Partners become aware of match and mismatch domains in their relationship.
Partners learn to analyze conflicts associated with their mismatch.
Both partners learn to match each other’s preferred styles and develop flexibility to negotiate effectively.
What are some of the most effective types of couple’s counseling?
Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT)
The Gottman Method.
What is the Gottman Method?
The Gottman Method is a form of couple’s therapy that derives from the relationship research of psychologist John Gottman and his wife Julie Schwartz, that created the clinical treatment framework known as The Gottman Method. It talks about negative emotions, like defensiveness and contempt, hurting the relationship. As a result, therapy focuses on developing positive interactions, skills and understanding necessary for partners to maintain fondness and admiration,turning toward each other to get their needs met, and managing conflict. It also focuses onhow couples can react and repair relations when they do hurt each other.
When should Gottman couples counseling be used?
The method can be applied to many relationship problems but may be particularly useful for couples who are:
Stuck in chronic conflict
Coping with infidelity
Struggling with communication
In a stagnant relationship or emotionally distanced
Facing difficulties over specific issues, such as money, parenting or sex
Gottman Method therapy is based on couple’s patterns of interaction. Partners learn and implement relationship-building and problem-solving skills together.
How does it work? What makes it so effective?
The Gottman Method is built on nine componentsof a healthy relationship what Gottman calls “The Sound Relationship House”
The Sound Relationship House is what makes a happy, healthy relationship. On the other hand, “The Four Horsemen” illustrates communication styles that could lead to a relationship’s demise. And stated that the only way to make the relationship work is to focus on the level of respectand tenderness that exists between the couple to what Gottman calls as “the antidote for the horsemen”
What makes the Gottman method so beneficial?
It is focused and has intentional tools to help; the focus of therapy is not on communication loops but on giving you tangible do’s and don’ts.
It naturally creates emotional connectionand closeness without forcing it; a natural connection with your partner is an expected outcome from it.
It helps couples bring the best parts of their relationship to focus while intentionally strengthening the weaker points for long-term stability; you don’t need to be in therapy to experience the benefits of therapy.
“Love is a two-way street constantly under construction.” — Carroll Bryant