Couples Counselling in Belfast

For nearly five decades Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman have conducted research on all facets of relationships and parenting. The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to

• disarm conflictual verbal communication
• increase intimacy, respect, and affection
• remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy, and
• create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding.

Interventions are designed to help you strengthen your relationship in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and creating shared meaning.

You will learn how to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and repair past hurts. Over time these interventions will increase closeness and intimacy, improve your sense of friendship, respect and emotional connection, and help you identify shared goals to make positive changes together.

The Gottman Method includes a thorough assessment of your relationship, and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. You will attend an initial 90 minute consultation session together, and come in separately for 45 minutes to 1 hour for individual interviews. This allows me to get a clear sense of who you are, both together and as individuals.

You are also invited to complete in depth, confidential questionnaires about your relationship. Created by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, Affective Software, Inc., and The Gottman Institute, this online assessment tool automatically scores your relationship’s strengths and challenges and provides specific recommendations for intervention.

I will use this to give you detailed feedback on your relationship and clarify the areas you will work on in therapy.