Relationships fail in predictable patterns. After 40 years studying thousands of couples, Dr. John Gottman can predict divorce with over 90% accuracy within minutes of observation. More importantly, he’s identified exactly what makes relationships succeed. This clinical training transfers that knowledge directly into your therapeutic practice.
The Science Behind Relationship Success
The Gottman Method emerged from decades of rigorous academic research, not theory or guesswork. You’ll learn the Sound Relationship House theory, a seven-level framework explaining how healthy relationships function and where they break down. This model guides everything from initial assessment through treatment planning to specific interventions.
Understanding what predicts stability versus dissolution changes how you work with couples. You’ll recognize warning signs like the “Four Horsemen” (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling) that indicate serious trouble. More valuably, you’ll know precisely which interventions address each pattern, giving you clear direction rather than hoping generic communication advice helps.
Comprehensive Assessment Skills
Generic intake forms miss what matters. This training teaches the Oral History Interview, a structured conversation revealing how couples view their relationship narrative. You’ll learn to code emotional responses, recognize bids for connection, and identify physiological flooding that derails productive discussion. Written questionnaires supplement observation, creating a complete picture of relationship strengths and vulnerabilities.
The assessment process itself becomes therapeutic. Couples often report that nobody has ever asked them these questions or listened this carefully to their story. You’ll practice formulating feedback that couples can actually hear, presenting findings through the Sound Relationship House model in ways that motivate change rather than triggering defensiveness.
Interventions That Work in Real Sessions
Theory means nothing without practical application. Level 1 covers foundational interventions: strengthening friendship systems, improving conflict management, and exploring shared meaning. You’ll see actual therapy sessions demonstrating how to implement these techniques, not just hear about them abstractly.
Level 2 advances into complex clinical situations. How do you help couples process affairs? What changes when PTSD affects the relationship? When is couples therapy appropriate for domestic violence, and when is it dangerous? You’ll learn to identify co-morbidities and adapt the method accordingly, with specific protocols for substance abuse, trauma, and violence.
Conflict doesn’t disappear in healthy relationships; couples handle it differently. You’ll master teaching gentle startup instead of harsh criticism, helping partners physiologically soothe when flooded, and guiding dialogue around perpetual problems that never fully resolve. The Two Oval method provides concrete tools couples use at home, not just insights they forget by next session.
Building Friendship and Shared Meaning
Relationships don’t fail only because of poor conflict skills. They also die from neglect. You’ll learn interventions that deepen fondness and admiration, help couples turn toward rather than away from bids for connection, and build rituals that create shared meaning. These positive interventions often prove more powerful than conflict management alone.
The Aftermath of a Fight protocol gives couples a structured process for repairing after regrettable incidents. Stress-reducing conversations prevent external pressures from corroding the relationship. You’re not just stopping negative patterns; you’re actively building positive ones that sustain connection long-term.
Learning From the Experts
Drs. John and Julie Gottman personally conduct this training through 30 hours of video from live workshops. You’re learning directly from the researchers who created this method, seeing their clinical judgment in action. Julie’s clinical psychology expertise combines with John’s research background, offering both empirical foundations and therapeutic nuance.
The training includes extensive manuals (1,086 pages total across both levels) with assessments, intervention protocols, and research references. Lecture slides provide quick reference. Clinical films show real couples (with permission) demonstrating concepts, so you understand not just what to do but how it looks in practice.
Professional Development and Practice Growth
Completing both levels positions you to pursue Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT) status, a credential increasingly sought by couples seeking evidence-based help. You’ll qualify to join the Gottman Referral Network, connecting you with clients specifically looking for Gottman-trained professionals.
One clinician wrote: “This was the single most useful conference I have attended in twenty-three years of clinical practice. Clear, concise, useful!” Another noted: “Being able to provide meaningful, accurate, and timely marital assessments is important to me, and I find the Gottman assessment model clinically valuable.”
Self-Paced Learning for Busy Professionals
The on-demand format lets you learn when your schedule allows. There’s no expiration; you retain access after completion for ongoing reference. Work through material systematically or focus on topics most relevant to your current caseload. Online quizzes for CE credits let you verify understanding at your own pace.
This bundled offering combines Level 1 and Level 2 at significant savings compared to separate purchase. You get comprehensive foundation and advanced application in one cohesive learning experience. Optional printed manuals with tabbed binders make referencing material during sessions easier than scrolling PDFs.
Join thousands of mental health providers, clergy, family clinic staff, and researchers worldwide who’ve transformed their couples work through Gottman Method training. You’ll gain assessment precision, intervention confidence, and outcome predictability that elevates your entire therapeutic practice.
