The Gottman Method Couples Therapy

Drs. John and Julie Gottman have approached creating a form of couples/marriage therapy a bit differently than other forms of couples therapy. Dr. John Gottman created a Love Lab and studied couples for 30 years, recording their heart beat, facial expressions, blood chemistry and relational interactions of couples. Sorting through this massive amount of data, they developed an understanding of what makes Master Couples (those couples successful and satisfied in their relationships) and Disaster Couples (those unsuccessful and dissatisfied in their relationships.) They recognized that many partners do not recognize that when they are so upset, they cannot communicate and problem solve as well. Also many people have never learned strong couple skills to facilitate a deep emotional connection.

Together, they have created a method to help disaster couples become master couples. It is a series of assessments, skills building and deepening of emotional engagement while working with the therapist. The interventions utilized depend a great deal on the needs of the couple.

To learn more about this approach to couples therapy, you can visit their website www.gottman.com They have written many books, have videos and smart phone apps and blogs to help assist couples make important changes to their relationship.

My advanced trainings in this method include Level 1: Bridging the Couples Chasm; Level 2: Assessment, Intervention, & Co-Morbidities; and Level 3: Practicum.