Paula Gurnett
Canadian Certified Counsellor

Navigating life together can bring excitement and challenges, along with the unexpected. This is a space to seek a deeper understanding of each other and consider relational strengths and challenges. Building bridges within a relationship helps discover how to move forward in healthy and fulfilling ways, where individuality is not lost but rather celebrated. Couples counselling can be beneficial for navigating through relationship decisions in a deliberate and intentional manner.

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Gottman Method Couples Therapy:

The Gottman Method is an evidence-based approach with more than 40 years of research behind it. Drs. John and Julie Gottman are world-renowned leaders in relationship research and couples therapy. They have constructed interventions that are proven to be both effective and practical. 

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The therapy process will begin with a couple’s session, a relationship assessment, feedback and a treatment planning session. It then will move into therapy, aiming to maximize relationship strengths and address challenge areas. The couple and the therapist will then decide on the frequency and duration of the sessions moving forward.  

 

Assessment: 

The Gottman Relationship Checkup is a thorough relationship assessment. Each partner independently completes the assessment, meets with the therapist for individual interviews, and receives feedback on their relationship in a couple’s session. This feedback addresses relationship strengths and challenges.  

 

Therapeutic Interventions:

The Gottman Method integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. The Sound Relationship House addresses trust, commitment, love maps, fondness and admiration, turning towards instead of away, positive perspective, managing conflict, making life dreams come true, and creating shared meaning. In addition, the interventions will include psycho-education and practical tools to apply to specific areas of growth and healing.  

 

Goals:

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. Each couple has unique needs and challenges, and they will work together with the therapist to create relevant goals for the couples counselling and therapeutic process.