Unleashing the Potential of the TIST Model in New Zealand: Journey of New Zealand's First Certified TIST Therapist

Becoming New Zealand’s first certified therapist in the Trauma-Informed Stabilisation Treatment (TIST) model marks a significant milestone in my professional journey. I hope that my certification and expertise will make this powerful therapeutic approach more accessible to New Zealanders seeking meaningful and lasting change.

What is Trauma-Informed Stabilisation Treatment (TIST)?

TIST is an integrative, parts-oriented therapy developed by Dr Janina Fisher to treat complex trauma, particularly when it is accompanied by relational and attachment difficulties, self-destructive behaviours, chronic emotional dysregulation, dissociation, and compulsive coping patterns.

TIST integrates Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems principles, and ego state techniques to enhance emotional and autonomic regulation, strengthen affect tolerance, foster a sense of safety, and improve the capacity to manage everyday stress.

My Path to Becoming New Zealand’s First Certified TIST Therapist

I have extensive experience working with clients diagnosed with PTSD. At one point in my practice, however, I encountered a bottleneck. Although a client had developed strong trust in our therapeutic relationship and committed to weekly face-to-face sessions, I felt I had exhausted my repertoire of interventions. Meanwhile, the client did not respond sufficiently to psychotropic medication prescribed by a psychiatrist with whom I had long collaborated.

Clients in similar situations are often labelled as “treatment-resistant,” but this term never sat comfortably with me since I had learned what they had been through.

I began to notice that when I explained the client’s inner conflicts using parts theory, something shifted. Motivated by this breakthrough, I searched for literature on parts-based approaches and discovered Dr Fisher’s book, Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors. Through that work, I was introduced to TIST, which marked the beginning of my formal training in the model.

Why TIST Stands Out

Firstly, no best or ideal model fits everyone. It is all about trial and error, no matter whether it is related to finding the right therapist or the right modality.

In my practice, TIST has been well accepted with clients who haven’t fully responded to standard talk therapies like CBT, DBT and ACT. Some peers share that they shift to TIST when EMDR and somatic therapy do not work well with some clients.

I even implement TIST into couples therapy, as the attachment wounds eventually emerge when the couples stay long in the therapy. TIST also helps some couples improve their parenting when they realise their trauma responses are impacting their relationship with their children.

Final Thoughts on the TIST Model’s Potential

Based on my clinical practice experiences, the effectiveness of TIST is cross-cultural.

I am in the final stage of getting certification. My name is soon to appear on the website of the certified TIST therapists.