Overview of Gottman Couples Therapy
Gottman Method Couples Therapy is an evidence-based, research-driven approach designed to strengthen relationships, deepen emotional connection, and transform unhelpful communication patterns. With more than 50 years of research behind it, this approach focuses on improving friendship, trust and intimacy, while giving couples practical tools they can use in everyday life.
Whether you’re navigating conflict, feeling disconnected, rebuilding after a rupture, or wanting to strengthen your relationship, Gottman Therapy offers a structured and highly effective path forward.
How Gottman Couples Therapy Works
Gottman Therapy is delivered in three structured phases that help couples understand their relationship dynamics, build new skills, and maintain long-term change.
PHASE 1 — Assessment & Relationship Mapping
The first stage focuses on gaining a full understanding of your relationship — its strengths, challenges, and the patterns that maintain conflict or distance.
This phase includes:
✔ Joint Session
You’ll meet together to explore your relationship history, current concerns, friendship, shared values, and areas that feel stuck.
✔ Individual Sessions
Each partner meets separately with the therapist to explore personal perspectives, past experiences, triggers, and individual needs within the relationship.
✔ Gottman Relationship Checkup
A comprehensive research-validated online assessment completed individually. It provides in-depth insights into communication, trust, intimacy, conflict patterns, shared meaning, and emotional connection.
✔ Feedback & Treatment Plan
Once the assessment is complete, you will have a dedicated feedback session where you receive:
- A clear summary of strengths
- Specific areas for growth
- A personalised treatment plan based on the Sound Relationship House model
This foundation guides all future sessions and ensures both partners feel safe, informed, and understood.
PHASE 2 — Active Intervention & Skill Building
This phase focuses on replacing unhelpful patterns with healthier communication and deeper connection. Sessions are typically 2 hours to allow enough time for coaching and meaningful progress.
During this phase, you will learn to:
✔ Reduce & Repair Conflict
Using Gottman tools such as:
- Softened Start-Ups
- The Aftermath of a Fight
- The Rapoport Conversation
- Managing gridlocked issues
- Repair attempts and conflict de-escalation
✔ Strengthen Friendship & Fondness
Building the foundation of warmth, appreciation, and emotional connection.
✔ Enhance Emotional & Physical Intimacy
Supporting closeness, vulnerability, and meaningful connection.
✔ Create Shared Meaning
Developing rituals, goals, values and a sense of “us” within the relationship.
✔ Support Emotional Regulation
Including recognising flooding, managing anger, repairing shutdown, and improving safety and emotional security.
Each session includes guided conversations, skills coaching, and take-home exercises to help you apply these tools in real life.
PHASE 3 — Consolidation & Relapse Prevention
As your relationship becomes stronger, therapy focuses on maintaining progress and preventing old patterns from returning. This stage includes:
- Strengthening confidence in your new skills
- Practising tools independently
- Identifying triggers early
- Scheduling booster sessions (often monthly or quarterly)
The goal is for your relationship to feel self-sustaining — where conflict brings understanding rather than disconnection.
Gottman Marathon Weekend – Intensive Couples Therapy
For couples wanting faster progress or struggling with significant disconnection, we offer a Marathon Weekend Intensive.
This is ideal for couples who:
- Need concentrated time to work through complex issues
- Are navigating a crisis or major relationship rupture
- Have limited weekly availability
- Prefer to make significant progress over one immersive weekend
The Marathon Weekend includes:
- A thorough assessment
- Several extended therapy blocks across one or two days
- Targeted interventions
- Structured communication and connection exercises
- A tailored relationship plan for continued progress
This format is highly effective for accelerating change and helping couples reset, reconnect, and rebuild stronger foundations.
A Note Before You Begin
Relationship work happens in the room. We encourage couples to temporarily press pause on trying to resolve major recurring issues between sessions. This helps bring those conversations into therapy, where they can be navigated safely with support.
If you have any questions before getting started, you’re welcome to contact us at any time. We look forward to helping you strengthen your relationship, deepen understanding, and build a connection that feels safe, secure and meaningful.
If You’re Ready to Begin
We would love to support you both in strengthening your relationship, rebuilding trust, and creating new foundations for connection.
📞 Call us on (07) 5520 7705
📩 Or contact us online to book your first session.
