Gottman method

Domain V · Systemic, relational, group & community · John Gottman, Julie Gottman

What it is

Gottman Method Couples Therapy is a couple therapy built on John Gottman's observational research with couples. It assesses a relationship against a seven-level model, the Sound Relationship House (SRH), which has trust and commitment as its two walls. It then uses structured exercises to…

Format

• The Gottman materials describe the therapy as an assessment, then a collaboratively agreed treatment plan, then intervention by SRH level. They do not set out a fixed manualised session-by-session protocol.
• Phase 1: Assessment (3 sessions; roughly 4–4.5 hours in the room, plus questionnaires)

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Training and credentialing: the Institute's path is Level 1 (Clinical Foundations), then Level 2 (on-demand, about 19 hours, with an exam pass mark of 80% for CE credit and a Certificate of Completion), then Level 3 and a separate Certification Track leading to the Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT) credential. No licence is required simply to use the interventions. Presenting yourself as a Gottman-certified…
• Version followed: Gottman Method Couples Therapy as published by The Gottman Institute (John and Julie Gottman) in its Level 1 (Clinical Foundations) and Level 2 training descriptions and its therapist guide to assessment and feedback for the Gottman Relationship Checkup, supplemented by a 2017 handout set from a Gottman Master Trainer (Michael McNulty) and by Gottman Institute blog articles. Not drawn on: the Level…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• mismatched dreams. Treat them with B8 dialogue, not by ranking whose dream counts.
• rituals imposed by one partner; rituals dropped when stress rises (a relapse signal).
• repairs rejected because of negative sentiment override. If so, prioritise the friendship work.
• "I feel that you…" disguising a criticism; needs stated as negatives ("stop doing X") instead of positive requests.
• very different levels of commitment; an ongoing affair; fear or coercive control. Any of these changes the plan (see section 5).

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.