The Science of Couples and Family Therapy
The Science of Couples and Family Therapy
Now Available for Purchase:
From the bestselling authors of 10 Principles for Doing Effective Couples Therapy and The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Drs. John and Julie Gottman present a new general systems theory and mode of therapy, one which will have profound implications for powerful clinical work with both couples and families. It brings an evidence base to classic writings that opened psychotherapy up to more than one person at a time—the couple.
World-renowned for their research-based approach to couples therapy, Drs. John and Julie Gottman report here the results of a second empirical revolution in understanding couples and families. This change is not based on their guesswork, but on state-of-the-art science. This book finally completes the old general systems theory of the 1960s, which metaphorically described processes but did not actually research them.
This new theory is based on 45 years of careful scientific research with thousands of couples and families, including synchronized observational, interview, physiological, and questionnaire data.
The Gottmans have studied some families for as long as 20 consecutive years. Their work has led to their highly replicated ability to precisely predict the future of relationships, relationship happiness, and whether or not couples will divorce with as much as 94% accuracy. Their empirical work has also led them to develop and test a theory of specifically what makes relationships work. Each construct in this theory is precise and measurable and it is all written about and described here.
This book presents an original new way of understanding relationships and families. Both theoretical and highly practical, it will help clinicians become more effective in their everyday work.
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More Resources from The Gottman Institute
More Resources from The Gottman Institute
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THE MARRIAGE MINUTE
The Marriage Minute is a free email newsletter from The Gottman Institute that will improve your marriage in 60 seconds or less. Over 40 years of research with thousands of couples has proven a simple fact: small things often can create big changes over time.
Enter your email below to receive The Marriage Minute in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
GOTTMAN REFERRAL NETWORK
The Gottman Referral Network (GRN) is the primary resource for couples worldwide who are seeking professional help from Gottman-trained therapists. GRN members have received training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, an approach based on 40 years of research with thousands of couples.
Free to access, this database puts you directly in touch with experienced clinicians who use Gottman relationship-building techniques.
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF LOVE
Presented by Drs. John and Julie Gottman in Seattle, this weekend workshop will give you new insights and research-based skills that can dramatically improve the intimacy and friendship in your relationship and help you manage conflict in a healthy, positive way.
Discover why 94% of couples report positive results in their relationship after just two days!
Special Offers for Microsoft Employees
Special Offers for Microsoft Employees
Nurturing a healthier future for all employee relationships
Microsoft has partnered with The Gottman Institute to provide you with life-changing relationship experiences at no cost to you.
These premium research-based programs are already included in your Microsoft benefits package and are completely covered.
Explore the exciting singles, couples, and parenting offerings below, then scroll down to submit a form to register for workshops. The form will help you make your selection (you can pick one program per category). Once submitted, our team will email you details for accessing them.
As a Microsoft employee, you are eligible for the following on-demand and live workshops at no cost to you as they are covered by your Microsoft benefits through your EAP provider, Spring Health. You are only limited to 1 Art and Science of Love Live Virtual workshop and 1 on-demand product per calendar year.
The Art and Science of Love virtual events are designed to strengthen relationships through engaging presentations and experiential activities. If you have a strong relationship, this workshop will provide you with the insights and tools to foster further closeness, friendship, and trust. If your relationship is distressed, this workshop will provide you with greater understanding of your relationship and a roadmap for repair.
Please complete this form below to attend one of the Art and Science of Love live virtual workshops. Dates are listed in the form.
For any of the three on-demand products; Bringing Baby Home, Art & Science of Love online or Emotion Coaching please complete the on-demand workshop form.
Live Virtual Workshop Form
On-demand Workshops
When a baby is introduced, many parents concentrate solely on their new child. However, your emotional connection is the real foundation for your baby’s development. The Bringing Baby Home On-Demand Parents Workshop helps parents enhance their connection, improve friendship and intimacy, and regulate conflict all while learning how to raise a happy, healthy child.
Drs. John and Julie Gottman’s Art & Science of Love couples workshop is available online for you and your partner to take together from the comfort of your own home.
A five-step method that builds emotional intelligence and creates positive, long-lasting effects for children from toddlers to teens. Easy to learn, and used by parents, educators, and care-givers, it supports kids through life’s ups and downs.
On-demand Workshop Form
Questions? Contact the Director of Couples Services here.
Marriage Minute
Marriage Minute
Quick reminders, tips, and skill-sharpeners to improve your relationship, delivered twice weekly straight to your inbox
The Marriage Minute can improve your relationship with a digestible, twice-weekly dose of helpful tips and tricks. Over 50 years of research with thousands of couples has proven a simple fact: small things often can create big changes over time.
What makes the Marriage Minute different?
The Marriage Minute is a twice-weekly, easily digestible newsletter from The Gottman Institute for people in every level of relationship status. Happily married and single individuals alike can benefit from this resource of tools, articles, videos, exercises, and more.
The best part about it? It’s free.
Our goal is to teach you one thing per email that will deepen your friendship, allow you to use conflict as a catalyst for closeness, and enhance the romance in your partnership. And each one should take about a minute or so to read. It’s an easy way to get into the habit of relationship health!
You don’t need to be married to benefit from the wisdom found in the Marriage Minute emails—you don’t even need to be in a relationship to get something out of it (but it helps if you want to apply what you’ve learned right away).
Enter your email below to receive the Marriage Minute in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Start making your relationship a priority.
Sign Up and Elevate Your Relationship in Just 60 Seconds
The Marriage Minute is an email newsletter from The Gottman Institute that can improve your relationship with a digestible, bi-weekly dose of helpful tips and tricks. Over 50 years of research with thousands of couples has proven a simple fact: small things often can create big changes over time.
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Participate in Research
Participate in Research
We are seeking couples to volunteer for our research studies!
At The Gottman Institute, we are committed to ongoing research that increases the understanding of relationships and adds to the development of carefully evaluated interventions.
All research studies are conducted by Research Director and Certified Gottman Therapist, Carrie Cole, PhD., LPC-S, LMHC, in collaboration with Drs. John and Julie Gottman. We are systematically evaluating Gottman Method interventions with randomized clinical trials that meet the highest scientific standards.
Learn more about each study at the links below.
Participate in our Gottman Method Outcome Study:
The Outcome Study looks at applying the Gottman Method to diverse and varied couples presenting for any issue and seeking to work with a highly-trained Gottman therapist in regular 60- or 90-minute sessions.
Participate in our Gottman Method Marathon Couples Therapy Study:
The Marathon Study looks at an intensive 3-day experience, followed by a bit of follow-up, to study the intensive therapy format.
Seeking Couples For Research Study
Seeking Couples For Research Study
Carrie Cole, Research Director, is pleased to announce an outcome research study on our popular workshop for couples, The Art and Science of Love. We are seeking a group of couples attending the upcoming October 2016 workshop, or upcoming December 2016 workshop in Seattle that are interested in participating. Click here to read more details.
Seeking Couples for Research Studies
Seeking Couples for Research Studies
At The Gottman Institute, we are committed to ongoing research that increases the understanding of relationships and adds to the development of interventions that have been carefully evaluated. We are seeking couples to volunteer for our research studies.
All research studies are conducted by Research Director and Certified Gottman Therapist, Carrie Cole, M.Ed., in collaboration with Drs. John and Julie Gottman. We are systematically evaluating Gottman Method interventions with randomized clinical trials that meet the highest scientific standards.
Participate in our Affairs Recovery Research Study
Participate in our Gottman Method Outcome Study
Private Couples Retreats
Private Couples Retreats
Restore your relationship while having a world-class romantic holiday.
Drs. John and Julie Gottman welcome couples to their home to learn research-based foundational tools for building and maintaining intimacy.
Have you ever planned a wonderful romantic vacation, complete with a lovely room, candle-lit dinners and white sand beaches, only to have your dream become a nightmare when tense quarrels and silence spoil the sunset? We have been listening to painful stories like these for over 40 years.
Now you can restore your relationship while on holiday. In a small-group two-day couples retreat on beautiful Orcas Island, you’ll learn new skills for deepening intimacy, managing conflicts, and enhancing your sense of shared meaning in a private, comfortable setting.
In the comfort of the Gottmans’ seaside home, they will guide you through the foundations of healthy relationships, they will role-play real-life examples, and make themselves available to support you as needed while you put the tools to practice in your relationship during the private exercises. The intimate setting enables you to receive personalized, special attention from the Gottmans while enhancing and restoring your relationship.
During the Retreat, you will learn skills to:
- Strengthen your friendship
- Deepen your understanding of one another
- Spice up your intimacy
- Transform inevitable relationship conflicts so you can build solid bridges between the two of you
- Unearth the values and life purpose you share
The Retreats are limited to seven couples, so they do fill quickly.
To read more information about these retreats and to inquire about availability, please click here or contact Heidi with questions at heidi@gottman.com.
How Well Do You Know Your Partner?
How Well Do You Know Your Partner?
The Gottman Relationship Quiz
Discover how well you and your partner know each other
How Well Do You Know Your Partner? Find Out How Much You Know About Each Other
Understanding your partner is essential for a fulfilling and enduring partnership. Many couples may think they know each other well, but often, there’s much more to uncover. This journey not only enhances your connection but also boosts mutual appreciation and empathy. In this section, we delve into thought-provoking questions and insights designed to reveal how well you truly know your partner and how well they know you. Explore with us, and discover the enriching impact of knowing each other more deeply and genuinely.
Asking yourself, “How well do you know your partner?” can be both an enlightening and essential part of nurturing your relationship. Whether you think you know your partner inside and out or there’s room for growth, understanding how well you truly know each other requires exploring different facets of your partner’s personality and experiences.
The Gottman method advocates for building a strong foundation through good communication and mutual knowledge. It might surprise you how much your partner knows about you or vice versa. How well do you know your partner beyond the surface-level details? For instance, do you know your partner’s biggest dream, their fears, or even their favorite childhood memory? These aspects should be part of what you know because they define how your partner views the world.
In any intimate relationship, it’s crucial to regularly ask yourself and your partner, “How well do you know each other?” This question can help you discover whether someone you think you know well is still a mystery in certain areas. Sometimes, when you ask, “How well do you know me?” the answer may turn out differently than expected. Did you think your partner knew about your favorite book or the special childhood place that still holds meaning for you? Perhaps you know your partner’s favorite color or song, but missing out on deeper insights might be an opportunity for growth. The essence of knowing your partner lies in sharing your truths and inquiring about theirs, allowing both of you to draw closer emotionally.
Questions such as, “What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?” or “Where would you go if you could travel anywhere?” should be staples in understanding how well you connect. Would you recognize your partner’s laughter in a crowded room? The more you engage in these conversations, the more you allow for vulnerability and openness, which are crucial for relational success. If sometimes you ask, “Well, do I really know my partner as well as I should?” remember that you can always dive deeper. With strategies like games or good talks, you and your partner can significantly improve how well you understand each other. With each fascinating conversation, your shared history expands and evolves.
Well, do you feel inspired to initiate these discussions? The journey into how much you know your partner is continual and ever-evolving. No matter how well you think recognition is, it’s the effort invested in knowing each other more deeply that strengthens your bond. What did you discover the last time you explored this dimension of your relationship? Taking a moment to assess, “Do you know someone as well as you should?” might reveal areas where you can grow together. In a relationship, the ability to say, “Yes, I understand my partner,” only enriches the tapestry of your shared life experiences.
Fun Questions You Should Ask Your Partner To See How Well You Know Them
Engaging in fun and light-hearted conversations can be a great way to strengthen your relationship with your partner. Asking funny questions to see how well you know each other can help deepen your connection and bring you closer. Relationships thrive on knowing more about your partner’s likes, dislikes, and unique quirks. This exercise can be both entertaining and enlightening, especially if you incorporate some humorous questions. How well do you know your partner’s favorite things, or what their biggest pet peeve is about household chores? Perhaps you’d like to find out which fictional character they’d prefer to spend a day with. These questions not only add an element of fun to your relationship but can also be a lighthearted way to gauge how well you understand your partner’s preferences.
Questions about your partner’s favorite comedy movie or their preferred ice cream flavor are not just about testing your memory but about reaffirming your interest in their life. Knowing your partner’s favorite childhood memory can be a sweet reminder of your shared history and a way to feel closer. While relationships are about sharing your life, having routines, and investing in emotional intimacy, questions like these can offer a new window into your partner’s world. Gottman emphasizes the importance of knowing your partner’s inner psychological world, which can be explored with curiosity and humor. You may find out how your partner feels about surprise gifts, what their favorite song is, or how they’d react if they woke up as a cartoon character one morning.
Funny questions like “If you could swap lives with a celebrity for a week, who would it be?” or “What’s your ‘go-to’ karaoke song?” can lead to delightful revelations. Partners who laugh together, stay together, and humor can dispel tension and promote companionship. How well do you know all of your partner’s little nuances? Knowing if they prefer tea over coffee or vice versa can be endearing because it’s the simple things that sometimes mean the most. Acknowledging how well you know your partner fosters confidence in your shared relationship journey. These questions aren’t about providing a litmus test but are about sharing time, having fun, and learning more about one another.
Over the years, couples can grow to understand each other deeply. But even long-term relationships benefit from periodic exploration into your partner’s preferences and quirks. As a therapist might suggest, keeping the avenues of curiosity and learning open in a healthy relationship is crucial. Asking your partner about their favorite vacation or the funniest family moment can ensure you’re continuously building on your shared narrative. This exercise isn’t just for personal knowledge but strengthens the shared heartbeat of your partnership. Relationships built on understanding and shared joy have healthier dynamics and more profound bonds. Read on to explore more ways to find, share, and enjoy some lighthearted fun with your partner!
Wrapping it up, understanding your partner on a deeper level can significantly improve the dynamics of your relationship. As highlighted by Gottman, engaging in open-ended questions and establishing genuine communication are essential for fostering connection and empathy. By consistently checking in with each other and respecting each other’s boundaries, you build a solid foundation of trust. Assessing how well you know your partner periodically can help in identifying areas that need attention or improvement. Remember, the journey to knowing your partner is ongoing, and making it a priority ensures growth and stability in your relationship.
Original price was: $250.00.$157.00Current price is: $157.00.
Original price was: $45.00.$37.00Current price is: $37.00.
Ever wonder what’s really going on in your relationship?
Tired of getting into fights and unsure what to do next? Or perhaps you’re curious about which areas of your relationship need improvement? The all-new Gottman Assessment, powered by the legendary scientific Gottman Method, can help you understand the state of your relationship—and get you the help you need to improve it.
$599.00
The Art and Science of Love workshop- where do I begin? It was an absolute stellar workshop. We were looking forward to this for weeks, and it exceeded our expectations! It was well-structured, and well-organized, and provided a wealth of information with real-time demonstrations of how to work through specific scenarios. The outstanding support that was provided throughout the exercises with therapists on standby- WOW! Priceless!Includes the Art & Science of Love box set. Please allow time for shipping. Please Note: This is a live online event. To attend, you will need a reliable internet connection. Our staff will reach out to you with your personal registration and access information.
Original price was: $30.00.$17.00Current price is: $17.00.
Share Feedback On Your Gottman Therapist
Share Feedback On Your Gottman Therapist
The Gottman Method
The Gottman Method
More About Gottman
For Professionals:
For therapists, life coaches, counselors, educators, clergy, trainers, and other mental health and well-being professionals, the Gottman Method is an approach to couples therapy that includes a thorough check up of the couple’s relationship, and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication, increase intimacy, respect, and affection, remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy, and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.
Learn more about Gottman Method Couples Therapy here. Most of our CE courses and certification in Gottman Method Couples Therapy are also relevant in non-clinical settings for other professionals who work with couples.
Click here to sign up to our Gottman Pro Newsletter for clinical professionals and receive updates on trainings, new courses, professional opportunities, and resources to help you dig deeper into Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
See The Gottman Method in action and learn ways to apply it with your couples in practice with the Art and Science of Love.
For Couples:
Successful couples and those who want to be successful use the Gottman Method. The real magic happens when you don’t just understand our concepts, but actively apply them to everyday life—turning insights into action. At the end of the day, every couple is made up of two humans in a relationship, shaped by the past, wounds, dreams, beliefs and aspirations. When the relationship struggles, it impacts everything. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Gottman have studied every aspect of human relationships and discovered the secrets to being successful in love and long term partnerships. Those secrets have been transformed into the Gottman Method, readily available in all our products today. We recommend taking the time to truly master and implement these methods for a thriving relationship.
To illustrate, let’s briefly look at one of our many concepts, Love Maps. It goes beyond simple knowledge like “What’s your favorite movie?” to provide a rich exploration path. You’ll understand not just your partner’s preferences, but their hopes, dreams, vulnerabilities—creating a detailed map of their inner world. You’ll know exactly what bagel to surprise them with, what holding their hand means when they are sick, and what their hopes are for the future.
These insights will help you add positivity to your daily interactions, reduce conflicts, and create a closer bond.
The Gottman Relationship Adviser applies the Gottman Method in a way that couples can take advantage of immediately.
Complete the relationship assessment alone or with a partner then you will be guided by your unique roadmap, broken into manageable steps, making progress towards a thriving relationship easy, attainable, and exciting.
Love maps is just one concepts we explore and teach you to apply in the Gottman Method and the Relationship Adviser.
For an in-depth analysis of your relationship health, check out the Gottman Assessment, a virtual relationship evaluation tool for couples.
Check out the free relationship quiz for couples.
Conflict is the primary reason couples seek help. Our resources are designed to change the way you handle disagreements. Through a new mindset, examples, exercises, and role-playing videos, we’ll show you how to de-escalate conflicts, create deep connections, and even introduce humor and affection into tense moments.
Backed by five decades of rigorous, reliable science, the Gottman Method is your guide to a healthier, more satisfying relationship.
Explore the Gottman Relationship Adviser—think of it as your personal love compass. It provides a customized roadmap tailored to your unique relationship, complete with videos, reading materials, exercises, and insights necessary for transformative change.
For an in-depth understanding of your current relationship dynamics, check out the Gottman Assessment. This virtual evaluation tool offers couples a detailed analysis of their relationship’s strengths and challenges, guiding you towards meaningful improvements.
Why Is the Gottman Method Different?
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Couples who enter into Gottman Method Couples Therapy begin with an assessment process that then informs the therapeutic framework and intervention.
Assessment
A conjoint session, followed by individual interviews with each partner are conducted. Couples complete questionnaires and then receive detailed feedback on their relationship.
Check out the online assessment tool the Gottman Relationship Checkup. Created by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, Affective Software, Inc., and The Gottman Institute, this online couples assessment tool automatically scores a relationship’s strengths and challenges and provides specific recommendations for intervention.
Therapeutic Framework
The couple and therapist decide on the frequency and duration of the sessions.
Therapeutic Interventions
Interventions are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and creation of shared meaning. Couples learn to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and to repair past hurts. Interventions designed to increase closeness and intimacy are used to improve friendship, deepen emotional connection, and create changes which enhances the couples shared goals. Relapse prevention is also addressed.
You can find a Gottman trained therapist on the Gottman Referral Network.
Discover The Nine Components of Healthy Relationships
What Is the Sound Relationship House?
Drs. John and Julie Gottman developed nine components of healthy relationships known as The Sound Relationship House Theory.
Build Love Maps
Build Love Maps is the first level of the Sound Relationship House. The concept is simple: you and your partner should know each other intimately. Knowing the little things about your partner’s life creates a strong foundation for friendship and intimacy.
Share Fondness and Admiration
Share Fondness and Admiration is all about vocalizing the characteristics that you appreciate and love about your partner, big or small, to grow affection and respect in your relationship. This includes statements like, “I’m proud of your accomplishments,” or “I appreciate that you are thoughtful.”
Turn Towards Instead of Away
Turning towards instead of away is about the everyday efforts you make in a relationship to reach out to your partner and accept their bids for emotional connection. One of the greatest predictors of your relationship’s success is your ability to turn towards each other. Healthy couples constantly make and turn towards bids to connect. When bids are ignored or rejected, partners are more inclined to criticize each other and become frustrated.
The Positive Perspective
The Positive Perspective means that you give your partner the benefit of the doubt and you believe that you’re on the same team, which in turn solidifies your union and strengthens you from the inside out.
Manage Conflict
We say “manage” conflict rather than “resolve” conflict, because relationship conflict is natural and has functional, positive aspects. Understand that there is a critical difference in handling perpetual problems and solvable problems.
Make Life Dreams Come True
Making life dreams come true is about creating an atmosphere that encourages each person to talk honestly about their hopes, values, convictions, and aspirations. When you make space for these things in your relationship, you can reach your individual and shared goals with the support of your partner.
Create Shared Meaning
The top floor of the Sound Relationship House, Create Shared Meaning, functions much like the foundation of Building Love Maps, except on this level, you build and understand an inner world as a couple. Creating shared meaning is all about understanding important visions, narratives, myths, habits, and metaphors about your relationship. These Rituals of Connection define you and your partner’s life together.
Trust
This is the state that occurs when a person knows that his or her partner acts and thinks to maximize that person’s best interests and benefits, not just the partner’s own interests and benefits. In other words, this means, “my partner has my back and is there for me.”
Commitment
One of the “weight-bearing walls” of The Sound Relationship House (the other being Trust). It consists of demonstrating through your words and actions that you are in the relationship, for better or for worse, and that you can count on each other.
Who Can Benefit from the Gottman Method?
In his New York Times bestselling book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Dr. John Gottman writes, “Although you may feel your situation is unique, we have found that all marital conflicts fall into two categories: Either they can be resolved, or they are perpetual, which means they will be part of your lives forever, in some form or another.” Gottman says that 69% of marital conflicts are perpetual problems, and these are of particular focus in much of the work performed by Gottman-trained therapists.
The Gottman Method is designed to support couples across all economic, racial, sexual orientation, and cultural sectors. Outcome research has shown Gottman Method Couples Therapy to be effective for treating same-sex relationships.
What Are the Issues That May Be Addressed in Therapy?
Some of the relationship issues that may be addressed in therapy include:
- Frequent conflict and arguments
- Poor communication
- Emotionally distanced couples on the verge of separation
- Specific problems such as sexual difficulties, infidelity, money, and parenting
Even couples with “normal” levels of conflict may benefit from the Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Gottman-trained therapists aim to help couples build stronger relationships overall and healthier ways to cope with issues as they arise in the future. You can find a Gottman-trained therapist on the Gottman Referral Network.
A Happier Relationship Starts Today
Subscribe to Gottman Love Notes and get regular relationship tips and resources from the experts, plus a monthly free couples exercise and access to special pricing on Gottman products.
John & Julie Gottman
John & Julie Gottman
Dr. John Gottman
World-renowned for his work on marital stability and divorce prediction, John Gottman has conducted 50 years of breakthrough research with thousands of couples. In addition to being named one of Psychotherapy Networker’s Top 10 Most Influential Therapists of the past quarter-century, his work on marriage and parenting has earned him numerous major awards, including:
- Four National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Awards
- The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Distinguished Research Scientist Award
- The American Family Therapy Academy Award for Most Distinguished Contributor to Family Systems Research
- The American Psychological Association Division of Family Psychology, Presidential Citation for Outstanding Lifetime Research Contribution
- The National Council of Family Relations, 1994 Burgess Award for Outstanding Career in Theory and Research
- Psychotherapy Networker Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Gottman is the author or co-author of over 250 published academic articles and more than 50 books, including best-sellers Fight Right, The Love Prescription, and Eight Dates, and The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, as well as The New Marriage Clinic, What Makes Love Last, The Science of Trust, The Relationship Cure, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, and Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child. his media appearances include CBS Morning News, Good Morning America, Oprah, TED Mainstage and The TODAY Show, as well The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Inc., The New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, People, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest, and Vanity Fair.
Co-founder of The Gottman Institute and co-founder of Affective Software, Inc. with his wife, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, John was also the Executive Director of the Relationship Research Institute. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Washington, where he founded “The Love Lab” at which much of his research on couples’ interactions was conducted. To read more about Dr. Gottman’s research, check out this page for interesting questions and citations to his work.
Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman
Co-founder of The Gottman Institute and Affective Software, Inc., Dr Schwartz Gottman is co-creator of Loving Couples Loving Children – a curriculum for couples struggling with poverty, co-creator of the immensely popular Art & Science of Love weekend workshops for couples, and co-designed the national clinical training program in Gottman Couples Therapy. A highly respected licensed clinical psychologist and educator, she is sought internationally as an expert advisor on marriage, the treatment of trauma and affairs, sexual harassment and rape, domestic violence, same-sex marriage, and gay and lesbian parenting. Media appearances have included Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, and the TED Mainstage, as well as The Atlantic, The Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post, Inc., The New York Times, TIME, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal among many others.
Dr. Schwartz Gottman has been honored as the Washington State Psychologist of the Year and is the recipient of the Psychotherapy Networker Lifetime Achievement Award. She is author or co-author of many books, including best-sellers Fight Right, The Love Prescription, and Eight Dates, as well as The New Marriage Clinic, and The Marriage Clinic Casebook, Ten Lessons to Transform Your Marriage, The Man’s Guide To Women, and And Baby Makes Three. Dr. Schwartz Gottman has received wide recognition for her clinical psychotherapy treatment, with specialization in distressed couples, abuse and trauma survivors, substance abusers and their partners, and cancer patients and their families.
More About Gottman
Join the Gottman Pro Newsletter
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John Gottman’s concept of “flooding” triggers the “fight or flight” response, risking conflict escalation or emotional disengagement. Subscribe for free resources on managing it in clients.
Lifetime Achievement Award
For over 50 years Drs. John and Julie Gottman have devoted their life to the research and practice of fostering healthy, long-lasting relationships through the training of clinicians and the creation of transformative products for couples around the world. When receiving the 2021 Psychotherapy Networker Lifetime Achievement Award, Drs. John and Julie Gottman had this to say:
None of this would be possible without the incredible work that’s being done all around us. I want to share this award with especially all of you therapists who are […] stalwartly learning technology in order to stay connected with your clients and to help even more couples in their terrible distress, and pain, and anguish, and loss […] We are all one big community of healers and helpers reaching out to the world and, as we’ve seen over the last four years, love is needed more in the world than ever before. So thank you all for doing the work you do and we’ll keep chugging along doing what we do.
More About Gottman
Join the Gottman Pro Newsletter
Receive regular updates and clinical resources for professionals from the Gottman Institute.
John Gottman’s concept of “flooding” triggers the “fight or flight” response, risking conflict escalation or emotional disengagement. Subscribe for free resources on managing it in clients.