Gottman Method Outcome Study

Are you currently looking for a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist to use research-based approaches to help your relationship? 

The Gottman Institute is seeking couples to participate in an international outcome study on Gottman Method Couples Therapy. 

You will be able to work with a skilled, compassionate Certified Gottman Therapist either online via HIPAA compliant telehealth or in-person. Your participation in this study will not only help your relationship, it will also help us understand what couples are experiencing today in our COVID-19 world and what helps couples cultivate a healthier relationship in couples therapy. 

Costs and Compensation for Your Participation:

Cost for Your Participation While all of the studies Dr. Gottman did during his tenure as a professor were funded with federal grants, funding for research on couple relationships is not currently available. Despite this, we still believe work needs to be done. As part of your participation in this study, we are asking you to pay the Certified Gottman Therapist session fee. We wish we could provide treatment to couples in our studies at no cost and pay the therapists providing these services. We simply don’t have the funds to do so.

We attempt to provide some help to couples and therapists by providing all assessment questionnaires at no charge. 

As compensation, couples will meet with a Certified Gottman Therapist and receive access to the new Gottman Connect assessment and an interpretation of the results that your therapist will go over with you. This is an average savings of $450 (Therapist’s standard session rates still apply and limited space is available). 

Additionally, you will receive a $100 Visa gift card ($50 per partner) after the final 6-month follow-up assessment is filled out.

Do you qualify for the study?

• Couples must be presenting for couples therapy
• Couples must be married or in a committed relationship
• Couples have not worked with a Certified Gottman Therapist before
• Couples must not be actively participating in couples therapy with another therapist at the time of applying
• Each individual must not be attending their own individual therapy or counseling. If you are, you must be willing to cease services prior to starting to work with your couples therapist for the duration of your participation in the study.  

In deciding to participate in this study, you agree to the following:

• In light of COVID-19 and social distancing, you are likely to be paired with a Certified Gottman Therapist that is offering teletherapy only. In-person therapy services will depend on location and therapist availability**
• You will be randomly assigned to either:
  • An immediate treatment group
  • Or a 3-week waitlist group (this timeframe is 3 weeks after both partners complete an online assessment). For this group, you will be given Gottman assessments to complete while you wait for your first session.
• You agree to repeat Gottman Connect assessment questionnaires at 3 time points during the study. These assessments will be provided to you at no additional cost**
• Every fourth therapy session, you will be asked to fill out a quick (5 minute) survey about your experience in therapy that only the research team will see.

Do you live in a qualifying location?

Couples must be willing to travel to see a therapist located in one of the following cities.

Telehealth Option**

Couples may also opt to see a therapist for telehealth services within the states listed. This works for couples who want to do so for health reasons or for couples who live farther from the city the therapist is located in. 

Qualifying locations are predetermined by the therapist license. 

USA:

Worldwide:

Australia

The Netherlands

China