Parts work offers clinicians a powerful framework for helping clients understand the different internal states, roles, and protective strategies that shape their emotional lives. Tarot cards, with their rich visual imagery, archetypal themes, characters, and symbolic landscapes, can provide a creative way to make these internal experiences more visible and accessible. Rather than using tarot for prediction or divination, therapists can invite clients to engage with the cards as projective and expressive images through which they can identify, externalize, and develop greater curiosity toward different parts of themselves.

This experiential continuing education workshop introduces practical ways to integrate tarot card imagery into parts-oriented psychotherapy. Participants will explore interventions for identifying and representing parts, understanding the intentions and fears of protective parts, facilitating dialogue between conflicting parts, accessing internal resources, and supporting greater cooperation and integration within the client’s internal system. Attention will also be given to trauma-informed pacing, client autonomy, cultural and spiritual sensitivity, and ethical considerations when incorporating tarot imagery into clinical practice.

No previous experience with tarot or parts work is required.

Continuing Education Workshop Objectives:

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Describe at least three ways tarot card imagery can facilitate the identification, externalization, and exploration of parts within psychotherapy.
2. Apply at least three tarot-based interventions for exploring protective roles, internal conflicts, unmet needs, and internal resources within a parts-work framework.
3. Identify at least three clinical and ethical considerations for integrating tarot card imagery into parts-oriented psychotherapy, including client consent, cultural and spiritual sensitivity, and trauma-informed pacing.