Description:This comprehensive 36-hour course is a great way to start at the beginning and master the foundations of Gottman Method Couples Therapy within a single online offering. It’s also an excellent resource for clinicians who’ve already completed Gottman training and desire a robust reference resource for continued study.

In addition to Level 1 Training, Level 2 Training, and Therapy Sessions: Live, this clinical foundations course includes three Bonus Material Handouts and 36 CE hours.

BUILD EXPERTISE Build expertise as you explore research-based strategies that can be immediately applied in your practice. Study the topics that most interest you, or take the ultimate journey and become a Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT).

IMPROVE OUTCOMES Whether you’re a licensed clinician, coach, educator, or small group leader, Gottman research and therapy methods can enhance your professional practice and improve client outcomes. Discover assessment techniques and interventions that make it easy to measure and monitor progress.

GROW YOUR PRACTICE Gottman-trained professionals are in demand for couples, communities, and organizations that care about strengthening relationships. Gain the skills and knowledge that qualify you to practice the Gottman Method, and join the Gottman Referral Network (GRN) to expand your business.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this training, you will be able to:

1. Summarize the research that allows us to predict future relationship stability
2. Describe the seven levels of the Sound Relationship House theory
3. Conduct a couple’s therapy assessment using elements of the couple’s narrative, the Oral History Interview, written questionnaires, observations of conflict, and individual interviews
4. Describe two interventions to help strengthen a couple’s conflict management
5. Describe two interventions to enhance a couple’s friendship system
6. Describe two interventions to explore a couple’s system of shared meaning
7. Explain why physiological self-soothing is essential for a healthy relationship
8. Create a therapeutic contract with a couple, discuss and decide on goals and include a summary of the couples strengths and areas that need improvement
9. Describe the Philosophy of Therapy and including assumptions, overview of techniques, and goals of therapy
10. Describe the Rapoport Intervention and when to use it
11. Describe the process of therapy, including the structure of a session

Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 2At the completion of this training, you will be able to:

1. Explain the basics of observation, including why it’s important to recognize Emotions on the Human Face, Tension in the Voice, the Importance of Words, and the use of the SPAFF coding system
2. Describe the seven levels of the Sound Relationship House theory
3. Describe how to recognize Bids and Turning Towards
4. Explain the components of the first three Assessment sessions
5. Explain and demonstrate how to conduct an Oral History Interview
6. Explain and demonstrate how to conduct a Feedback Session, including how to formulate a Treatment Plan and how to present it to the couple using the Sound Relationship House model
7. Describe the use of the core assessments with couples, including the Locke-Wallace, Weiss-Cerretto, Gottman Sound Relationship House Questionnaires, Gottman 19 Areas Checklist, EAQ, SCL-90, Detour Scales, CAGE, and b-MAST
8. Explain and demonstrate the rules for Gentle Start Up
9. Develop interventions that couples can use as antidotes to the “Four Horsemen”
10. Prepare couples to physiologically soothe when flooded
11. Select and implement interventions to help deal with conflict
12. Apply different modes of changing the “Attack/Defend System” in a couples interaction
13. Assist couples to establish dialogue about their gridlocked conflicts
14. Instruct couples on how to work towards compromise on perpetual problems using the Two Oval method
15. Describe the five steps of processing a fight or a regrettable incident using the Aftermath of a Fight intervention
16. Use and describe the Stress-Reducing Conversation to minimize relapse
17. Select and implement interventions to help couples deepen their “Friendship System” by working on Fondness and Admiration
18. Select and implement interventions to help couples Build Shared Meaning with Rituals of Connection
19. Identify and formulate a plan for different co-morbidities common to couples using Gottman Method Couples Therapy Assessment and Intervention
20. Describe how to apply Gottman Method Couples Therapy to a couple who has experienced an affair
21. Describe when it is appropriate and inappropriate to use Gottman Method Couples Therapy with a couple dealing with substance abuse
22. Describe how to apply Gottman Method Couples Therapy to a couple experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
23. Describe the differences between situational and characterological domestic violence and when it is appropriate and inappropriate to use Gottman Method Couples Therapy with a couple dealing with domestic violence

Therapy Sessions: LiveAt the completion of this training, you will be able to:

1. Describe the assessment process and the importance of narrative and conflict discussions
2. Explain the use of Love Maps in a clinical session
3. Describe the Dreams-Within-Conflict intervention and the goal of the intervention
4. Explain and use Aftermath of a Fight to help move a couple from attack-defend to a col­laborative mode
5. Explain Softened Startups, help couples to self-soothe and engage in a conflict conversation using Softened Startups
6. Describe the importance of Rituals of Connection and how to use it as an intervention
7. Understand and explain the importance of Shared Meaning in a relationship and how to use it in a session
8. Explain the Rapoport Intervention and the Conflict Blueprint and how to use them in a session
9. Describe how to have a Stress Reducing Conversation and how to help a couple to use it as an intervention
10. Recognize when feelings are not being shared and work with a couple to have a conversa­tion in which they share their feelings with their partner