Speaker Specialization: Trauma

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Sabrina believes deeply in the Gottman Couples method of therapy and has been drawn to the practical nature of this method, which is so rooted hard research. After working as a family therapist in a school-based program for several years, she opened her private practice in 2010. In 2017, she began training interns and now runs a small group practice, where all of her clinicians use the Gottman Method as their primary methodology.

Early in her career, Sabrina was originally drawn to working with adolescents in schools. But her work there revealed a recognizable pattern: , she noticed that real change in a child’s life only took place when the parents were on the same page — and working toward the same goal. After that, she tried to refocus her work on couples therapy. In 2012, she attended the Level 1 Gottman Method training and began using the tools taught by Dr.s John and Julie Gottman. She instantly felt a difference in her clients’ results; she suddenly had the tool belt she needed that could make lasting change in couples. It was then that her work with couples really became exciting, rather than daunting. She was so enthusiastic about the method that she completed level 1, 2 and 3 in rapid succession in the fall of 2012, although she quickly realized it would take years to become proficient and fully understand the complexities of Gottman Method Couples work. She finished her certification in 2017 and has gone on to become an Advanced Gottman Trainer to help others in the method. e  Twice she has attended the “Art and Science of Love” couples workshop, presented by the Gottmans. Later, she was a roving assistant as Don and Carrie Cole presented. In 2021, Sabrina began presenting the “Art and Science of Love” herself in Portland, Or. She became a trainer for the Gottman Institute and is now a trainer for Levels 1, 2 and 3, which she absolutely loves doing. Prior to becoming a therapist, Sabrina was a teacher, so her methods of training are based in hands-on, active learning. Many have commented that her teaching style helps them learn deeply as they practice and review constantly throughout the training. 

Sabrina has a sub-specialty in both Affair Recovery and Addiction Recovery, and is also certified in treating trauma through EMDR.  

Sabrina understands how nerve wracking it can be to think of entering the Certification Track. She also remembers the daunting process of editing and uploading the clips, not to mention the thought of someone reviewing them! But she has also found ways to make the process easier, and is committed to giving her candidates the support they need to be successful

Throughout the certification process and in the years that followed, Sabrina has experienced the incredible support of the team and colleagues at the Gottman Institute, and the community of fellow Gottman Certified therapists. Her certification process ended up being one of encouragement, profound growth and excellent support. This is the model she follows as she prepares her people for video submissions, and honing their skills as a relationship therapist.  

You can contact Sabrina directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Trish is a clinical psychologist with special interests in couples therapy, trauma, and the training and mentoring of intern psychologists and therapists generally. She has been working with couples since 1998 and has found the Gottman Method Couples Therapy to be the most successful and reliable evidenced based approach around. She has many years of experience working with war veterans and their partners who present with a complex array of clinical issues in addition to their relationship problems. Trish is an experienced Australian Psychology Board approved supervisor with more than 15 years of training and mentoring intern psychologists to full registration. Her approach is supportive, pragmatic and commonsense mixed with a little creative mischievousness.

Trish was the first certified Australian Certified Gottman Therapist and is an approved Trainer for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Gottman Professional Training Workshops and the Art and Science of Love Couples Workshop which she runs regularly around Australia. Trish is passionate about developing a strong professional and well trained network of Gottman therapists throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia and has established the Relationship Institute Australasia as the mechanism to achieve this.

You can contact Trish directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Are you looking to find some peace and comfort in your life and/or relationship? Or want to learn some skills to heal from the hurts and pains you have experienced in life and/or your relationship?

Tammy has a tremendous amount of compassion for each and every person she meets, and is very passionate about working with couples through their journey using the Gottman Methods of therapy. With over 15 years experience working with couples in various stages of their relationship, Tammy is able to help couples learn the skills and techniques to move through time together in a more harmonious respectful manner.

With extensive training in the Gottman Methods, Tammy’s areas of specialty with couples therapy are trauma, marital dissatisfaction, betrayal, affair recovery and addiction recovery. Relationships are not easy and when these are plaguing a relationship, it can make life as a whole more difficult to manage. Her approach is with gentleness, care and compassion, when communicating with each and every person.

You can contact Tammy directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

Stacy has a background in adventure therapy and has worked for Outward Bound and has been an adventure guide and climbing instructor. She has also worked for over a decade in agency settings with children who have been abused and neglected.

Her time now is devoted to private practice, doing therapy with couples as well as individuals who have experienced trauma. Stacy does private therapy, marathon therapy, leads The Art and Science of Love weekend workshops, trains therapists in all levels of the Gottman Method, and serves as a consultant for therapists pursuing certification in the method. She particularly loves to help couples heal from affairs using the affair recovery model created by the Gottmans.

Stacy is currently working on creating a new workshop for The Gottman Institute, which is focused on helping single people learn how to use the method in order to create healthy relationships.

You can view her website here.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Stacy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in lovely Ashland, Oregon. She considers herself lucky to have discovered the Gottman Method in Graduate School at Portland State University in 2003. The method gave Stacy the framework and the tools to deal with difficult couples. She passionately pursued certification in the method because of how powerful it is. Getting the news that she had passed certification was one of the best days of her life. It has continued to be a blessing to be in this community of amazing clinicians and she has formed some very close friendships with other Certified Gottman Therapists.

She is now lucky to have the chance to lead you through certification. This is an important process, and developing a trusting rapport with you would be her privilege. Stacy has a background in athletics and she has always found as both an athlete and a coach that positive feedback and encouragement is just as crucial as the feedback on what you need to improve. Stacy is nurturing and positive and she likes to make the process fun and engaging. She wants to make your journey on the Gottman certification track as wonderful as her own was.

In addition to private couples therapy, she is also a certified EMDR therapist working with trauma survivors. Stacy also provide marathon therapy for couples, lead the Art and Science of Love couples workshops, and train therapists in the Gottman Method. In her free time Stacy loves paddle boarding, and being with her dog. Good luck on your journey!

You can contact Stacy directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

Since 1988 he has presented hundreds of talks to youth and parents as a youth worker, and later to recovering addicts as an addictions counsellor. After being Gottman certified in 2006, he has enjoyed presenting over 30 times in different Gottman trainings and workshops which include: The Art and Science of Love Gottman Workshops, teaching Level One and Two Gottman Method to other clinicians, delivering presentations at the Annual Gottman Conference, and ASL trainings. He also provides ongoing consultation for therapists working on certification. In 2012 he will be the first to present the Level 3 in Canada.

“My goal is to help others feel very confident in using the method and eventually promoting it to their world. Others have said they love the way I present because of my use of humor, theoretical knowledge, personal experiences, and passion. “My wife and I have been married since 1988 and I have 2 perfect daughters and have fostered children for 16 years, which has taught me to be sensitive to any drama that might come our way. Cheers!”

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Once Darren discovered the Gottman Method of working with couples, he has done everything possible to learn as much as he could. Darren and his colleague, Lawrence Stoyanowski, have developed their entire practice around it called, bestmarriages.ca and have enjoyed presenting 20 Art and Science of Love workshops to further spread the Gottman word. He has presented a number of Gottman Level 1 and Level 2 workshops as well as talks on marketing tips at a couple of Gottman conferences. Now as a consultant Darren wants to help others feel very confident in using the method and eventually promoting it to their area. He will work with groups and individuals.

Darren has been in practice for 11 years and before that was working in various professional vocations including addiction counselling, youth and family work since 1988. He tends to work using a lot of creativity and encouragement to keep going when it things feel tough. He has a lot of experience with technology and loves helping people through this consultation process quickly and smoothly. Darren feels it is best to get right at using the method with clients and start taping sessions immediately just to get the bugs out and not lose motivation by waiting too long.

Darren is a real believer in learning by doing, making mistakes and talking about what to do better next time. Darren and his wife have been married since 1988 and they have 5 children — all girls – (some are foster children) so he has learned to be sensitive to any drama that might come our way.

You can contact Darren directly to learn about his pricing and more through his Gottman Referral Network profile here.

An associate with the Gottman Institute since 1997, Mirabai is a Master Certified Gottman Therapist, and a Certified Gottman Workshop Leader and Speaker. After staffing many Art and Science of Love workshops with Drs. John and Julie Gottman, as well as presenting the workshop in California on many occasions, she and colleague Andy Greendorfer responded to requests to present a second level of the Art and Science of Love workshop. Mirabai and Andy then created the original “refresher” workshop, writing and preparing the workshop outline and manual with the Gottmans’ oversight and encouragement. Formerly called Deepening The Gottman Method, this workshop has been presented since 2004.

In addition, Mirabai co-authored a book chapter in The Handbook of Conflict Resolution, and is the author of a chapter in The Marriage Clinic. A Certified Mental Health Counselor since 1979, she is in private practice in Bellingham, WA. She works with individuals, couples and families to bring understanding, awareness, and skills and to foster their resilience to life’s stressors.

Mike became a Certified Gottman Relationship Therapist in 2005. Since that time, he has led all 3 levels of Gottman trainings at The University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration’s Professional Development Program. He has also presented Chicago area Gottman Art and Science of Love Workshops, at least twice per year, since 2007. Mike founded The Chicago Relationship Center in 2014, which offers Gottman trainings and workshops, and has produced workshops led by Dan Wile, PhD.

Mike has taught at the doctorate level for over a decade. He was an affiliate professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is currently a visiting instructor at The Institute for Clinical Social Work. He has taught couple therapy, psychopathology, international intervention, and trauma and attachment disorders. His other areas of clinical expertise include the emotional aspects of attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities.

Mike’s international training efforts have focused on Sri Lanka. Since the tsunami of 2004, he has traveled to Sri Lanka twice per year (21 times to date) to teach Sinhalese and Tamil lay counselors courses on basic counseling skills. He received Fulbright Specialist grants for his work in 2010, 2014, and 2015. He was one of the first Gottman therapists to lead Gottman trainings in a foreign country, and made presentations on his international training efforts at Gottman Conferences.

In additional, Mike has made presentations on The Gottman Method in the Chicago area at the Northshore University Health System’s Grand rounds, The Center on Halsted, and Illinois Psychological Association’s annual conference,  and other area hospitals and agencies.

His publications include “Dyslexia and the Life Course”, a feature article summarizing his research in the Journal of Learning Disabilities.

His teaching style is very collaborative. He hopes to help participants master the Gottman Method in a relaxed atmosphere, where they feel comfortable discussing concepts and sharing case examples.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Mike has over twenty years of experience as a clinical consultant. He enjoys working with Consultees who work with challenging situations. He approaches clinical work with a realistic and thoughtful perspective, hoping to connect with clients and couples in an empathetic and sensitive manner. Mike attempts to help his Consultees achieve these same goals, using the Gottman Method. In addition, Mike helps Consultees identify and pursue goals for professional growth and development. He particularly enjoys trying to blend or integrate the Gottman Method with other theories, such as psychoanalytic approaches and Emotion Focused Therapy.

You can contact Mike directly to learn about his pricing and more through his Gottman Referral Network profile here.

During the past eight years, the Gottman Method, with its attention to emotional proximity, robust assessment format and impactful interventions has catapulted him into greater confidence, greater ease dealing with complex relationships and greater felt sense of competence. In addition to being a Certified Gottman Therapist, he is also active in presenting the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 workshops, the Art & Science of Love Couples Workshops and Marriage Preparation.

In Ontario, Fidler has a full time clinical practice with eight clinical associates and three office locations. He consults as needed, similar to his role as a child abuse specialist earlier in his career. He is delighted to have an opportunity to serve as a consultant to clinicians pursuing certification.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Mike is a clinical social worker with more than 30 years’ experience helping couples repair relationship and deepen their love. In his undergraduate, Mike was well trained in emotionally focused client centered interviewing and was also drawn to systems theory focusing on interactional interventions. In his graduate year Mike was trained by some of the best in structural and strategic family therapy. As it turned out his root therapeutic training was in conflict at multiple levels. During the past eight years, the attention to emotional proximity, robust assessment format and impactful interventions has catapulted him into greater confidence, greater ease dealing with complex relationships and greater felt sense of competence. In addition to being a Certified Gottman Therapist, Mike is also active in presenting the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 workshops, the Art & Science of Love Couples Workshops and Marriage Preparation.

The Gottman Institute with leading edge curriculum and dedication to excellence is a friendly professional community that continues to inspire Mike’s practice. In Ontario, he has a full time clinical practice with eight clinical associates and three office locations. Mike consults as needed, similar to his role as a child abuse specialist earlier in his career. He is delighted to have an opportunity to serve as a consultant to clinicians pursuing certification. Consultation is the central process for helping you integrate the Gottman Method concepts and interventions into your working style. Mike expects clinicians to bring different needs and challenges as you become proficient in using the core Gottman Method interventions. The process emphasizes using case consultation and videotape review to provide focused, clinically relevant feedback regarding your work.

You can contact Mike directly to learn about his pricing and more through his Gottman Referral Network profile here.

She has a full-time private practice and primarily works with couples using the Gottman Method, as well as elements of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, and Dan Wile’s Collaborative Couples Therapy. In addition to her work as a Gottman Method Couples Therapist and trainer and consultant of the Gottman Method, Marcia has presented The Art and Science of Love workshop, with her colleague Michael Basta, three times per year since 2008. Also, as a Level 3 Trainer, she has been teaching Gottman Method Couples Therapy in California and in Latin America.

Marcia has pioneered Gottman Method Couples Therapy in Latin America. She and her husband have translated many of the Gottman training materials into Spanish. She has appeared for an interview on a local TV station in Sonoma County, and has participated in the weekly radio program, Healthy Couples, Healthy Families, on the local Santa Rosa National Public Radio in Spanish.

She has offered conferences on the Gottman Method, parenting, communications skills, and conflict management skills to families, couples, and professionals in California, Mexico, Guatemala, and Chile.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Marcia’s goal as a consultant is to make Certification Candidates feel comfortable, safe and encouraged in the certification learning experience. She enjoys and benefits professionally from giving Candidates feedback on their video cases. Although supervision through videotaping can be very challenging for clinicians, Marcia believes it is the most effective and accurate method to assess therapeutic skills and provide feedback to clinicians. She is always open to receive feedback from Consultees to make consultation an effective tool to achieve certification in a timely manner. Marcia offers consultation in both Spanish and English.

“In the certification process it was essential to have the advice and guidance of Marcia Gomez. She is a very good teacher and I have become a better therapist because of her. In addition, I want to highlight her generosity and human quality.”

You can contact Marcia directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

John was the first Social Worker in Australia to become a Certified Gottman Therapist, Level 3 Trainer and Consultant. This means that John has completed all levels of training and mentoring available through the Gottman Institute in Seattle, USA and can now provide training to other therapists in this modality as well as provide couples with world-class couple workshop experiences. He is one of only a small group of therapists in the world to hold this standing.

John is a certified presenter for all levels of Gottman therapist training and The Art and Science of Love Couples Workshop. He has completed his Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and has delivered a broad range of training both accredited and non-accredited. He is an engaging and energic speaker committed to promoting an excellent learning environment and experience for participants

John is also completed training in several therapeutic modalities such, Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Gestalt Therapy

Over the last 20 years, John has provided a range of psycho-educational group programs for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Australian Defence Force to Australian veterans and their families in areas such as trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and resilience. He has provided training to therapists and human service organisations in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, USA and New Zealand.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

John has had a wonderful journey working with couples and families for over three decades. He is a Mental Health Accredited Social Worker and has completed a Masters in Gestalt Therapy. After years of conversations with his business partner they established the Relationship Institute Australasia in 2012. Their guiding principle is to use Gottman Method Couples Therapy to help people build, repair and rejuvenate strong, sustainable relationships. To this end John has been delivering Gottman training to therapists across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, including Gottman Level 1, 2, 3 and the Art and Science of Love Workshop, as well as working as a relationship therapist in a busy private practice.

John has also continued to have a strong engagement in working with Australian Veterans and has a focus on trauma and PTSD for both the individual and in relation to the impact on relationships and families. The Gottman Consultation process is an exciting and challenging learning experience that greatly improves the consultees capacities, skills and confidence in working with couple. John believes in creating a safe, supportive and growth orientated climate within the consultation that promotes learning.

You can contact John directly to learn about his pricing and more through his Gottman Referral Network profile here.

Dr. Choi currently conducts Level 1 through 3 trainings in the Gottman Method, as well as giving supervision leading to certification. In addition, she gives professional workshops on trauma, resilience, neuropsychology, and attachment wounds. Dr. Choi had her own daytime TV talk show, “Dr. Choi’s Family Clinic”, on KBS, one of the three major networks in Korea, and has appeared on all major networks. She has made more than a dozen TV documentaries on marriage, parenting, lifespan development, and education. Her recent TV documentary on motherhood was awarded The Best Program Award from the Ministry of Gender Equity and Family and she was chosen as one of the three most influential women in Korea in 2012.

Dr. Choi has written several bestsellers, including a book co-authored with Dr. John Gottman on Emotion Coaching. She also gives public talks to wide range of audiences, including parents, educators, professionals, military, and government officials. Recently, she gave talks to the entire staff and employees of the Blue House (the White House of Korea) and the Ministry of Education on public policy to enhance the quality of life for children of high risk families and communities. Dr. Choi is the Co-Founder and Co-Director (with her husband) of Handan Center for Happiness which offers workshops for parents, teachers and therapists. The Center also offers “Seeds of Happiness”, a free social service program, teaching Emotion Coaching and the Gottman Couples Workshop to underprivileged couples. She and her husband Peck hope to make this world a happier place for all, especially for children.

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.

*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.