Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy Referrals

Q. We live in another state. Can you refer us to a Certified Gottman Therapist™* in our state?
A.  There are many Certified Gottman Therapists in the United States and Canada.  Many other therapists around the country are  in training and will soon become Certified Gottman Therapists.  Please click here to see a list by state where Relationship Center and Referral Network Therapists reside.

If there is not a Ceertified Gottman Therapist in your area, we offer Intensive (marathon) Therapy for non-local couples who travel to Seattle. Marathon therapy consists of several consecutive days of longer therapy sessions (typically 4-6 hours per day for 2-5 consecutive days). Intensive Therapy can be arranged in conjunction with a couples weekend workshop (before, after, or a combination), or it can be arranged in between the workshops. Another option for out-of-state couples is our Video Workshop for Couples.

Q. What are the credentials of Certified Gottman Therapists?
A. Each Certified Gottman Therapist has a master’s level education or above, and has many years of clinical experience. The Gottman clinicians are especially trained and certified by Drs. John and Julie Gottman in Gottman Method Couples Therapy™ and receive ongoing consultation from them. Each therapist is also highly skilled in individual and/or family therapy, and many have areas of expertise and specialty, which often match the specific needs of couples.

Q. Where is your clinic located?
A. Certified Gottman Therapists all work out of their own private practice offices.   Please see our international map of therapists under "Private Therapy" through the "Find a Therapist" link.

Q. What is the cost of therapy? Does insurance cover it?
A. Fees vary as each individual therapist sets their own fees. Some therapists also accept insurance plans.  Please discuss the cost of therapy with the therapist that you contact.

Q. Do you offer discounts for people who cannot afford the cost of therapy?
A. As each individual therapist sets their own fee, some some therapists offer adjusted fees and others do not. Please see our online directory of providers under the "Find a Therapist" link for more information.   

Q. How many sessions will it take to solve our problems?
A. Obviously, each couple is unique and there is no “average” number of sessions. The therapy begins with a 3-step assessment process where the clinician completes an individual assessment of each partner, and an assessment of the couple. This assessment provides the foundation or “road map” for your therapeutic journey. Once the assessment is completed, the three of you (the couple and the therapist) will decide the frequency and duration of your sessions. The goal of our work is not to make couples “therapy-dependent.” Rather, we attempt to provide couples with the skills and tools they will need to become competent at using the Gottman method in their daily lives, and we offer the clinical intervention necessary to assist couples toward achieving that goal.

Q. We’ve already been to see a therapist and it didn’t really help. What makes your clinic any different?
A. The Gottman Method is scientifically based marital therapy. It is structured, goal-oriented therapy. Our intervention strategies are based upon the empirical data from Dr. Gottman’s 30 years of research with real couples. This research shows us what actually works to help couples achieve a long-term healthy relationship, and that is the foundation of our clinical work with couples.

Q. What if one of us has a lot of personal/individual issues to work on?
A. Sometimes individual therapy is indicated for one or both parties involved in couples therapy. If that should happen, your therapist will assist you in getting matched with an appropriate therapist for the individual treatment. For clients of Intensive Therapy who do not live in Washington's Puget Sound area, we can assist in providing more general guidance for locating an appropriate individual therapist in your local area.

Q. Our old therapist diagnosed one of us with a disorder so that our insurance would help pay for treatment, but still allowed both of us to attend the sessions. Can you do that?
A. Insurance coverage is based upon a diagnostic coding system. Individual therapy uses different diagnostic codes than does couples therapy. Our therapists must code all insurance paperwork accurately and honestly. If we are providing you with couples therapy, we must code all insurance paperwork accordingly.

Q. I live in another state. Can I do therapy with a Gottman trained therapist over the phone?
A. No, due to the fact that licensing for therapists differs from state to state, our therapists cannot do therapy over the phone. In addition, the Gottman Method Couples Therapy™ relies extensively on visual as well as verbal cues, so to conduct this therapy ethically therapists need to see as well as hear you. If there is not a Certified Gottman Therapist in your area, we suggest that you consider coming to our couples workshop or arranging for Intensive (marathon) Therapy in Washington.

*Certified Gottman Therapists are all licensed or certified therapists who practice independently in their state, province, or country. Each has been specifically trained by Drs. John and Julie Gottman to provide Gottman Method Couples Therapy.