Since 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has been investigating what makes people flourish. It’s the longest in-depth longitudinal study on human life ever done, and it’s brought us to a simple and profound conclusion: Good relationships lead to health and happiness. The trick is that those relationships must be nurtured. (The Atlantic, 01/19/2023, Waldinger & Schulz) This study tells us why good relationships are important but doesn’t tell us how to nurture them. Gottman Method Couples Therapy is based on 40+ years of in-depth research on couples, not just someone’s opinion of what might work.
As a Certified Gottman Therapist, the only one in Birmingham, I have in-depth training on what works to build healthy relationships and what erodes them. My training through the Gottman Institute includes Levels 1, 2 & 3 of Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Treating Affairs & Trauma, Couples & Addiction Recovery, and The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work. The Certification process involves ongoing consultation and submission of 4 videotaped segments of my work for review by the Gottman Institute to demonstrate mastery. There are just now 500 Certified Gotttman Therapists in the entire world and only 3 in Alabama.
I’m also trained to present the Art & Science of Love (ASL): a 2-day experiential, psycho-educational workshop for couples that gives an overview of Gottman's theory on how relationships work and teaches a variety of basic skills and approaches for improving your relationship. Only Certified Gottman Therapists are eligible for this training.
Additionally, I am a Prepare/Enrich Facilitator which is primarily geared toward engaged couples. Based on 35+ years of research, it assesses each partner's satisfaction levels in 12 distinct relationship categories. The results will provide you and your partner insight into areas ranging from commitment levels to family systems and relationship dynamics. P/E also blends well with Gottman therapy.
Investment in your relationship:
Intake session: 90 minutes to get history, identify concerns and invitation to either Gottman Relationship Assessment or Prepare/Enrich. Both are online assessments. We will discuss and decide which is more appropriate for you. Cost: $400
Individual sessions: 55-minute sessions with each of you to get more personal history and discuss your concerns/goals for the relationship. Occasionally, there may be a need for one of you to have additional individual sessions but that is something we discuss and agree on together. It is not a requirement. Cost: $175/hr
Feedback session & subsequent couple’s sessions: 90-minute sessions. The feedback session is when we discuss the results of the assessment and the development of treatment goals. Subsequent sessions are to work on the identified goals and to practice skills & exercises to address issues. Cost: $265/90 min or $350/2 hrs
For those who want a strong jump-start to Couples Therapy, consider a Full Day Assessment which includes:
* Either the Gottman Relationship Assessment or Prepare/Enrich Assessment. We will decide which would be most appropriate when we speak to schedule. Your online assessment should be completed prior to our appointment.
* Assessment and exploration of your relationship—including both your personal and shared histories and philosophy, your friendship, and areas of conflict. This will take approximately 90 minutes.
* Individual interviews with each partner to obtain more individual history, outline your personal narrative, hopes, and expectations for your relationship and yourself. These sessions will take approximately 45 minutes each.
* After the break for lunch (on your own) we will reconvene for the Feedback Session during which I will go over the relationship report and we will establish treatment goals and a plan for how to work on them in future sessions. This take between 90 minutes and 2 hrs.
* You will receive a written copy of the assessment report, a digital set of Relationship Guides (PDF format) and a copy of John Gottman’s best-selling book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work.
Total cost for this package is $1,200, which includes assessment, materials and up to 5 hrs of therapy.
Additional time beyond the included 5 hrs is charged at $175 per hour. A 50% deposit of $600 is required when scheduling occurs to hold this day for you. The balance will be charged on the day of the session.
Marathon Sessions
Sometimes 90 minutes just isn’t enough time to work through an issue. If there has been a crisis or you are stuck in a massive gridlock, you may want to consider a marathon session. Booking the time ahead assures that we can continue to work on the issue without me having to end the appointment because someone else is waiting. Having a longer session allows us to fully explore what's going on and practice the interventions that have been developed through extensive research by Drs. John & Julie Gottman on what makes relationships work.
2 hour session - $350
3 hour session - $525
4 hour session - $700
