Gottman Method Couples Therapy
The Gottman Method of Couples Therapy begins with an assessment process that will then inform the therapeutic framework and intervention. After your initial screening (via email or over the phone) you and your partner will be sent an online questionnaire. Please allow 1.5 hours per person to complete the assessment. This overall assessment process lasts for 4 sessions as below:
Initial couple session
Individual interviews with each partner;
Feedback and goal setting session with all parties.
In this last assessment session you will create therapeutic goals specific to your relationship needs that will be actively worked on in all following couple sessions.
The four assessment sessions will be scheduled as closely as possible to each other to ensure time efficiency and to be able to start the therapeutic journey promptly. For options on how to space out these sessions and to find out the cost of the assessment and sessions, please visit the Fees and rebates section.
Therapeutic Framework and Interventions
Interventions are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and creation of shared meaning.
Couples learn to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and to repair past hurts. Interventions designed to increase closeness and intimacy are used to improve friendship, deepen emotional connection, and create changes which enhances the couples shared goals. Relapse prevention is also addressed.
The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication, increase intimacy, respect, and affection, remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy in conflicting situations, and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.