Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Specialist couples therapy for relationships experiencing difficulty, disconnection or recurring patterns of conflict
Relationships can become difficult to navigate when communication breaks down, conflict becomes repetitive, emotional connection is lost, or couples find themselves caught in patterns they cannot seem to change.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy provides a structured, research-informed approach to understanding relationship patterns and helping couples build greater connection, communication and resilience.
I offer Gottman Method Couples Therapy in person from my therapy room in Totnes, Devon.
A Specialist Approach to Couples Therapy
My couples work is grounded in the Gottman Method, developed by Drs John and Julie Gottman through more than 40 years of research into relationships.
I have completed Gottman Method Clinical Training Level 1 and Level 2, specialist training in the Gottman Method, alongside my wider integrative counselling practice.
The Gottman Method provides a comprehensive framework for understanding relationship dynamics and offers practical interventions to support couples in developing healthier patterns of relating.
The work is collaborative. Couples therapy is not about deciding who is right or wrong, taking sides, or assigning blame. Instead, we look at the relationship as a whole, seeking to understand the patterns between you and identify ways forward that work for both partners.
Our relationships can be influenced by many things, including our previous experiences, beliefs about relationships and the models of relationships we experienced growing up. Where healthy relationship models were limited during childhood, it can sometimes be difficult to know what healthy communication, conflict or emotional connection looks like in an adult relationship. Couples therapy can provide an opportunity to develop greater awareness of these patterns and learn new ways of relating.
What Can Couples Therapy Help With?
Couples may come to therapy because they are experiencing:
Communication difficulties
Repeated arguments or unresolved conflict
Emotional distance or disconnection
Feeling stuck in recurring relationship patterns
Loss of friendship, intimacy or closeness
Difficulties rebuilding trust
Affairs, betrayal or significant breaches of trust
Relational hurt and the need for repair
Differences in needs, expectations or priorities
Major life transitions affecting the relationship
Parenting and family pressures
The impact of experiences and relationship models from childhood
A desire to strengthen an already positive relationship
You do not have to wait until your relationship is in crisis before seeking support. Couples therapy can also provide an opportunity to strengthen your relationship and develop skills for navigating future challenges together.
How Gottman Couples Therapy Works
Gottman Method Couples Therapy begins with a comprehensive assessment. This allows us to develop a detailed understanding of your relationship before deciding together what therapeutic work will be most helpful.
The Assessment Process
The assessment takes place across several sessions and includes:
Initial 90-minute couples session
We begin together, exploring what has brought you to therapy, your current concerns, your relationship history and what you hope to achieve through therapy.
Individual sessions
Each partner then has an individual session. This provides space to explore your individual experiences and perspectives within the relationship.
Gottman Check-Up assessment
You will complete the Gottman Check-Up, a relationship assessment developed by the Gottman Institute. This provides additional information about areas of strength and areas that may benefit from therapeutic attention.
90-minute feedback session
We then meet together for a 90-minute feedback session. I will bring together the information from the assessment process, discuss the key themes and areas identified, and work collaboratively with you to establish goals and a plan for ongoing therapy.
As part of the assessment process, I also use physiological measurement with a pulse oximeter and, with both partners' agreement, may record elements of couple interaction. These provide additional information as part of the assessment of relationship interaction and patterns.
All recording is discussed with you beforehand and only undertaken with your agreement.
Ongoing Therapy
Following the assessment, couples sessions are 90 minutes.
Sessions are tailored to your relationship and may include Gottman Method interventions, exercises and therapeutic conversations. Depending on your needs, we may work on communication, conflict, emotional connection, friendship, trust and repair, or other areas identified during the assessment.
The intention is not simply to talk about difficulties, but to help you understand the patterns within your relationship and develop practical ways of responding differently.
Why Sessions Are In Person
Because physiological measurement and observation/recording of couple interaction form part of my assessment process, Gottman Method Couples Therapy is currently offered in person only.
Sessions take place from my therapy room in Totnes, Devon.
Getting Started
If you would like to explore whether Gottman Method Couples Therapy may be appropriate for your relationship, you are welcome to arrange a free 15-minute phone consultation.
This gives us an opportunity to briefly discuss what brings you to therapy and whether this specialist service may be suitable for you.