No Time Wasted
Rather than limping along in couples therapy with no aim or direction, the Gottman method assessment process can quickly target treatment for each couple’s unique needs. The Gottman Method stands out compared to other couples counselling approaches because of its in-depth assessment process.
It sets a framework at the outset of couples therapy to fully understand the relationship strengths and challenges each couple faces. In this way, you are given access to state-of-the-art technology based on the methodology and the data Dr. John Gottman collected in his original research.
All Results Give Hope
Sometimes couples can feel anxious about the results of the assessment process. Let me encourage you with this statistic:
Regardless of the results, Gottman research has found couples can be 75% confident
of making their relationship healthy if they are both willing to do the work.
The Full Relationship Assessment with feedback is normally undertaken as either a day long experience (an Intensive) or spread over a few weeks according to your availability.
What is involved?
Assessment involves:
Session 1
History of your relationship. I meet with both of you together discussing current challenges and the history of your relationship, including turning points that have lead you to become closer or more distant, and what first caught your eye about your partner. (2 hours)
Between session 1 & 2
Gottman Love Lab
(i) Relationship Checkup Questionnaire
You complete the comprehensive online questionnaire. This questionnaire covers topics such as friendship, intimacy, how well you know each other, how you manage emotions in conflict, shared values and goals, and what gives your relationships meaning. These categories were targeted specifically by Dr John Gottman’s research due to their long-term impact on relationship health. I recommend no discussion with your partner about your answers and I will not be sharing your individual answers with your partner. (Average time 1 hour)
(ii) Videos (optional)
Step 1: When the questionnaires are complete, you then continue with a video evaluation and rating process. This is unique in that it offers real-time insight into your relationship patterns. You record two short 10 min videos, one about a recent event and one about a conflict. The recordings can be completed in the comfort and privacy of your home and then uploaded to a secure portal, or I can assist with recording during a session.
Step 2: After creating the videos, each partner then watches them and rates how they felt about their interactions at the time using a Rating Dial. Together with the videos, this information is used to gain data on the couple’s emotions and conflict styles.
Session 2
I meet with you each to discuss your own individual answers on the questionnaire plus further questions I ask all couples. (1 hour each partner)
Optional
In your own home, you can watch 2 short videos about the Gottman research about the science of building long lasting couple relationships. (90 minutes)
Session 3 Feedback
The final session is spent discussing your relationship strengths, challenges based on the Gottman research, setting treatment goals and a plan for moving forward. (2 hours)
How does this Love Lab data help the couple?
The data collected from the questionnaires, videos, and the couples’ ratings generates a report that pinpoints:
- How positive or negative you each feel in your relationship and the impact on your friendship and intimacy
- Can you repair conflicts or are you stuck in power struggles
- Can you put the brakes on conflict or does it keep escalating
- The impact of negativity from betrayals in the relationship
- A prediction of how positivity or negativity will affect the future of the relationship.
This valuable information becomes the basis for your treatment plan. In Active Therapy, I will then apply research-backed therapeutic exercises that target the specific issues facing each couple.
What is the written report?
Couples will receive a detailed explanation of the findings from the assessment, as well as a customized treatment plan from me. This approach pinpoints couple’s strengths and challenges according to the Gottman model; assesses the strength of the couple’s bond, the strength of various conflict management skills, friendship, intimacy, and the stability of the relationship overall. The report will also suggest self-care resources.
Where to from here?
Following feedback, I provides online resources and additional recommendations to support your relationship now and into the future.
Some couples may wish to proceed onto Active Therapy and work in couples therapy on the goals identified. If this is your preference, we would then together discuss whether my approach is a good fit for your needs.
Because of my extensive training, I am among a select group of clinicians in Australia authorized to share the Gottman Love Lab tools