinical practice.

Courses & Workshops

Dolma’s workshop was a masterful synthesis of complex material, delivered with clarity, rigour, and deep passion… Her commitment to reclaiming the contributions of Psychosynthesis, and of Assagioli himself, felt both timely and necessary. A rare and inspiring offering.

- Petra Guggisberg Nocelli, Psychosynthesis Author and Psychotherapist

Enquiry here below!

Dolma has a great way of bringing humour to situations, which allows me to detach and see things in a more lighthearted way. I have felt supported by her during some very challenging times and in the process of finding my own path in life.

Sophie C

My therapy with Dolma provided a space for me to explore some deeply painful memories and work through them. I am now able to accept the past and let go of its control over me. Going through this process with a psychotherapist who supported me at all times with warmth, insight, and understanding made all the difference.

Janet F

Dolma brings a combination of gentle empathy and insightful questioning to encourage me to look at things differently and ‘with curiosity’... I would definitely recommend her as a therapist ... she brings a lovely warmth and humour to the sessions and the effect is that I feel safe making changes in small, manageable steps.

dolma@grow-therapy.co.uk