GOTTMAN METHOD COUPLES THERAPY CLINICAL TRAINING: Official Certification Training Level 1 – Bridging the Couple Chasm.

CPD

Faculty

Elizabeth (Liz) Neal, Registered Psychologist (MAAPi). Certified Gottman Couples Therapist. BA (Psych), M.Hlth.Sci (Beh Sci): USYD Related seminars and products

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Elizabeth (Liz) Neal, Registered Psychologist (MAAPi), Certified Gottman Couples Therapist, BA (Psych), M.Hlth.Sci (Beh Sci): USYD, is a psychologist with a special interest in couples therapy, relational issues, and contemporary attachment theory. She is a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist and is actively engaged with the Gottman Institute community both in Australia and abroad. Liz is recently trained in the Dynamic Model of Maturation and Attachment for certification as a coder of the Adult Attachment Interview. In practice, Liz integrates Gottman Method Couples Therapy with contemporary attachment theory with a direct focus on reflective integration. Liz works in private practice in Gladesville and runs a peer-supervision group for Gottman trained therapists.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Elizabeth Neal maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with The Gottman Institute. She receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Elizabeth Neal has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Objectives

1. Summarize the research that allows us to predict future relationship stability
2. Describe the seven levels of the Sound Relationship House theory
3. Conduct a couple’s therapy assessment using elements of the couple’s narrative, the Oral History Interview, written questionnaires, observations of conflict and individual interviews
4. Describe two interventions to help strengthen a couple’s conflict management
5. Describe two interventions to enhance a couple’s friendship system
6. Describe two interventions to explore a couple’s system of shared meaning
7. Explain why physiological self-soothing is essential for a healthy relationship
8. Create a therapeutic contract with a couple, discuss and decide on goals and include a summary of the couples strengths and areas that need improvement
9. Describe the Philosophy of Therapy and including assumptions, overview of techniques and goals of therapy
10. Describe the Rapoport Intervention and when to use it
11. Describe the process of therapy, including the structure of a session

“A truly inspiring workshop, Level 1 Training will give you new insights into treatment for couples who struggle, using proven assessment techniques and intervention strategies."  Liz Neal

How will you benefit from attending this training?

• Official certification of Level 1 Clinical Training in GMCT from The Gottman Institute
• A complete overview of GMCT and the option to progress to Level 2 Clinical Training in GMCT.
• Access to official Gottman resources including access to the two couples questionnaires as well as handouts, worksheets and interventions, only available at completion of the training.

Outline

DAY 1

THE RESEARCH:

What Makes Relationships Succeed or Fail?

• What is different about Gottman Method Couples Therapy?
• What is dysfunctional about relationships when they are ailing?
• The “Masters” and the “Disasters” of relationships: Exploding some common myths
• Negative and positive sentiment overrides
• Friendship, Intimacy, Positive Affect Systems
• The Shared Meaning System
• From a checklist to The Sound Relationship House Theory

HOW TO ASSESS A RELATIONSHIP:
Using The Sound Relationship House Theory to assess a relationship’s strengths and areas that need improvement.

THE ASSESSMENT SESSIONS:

Session 1—Office Disclosure and Office Policy Reviewed, How Therapy Works, Assessing the Couple Together:

• Couple’s narrative
• Oral History Interview: Relationship history and philosophy
• Videotape a 10-minute conflict interaction and physiology (pulse oximeter)
• Discuss the Shared Meaning System
• Ending Session 1: Preparing couple for individual sessions—No secrets
• Assessment: Written questionnaires

Session 2—Individual Sessions

Session 3—The Therapeutic Contract: Discussing and Deciding about Goals.

FILM:

Assessment
Summary of Strengths and Areas that Need Improvement.

Question & answer session 

DAY 2

INTRODUCTION TO INTERVENTION:
The Philosophy of the Therapy

• Assumptions of the therapy
• Overview of the therapy
• Goals of the therapy

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

• Rapoport Intervention and film
• Ending the Four Horsemen and Dealing with Flooding film
• Dreams-Within-Conflict and film
• Building the Basic Skills (Softened Startup, Accepting Influence, Repair and De- escalation, Physiological Soothing, Compromise)
• Aftermath of a Fight and film

Queston and answer session

BUILDING FRIENDSHIP AND SHARED MEANING

• Build Love Maps and film
• Turn Towards: The Stress-Reducing Conversation and film
• Build Rituals of Connection and film
• Creating Shared Meaning and film

PROCESS OF THE THERAPY SUMMARY

WHAT’S NEXT: ADDITIONAL TRAINING QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

Target Audience

•  
• Mental health providers including counsellors, social workers, psychologists, psychotherapists and other allied health professionals
• Case workers
• Couples therapists not formally trained in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Researchers in the social sciences
• Employee assistance professionals
• People with a general interest in Gottman principles

Webcast Schedule

DAILY SCHEDULE

Morning Session
  9:00am - 12:45pm
  Includes a 15 minutes break at 10:45am

Lunch Break
  12:45pm - 1:45pm

Afternoon Session
  1:45pm - 5:00pm
  Includes a 15 minutes break at 3:15pm