Don Cole
Donald Cole, D.Min. LPC-S, LMFT-S, Clinical Director at the Gottman Institute, is a licensed Professional Counselor, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an approved supervisor in both disciplines. Dr. Cole received the Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy from Garrett-Evangelical Seminary at Northwestern University in 1993. Dr. Cole, along with his wife, Carrie Cole, co-founded The Center for Relationship Wellness, a private practice for therapy, consultation and training in Houston, Texas. His work with couples includes couple’s therapy, workshops, seminars, and intensive marathon sessions. He is committed to training therapists and other professionals and has provided supervision, graduate courses and continuing educational programs throughout his career.
Available for Speaking
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In addition to being the Clinical Director at The Gottman Institute, Dr. Cole is also a Level 3 Trainer. He offers all levels of training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy for therapists throughout the United States. He also serves as a consultant for therapists completing their final training in Gottman Method.
Dr. Cole has authored a number of workshops including: The Unique Challenges of Second Marriages, Ethics in Couples Therapy, Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement and Living as God’s Family: Relationship Enhancement for Congregations and has presented to a wide range of audiences including, The American Association of Pastoral Counselors and the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As an ordained Lutheran Pastor and Native American, Dr. Cole has served on the Board of Directors of the Oaks Indian Center where he helped design programs for staff training and family restoration. As approved presenters for The Gottman Institute, the Coles present The Art and Science of Love Workshop to couples three times a year.
Highly experienced as a speaker, Dr. Cole is known for his humor and down to earth approach. People find his conversational, energetic style engaging and easy to follow. He has appeared as a guest on U.S. local and national television programs. He has appeared in numerous publications on behalf of the Gottman Institute including: Cosmopolitan, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health and Reader’s Digest. Most recently he co-authored 3 articles for the Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy with Dr. John Gottman and Carrie Cole.
Available for Consulting
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Bringing help to couples has been a long standing goal for Don’s work, but until he learned and began to use the Gottman Method he found himself frustrated more often than not. The research based theory and techniques give me a sense of confidence even when dealing with highly conflicted or emotionally distant couples. Don has also been personally enriched by his ongoing participation with The Gottman Institute. He is a frequent rover at Art & Science of Love workshops in Seattle and also presents that workshop to couples in Texas.
Don is a Trainer in the Gottman Method and has had the privilege of helping other therapists learn the theories and techniques from which he has benefitted so much. Don’s experience with his consultant was warm, accepting and challenging and was an essential part of his being truly able to integrate and use the Gottman Method. As a consultant Don seeks to bring that same helpful approach to others.
“Thank you deeply to my consultant, Don Cole, for all the guidance, patience, and especially the way he corrected me without knocking me down.”
You can contact Don directly to learn about his pricing and more through his Gottman Referral Network profile here.
Carrie Cole
Dr. Carrie Cole is the Director of Research for The Gottman Institute. She is an honor graduate of The University of Texas with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has a Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in research from Capella University. She is a licensed professional counselor and an approved LPC supervisor. Her work with couples includes couple’s therapy, workshops, seminars and intensive marathon sessions. Carrie’s passion for working with couples led her to found the Center for Relationship Wellness together with her husband, Dr. Don Cole. She has always had a profound interest in using a scientific approach to psychotherapy. Having discovered the scientific research of Dr. John Gottman in graduate school, Carrie realized her dream and became a Certified Gottman Method Couples’ Therapist and Certified Gottman Method Workshop Leader in 2007.
Available for Speaking
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Dr. Carrie Cole trains other therapists in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy by conducting Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 trainings yearly. She is also a consultant for the certification program. She has led The Art and Science of Love weekend workshop for couples multiple times a year in Houston since 2008. Carrie was a presenter at the 2008 Gottman Annual Conference, the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2012, and appeared as a guest on the Debra Duncan Show in Houston, TX. In addition to leading workshops and training other therapists, Carrie has co-authored a number of workshops including: The Unique Challenges of Second Marriages, Ethics in Couples Therapy and Living as God’s Family: Relationship Enhancement for Congregations. She has been interviewed and quoted in several newspapers and magazines including The Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Real Simple, Women’s Health, Woman’s World, Verily Magazine, Catster Magazine and ME Magazine.
As a public speaker Carrie is warmly dynamic and provides an engaging experience for her audience. The information that she presents is practical and helpful for a variety of audiences. Her primary goal is always to leave her audience with a sense of hope and optimism about the most important thing in life, which is having positive relationships with others. Through her presentations, Carrie frequently demonstrates humanism by having the courage to demonstrate how she has worked through her own conflicts in her relationships with others. For more information, explore her website.
Available for Consulting
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*Not Accepting Certification Candidates*
Dr. Carrie Cole has been drawn to John Gottman’s research since graduate school, as her greatest joy is working with couples. Carrie and her husband opened the Center for Relationship Wellness in 2006 with the intention of specializing in couple relationships using Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Her own consultation process was very helpful in her development and confidence. The interventions are powerful and helpful to couples, and they provide guidance and clarity for the therapist. Carrie’s goal is to help Consultees gain confidence in the use of Gottman Method Couples Therapy in a safe, supportive, collaborative environment.
Carrie has been a supervisor in the State of Texas for over 10 years and loves helping colleagues develop and achieve their professional dreams. I believe in giving feedback in a thoughtful, empathic, and relational way. In addition to being a consultant for The Gottman Institute, she is an approved Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Trainer, and an Art & Science of Love Workshop Leader. Carrie also does Marathon therapy with couples.