Research – Marriage Therapy
I was reviewing some studies done on the Gottman Method of Marriage Therapy which we use to help couples at the Center. I thought it would be interesting to just give you a short summary of what the different studies showed.
First Study – “The Development and Evaluation of a Gottman-Based Premarital Education Program: A Pilot Study”
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a marriage preparation program based on Gottman’s theory of the Sound Marital House (the principles of this method use analogies from the construction process of building a house). Premarital activities were developed to correspond to each level of the Sound Marital House theory. A program involved five 2-hour sessions with six engaged couples. Each session was composed of activities for each individual couple and for the entire group. At the end of the educational intervention, the couples provided feedback on the program by way of interviews. The results of the evaluations indicated that the program provided participants with new perspectives, skills, and knowledge regarding their relationships.
Second Study – “The Effectiveness of Couples Therapy Based on the Gottman Method Among Iranian Couples With Conflicts: A Quasi-Experimental Study”
This study examined the effectiveness of couple therapy based on the Gottman method in decreasing emotional divorce and improving communication skills among Iranian couples dealing with conflicts. The design of the study was quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest, and a wait list control group. The sample for the study consisted of 14 voluntary couples who sought therapy at a mental health clinic in Iran. Participants were assessed using the Emotional Divorce Scale and Primary Communication Inventory questionnaires. Results of the study showed that the Gottman method reduced emotional divorce and improved their verbal-nonverbal communication skills (P < .05).
“Examining the Effectiveness of Gottman Couple Therapy on Improving Marital Adjustment and Couples’ Intimacy”
This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of Gottman couple therapy on improving marital adjustment and couples’ intimacy. This was a semi- experimental study with pretest, post-test, and follow-up assessments. A total of 16 couples were selected and they were then randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Participants of the experimental group received ten 45-minute sessions of Gottman’s couple therapy. Findings showed that Gottman’s couple therapy approach had positive effects on improving marital adjustment (P = 0/001) and couples’ intimacy (P = 0/001). Furthermore, the results of assessments in the follow-up period indicated that Gottman’s couple therapy had enduring effects on marital adjustment and couples’ intimacy. According to the results of the present study, Gottman method can be used as an effective treatment to improve marital relationships, adjustment, and intimacy. Therefore, researchers, therapists, and other authorities should pay particular attention to this method.
These are technical studies and I share them so you know we work hard to make sure our therapists have advanced training and are using counseling practices that have been shown to be successful. We are serious about healing relationships. If you would like to read more about this method please click on the button below:
