One of the distinguishing features of the Gottmans’ approach to couples therapy is that their recommendations are grounded in a considerable body of evidence. During their early professional years, the Gottmans conducted therapy with hundreds of couples and meticulously recorded data to capture the risk factors and protective factors associated with divorce. The Sound Relationship House Theory emerged from their data as a way to describe and visualize the types of practices that promote healing and connection by drawing comparisons to a home with a sturdy foundation, weight-bearing walls, and a series of floors that build upon one another. How might this model be useful to struggling couples? In what ways might the comparison to a house enhance understanding?
In this Assignment, you practice explaining the principles of the Sound Relationship House Theory to a skeptical couple. Use this Assignment as an opportunity to create a set of talking points that you could use in your future clinical practice and to practice communicating this information to clients who are new to this way of conceptualizing relationships.
To prepare:
• Use the Learning Resources and other scholarly literature from the library to explore the history and evidence base for the Gottman Method.
• Review the Learning Resources on the Sound Relationship House Theory.
• Imagine you have been working with a couple for a few weeks. The couple has agreed to give therapy a try but has frequently expressed reluctance and skepticism. During today’s session, you will introduce them to the Gottman Sound Relationship House Theory.
• Consider how a clinical social worker could explain the utility of the Sound Relationship House Theory to skeptical clients.
Submit a 2-3 page paper in which you teach a skeptical couple about the Gottman Method’s foundational theory known as the Sound Relationship House Theory. Your video should include the following elements:
• Describe the evidence base for the Gottman Method. In your descriiption, explain the value this framework may offer to the couple.
• Using your own words, briefly explain the principles of the Sound Relationship House Theory.
• Explain to the couple that they should initially focus on just the first three “floors” of the “house” and describe these components of the Sound Relationship House in greater depth:
o Build Love Maps
o Share Fondness and Admiration
o Turn Towards Instead of Away
• Describe 3 or 4 examples of action steps that the clients could take to strengthen each of these components of their “house.”
o Build Love Maps
o Share Fondness and Admiration
o Turn Towards Instead of Away
Your video should use professional but plain language that is accessible to a wide range of couples. It is recommended that you use a visual aid as you explain Sound Relationship House Theory concepts. (You may use your own and/or an image from the Gottman Institute website.) Be sure to include a transcriipt of your video with your submission and a reference list.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Sources to use:
• Davoodvandi, M., Navabi Nejad, S., & Farzad, V. (2018). Examining the effectiveness of Gottman couple therapy on improving marital adjustment and couples’ intimacyLinks to an external site.. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 13(2), 135–141. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037577
• Garanzini, S., Yee, A., Gottman, J., Gottman, J., Cole, C., Preciado, M., & Jasculca, C. (2017). Results of Gottman method couples therapy with gay and lesbian couplesLinks to an external site.. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(4), 674–684. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12276
• The Gottman Institute (n.d.). The Gottman methodLinks to an external site.. https://www.gottman.com/about/the-gottman-method/
• Gottman, J. (n.d.). The empirical basis for Gottman Method couples therapyLinks to an external site.. The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-empirical-basis-for-gottman-method-couples-therapy/
Gottman, J. (2017, October). The science of loveLinks to an external site. [Video]. TEDx Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/john_gottman_the_science_of_love/transcriipt
