The Gottman Method

Dr John and Dr Julie Gottman are researches and clinical Psychologists who have studied relationships and provided Relationship Counselling with thousands of couples for over 40 years.

Gradually they developed and refined a model that once applied to the relationship through counselling support, can move a couple from talking about divorce to being in a wonderful and happy relationship. John and Julie has written many books, appeared on many TV shows and talks, and when their methods have been tested and researched by others, the same successful results are shown. In fact using this knowledge John Gottman is able to interview a couple, and with a 95% success rate, predict whether that relationship will flourish or end in divorce. The method takes the view that the old relationship hasn’t worked, so let’s build a far better relationship number 2.

The Gottman’s put their model into a simple visual aid called the Sound Relationship House with all the sections the relationship needs to flourish.

At the Relationship Centre much of our training is around the Gottman method, and we use this as well as integrating some other well-known and successful approaches.

Our experience has been by using this method, even a couple who have separated after an affair and are feeling they are beyond being able to stay in the relationship, can after some work in therapy, find they can build relationship number 2, and it make far better than the old relationship.

The key to this approach is there are structured tasks to do between sessions which helps the new relationship develop by learning new ways to help it flourish.