In addition to our availability of HIPAA Compliant Online Couples Counseling and Coaching, A Couple’s Place features the research-based approach of the Gottman Method for couples therapy & marriage counseling. The Counseling Center serves all of Marin County, California, including the communities of: San Rafael, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Ross, San Anselmo, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, and Novato, California.

In addition to offering couples The Art & SCIENCE of Love - Weekend Retreat Couples Workshops (which are also eligible for continuing education units for professional clinicians), we train therapists to use research-based Gottman-Method couples therapy for their clientele with relationship issues.

Our other websites include aCouplesWorkshop.com for The Art & SCIENCE of Love - Weekend Retreat Couples Workshops and TrainingForCouplesTherapy.com for therapists interested in learning Gottman-Method Couples Therapy.

Our clientele is diverse and includes married, cohabiting, straight and gay couples as well as individuals.

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Gottman Method Couples Therapy Consists of Five Parts:

    ❖  Assessment

    ❖  Treatment

    ❖  Phasing Out of Therapy

    ❖  Termination

    ❖  Outcome Evaluation

Gottman Method* Couples Therapy is based on Dr. John Gottman’s research that began in the 1970’s and continues to this day. The research has focused on what makes marriages or committed relationships succeed or fail. From this research, Drs. John and Julie Gottman have created a method of therapy and counseling that emphasizes a grounded and realistic approach to improving couple relationships.

This method is designed to help teach specific tools and skills to deepen friendship and intimacy in your relationship. To help you productively manage conflicts, you will be given methods to manage resolvable problems and dialogue about gridlocked (or perpetual) issues. We will also work together to help you appreciate your relationship's strengths and to gently navigate through it’s vulnerabilities.

Early in the assessment phase, you will be asked to complete the Gottman Relationship Checkup which is an on-line assessment questionnaire that will help us better understand your relationship. In the first session, we will talk about the history of your relationship, areas of concern, and goals for treatment. We will also meet with each of you individually to learn your personal histories and to give each of you an opportunity to share thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. In the final session of assessment, we will share with you our recommendations for treatment and work to define mutually agreed upon goals for your therapy.

Most of the work will involve sessions in which you will be seen together as a couple. However, there may be times when individual sessions are recommended. We may also give you exercises to practice between sessions.

The length of Gottman Couples Therapy counseling sessions will be determined by your specific needs and goals. In the course of therapy, we will establish points at which to evaluate your satisfaction and progress. Also, we will encourage you to raise any questions or concerns that you have about therapy at any time.

In the later stage of therapy, we will phase out or meet less frequently in order for you to test out new relationship skills and to prepare for termination of the therapy. Although you may terminate therapy whenever you wish, we recommend for most couples to phase out treatment to be sure that they are sustaining the changes they have made.

In the outcome-evaluation phase, we will decide on a follow-up plan. Follow-up sessions in couple counseling has been shown through research to significantly decrease the chances of relapse into previous, unhelpful patterns. The purpose of follow-up will be to fine-tune any of your relationship skills if needed and to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy received.

*Please note that this is a general overview of the Gottman Method. There may be some variations in this approach. Please feel free to ask us any questions or share any concerns.

Learn more about Dr. Gottman’s divorce and separation indicators, known as “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”: Defensiveness, Criticism, Contempt, and Stonewalling.