In Dr. John Gottman’s Love Lab, he discovered that happy, successful couples have a strong friendship system. The partners know each other’s world, feel fondness...
Relationship Resources Blog
Each day my life is enriched by listening to and guiding couples as they bring their raw experiences to sessions and we try to make sense of difficult times. Through these blog posts, I hope to give readers a snapshot of our work including examples of the real issues that people bring, and how we can find meaning and a path out together. Their identities are protected, but each experience is real. Because relationships are complex, my role is to help couples share their experiences while providing a conceptual road map to understand their experiences, finding a way out of the woods of painful experiences. This blog shares stories and concepts; I hope it provides hope, insight and richness to each reader’s own journey.
I Hear What You Say
Healthy, successful couples are able to manage conflict. To improve managing conflict in a relationship, Dr. John Gottman suggests being aware of harsh startups and...
I Can’t Imagine…
Maryanne and Don were deciding whether to have a baby. Maryanne wanted badly to have children and Don was clear that he didn’t. This is...
The Sound Relationship House – Part 2
This is a continuation of last week’s blog regarding Dr. John Gottman’s Sound Relationship House. The fourth level of The Sound Relationship House is the...
The Sound Relationship House – Part 1
The Sound Relationship House is a model developed by Dr. John Gottman to help understand relationships. The three bottom layers of the house create a...
The Four Horsemen
One of the most important contributions from Dr. John Gottman’s research is his concept of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are the communication...
Masters of Relationships
Dr. John Gottman’s research identified two different forms of relationships – Masters of Relationships versus Disasters of Relationships. The Masters were relatively happy and the...
Making Relationships Work
Dr. John Gottman, Ph.D. is the nation’s foremost leader in marital research and therapy. In the next series of blogs, I will share his research...
Thanks for Sharing
Couples counseling is designed to create a safe environment for couples to be more emotionally open with each other. As couples feel safe to disclose...
Suspend Indefinitely
Brendan was at a party when a friend asked, “How come you’re not drinking?” Brendan said, “Feb 4th would be a year and then I’ll...
Pacing and Spacing
Joe had a long history of one night stands, which his wife Claire discovered a couple of years ago. Joe has been in individual and...
Let Me Give You An Example
It was Friday night and Dave and Amy were planning to go out to dinner with one year old Ava. Amy was commuting home from...