Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Build the skills that make love last
The Gottman Method is one of the most research-backed approaches in couples therapy. As a Level III Gottman therapist, I use it to give couples the practical foundation they need at home, so we make make more profound progress together in session.
Online therapy for couples in Minnesota, Illinois, & Iowa
a shared language
Finally find the words to express yourself clearly, feel heard, and understand what you're both actually trying to say.
tools for everyday life
Research-backed exercises and frameworks you practice at home, so your progress doesn't stop when our session does.
a map through conflict
Learn to navigate disagreements without blowing up or shutting down (and how to repair faster if you do).
Healthy relationships don’t just happen naturally.
They’re built.
The Gottman Method helps couples when...
The same argument keeps coming up and you're ready to finally get to the bottom of it. Not the argument about dishes or schedules. The one underneath it all that never quite resolves.
You love each other, but live like roommates. The spark has faded, intimacy is a thing of the past, and you can't figure out how to get it back.
Things escalate faster than either of you wants. A small thing becomes a big thing before you know it, and neither of you is sure how to stop it.
You've tried talking it through, but you just end up back where you started. Not for lack of caring, you just haven't had the right tools yet.
What is the Gottman Method?
There's a reason the Gottman Method has become one of the most popular frameworks in couples therapy. And why concepts like "the Four Horsemen" have made their way into everyday conversations about relationships. It works.
The Gottman Method is one of the most well-researched approaches in couples therapy. It was developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman after decades of studying what makes relationships thrive — and what causes them to break down.
Their research identified a set of specific patterns that can predict if a relationship with thrive or fail with remarkable accuracy. Then, they built a framework that can change those harmful patterns into healing ones.
The Gottman Relationship Toolkit
Conquer the Four Horsemen
Recognize the communication patterns most likely to damage your relationship, and what to do instead.
Understand Your Love Maps
Get to know each other's inner world: the dreams, fears, and daily details that make your partner who they are.
Embrace Bids for Connection
Understand the small everyday moments where connection is either built or missed, and how to show up for them.
Manage Conflict with Ease
Navigate disagreement without escalating and reconnect faster when things go sideways.
what you’ll experience
At its core, the Gottman Method is about building a deeper friendship, managing conflict more effectively, and creating shared meaning together. It gives couples a common language, practical tools, and a research-backed roadmap for understanding each other better. Here are just a few of the skills you'll develop as you strengthen your relationship:
Build Shared Meaning
Get excited about a shared sense of purpose and life goals that go beyond the day-to-day.
Your Sound Relationship House
The big picture: learn where your relationship is strong and where it needs loving attention.
GOTTMAN THERAPIST
Why The Gottman Method?
I use a unique combination of both Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) in my work with couples. The Gottman framework helps us both understand what's happening in your relationship and why, then build the skills to connect better. EFT helps us go beyond the tools and experience deep emotional shifts in a guided session.
The result is that each time we meet, we're starting with a solid foundation and can go deeper, faster. It also means these concepts stop being ideas and start being skills you actually use in real moments with each other.
Assess & Learn
We start with a comprehensive Gottman assessment — a clear picture of where your relationship is strong and where it needs attention.
practice, practice, practice
The real learning happens in daily life. Between sessions, you'll work through Gottman-based tools and exercises at home. This helps us see what's working and what's not, so work through it together in the next session.
make it last
Getting to a better place is one thing. Staying there is another. We work on recognizing the early signs of old patterns before they take hold so the progress you make doesn't just stick for a season, it sticks for good.
This season of life is calling for a shift.
When the kids leave and life slows down, most couples realize they've been so busy building a life that they forgot to tend to each other. A lot of couples hit this season and think they've missed their chance. They haven't, and you haven't either.