Improving Relationships with the Gottman Method

Finding the right partner, your soul mate, is often a difficult challenge as we move into our adult lives. And as if finding that “special someone” is not difficult enough, it is often influenced by competing interests: for one reason or another, we’re just not ready, or we are facing a multitude of personal, family, financial, educational and/or career issues. But once we do find that very special person we soon discover that that is only “half the battle”, for in all marriages, conflicts inevitably arise. These conflicts often touch us in very personal ways and sometimes they expose our own personal vulnerabilities and may even threaten the stability and the friendship of the very person who we have come to love and know so well.

 

Conflict is a natural part of all marriages and relationships. And while most couples are able to manage most of them within the friendship and trust of their relationship, there are other challenges (such as an infidelity, the loss of a child, a life-threatening family illness or a physical injury and disability) that may test the capacities of a couple to openly and honestly keep the channels of communication open. The honesty, empathy and respect with which conflicts are managed and discussed reveal important qualities of each individual and the relationship itself.

One of the proven methods Sherwood Couples Counseling uses is the Gottman Method, a proven, researched-based approach that helps couples understand and communicate about themselves, their partners and the social and cultural context of the world that we all live in. F. John Sherwood, Founder and CEO of Sherwood Couples Counseling is trained and certified in the Gottman Method and uses those proven methods to help couples understand and navigate through the most difficult and unimaginable problems that couples face together.

Building Love Maps

Getting to know your partner well enough to understand their inner psychological world, their history, worries, stresses, joys and hopes play a big role in having a fruitful and successful relationship. When communication is not enough to express ourselves, special techniques of the Gottman Method help resolve these issues.

Share Fondness and Admiration

To strengthen fondness and admiration, couples learn to express appreciation and to communicate respect towards each other where each aspect of our individuality contributes to building a stronger partnership and marriage. No matter the size of the problem or challenge, having a strong foundation in your relationship can “make or break” the building blocks of a strong and healthy marriage.

Creating a sound relationship with your partner means really and truly knowing your partner and understanding the language of how they communicate love. Communicating daily and over time in this language of love will help to build a sound relationship foundation that will help fortify your relationship against the most difficult and unpredictable issues and events.

The Gottman Method that Sherwood Couples Counseling practices is dedicated to helping individuals in relationships break through, manage and resolve areas of distressing conflict, and to generate a greater understanding between partners in order to keep conflict discussions calm.