Respond to two of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague's posting.

Colleague 1:

Gottman developed a theory geared towards couples and strengthening their relationship. After reviewing Gottman's theory, couples who experienced a lack in their communication that resulted in couples feeling unappreciated or criticized through the lack of communication. With the Gottman theory (and therapy), the goal is to "disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy; and make a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship." (Gottman, n.d.).

I feel the Gottman theory differs from other theories studied because of the emphasis on conflict and the behaviors behind conflict in a relationship. Gottman in unison with the Sound Relationship Theory- utilizing that a relationship is like a house, that has your walls of trust and communication, and the floors and pillars of a successful relationship.

In my future practice, the floors and pillars of the Gottman method would be beneficial to utilize in my everyday practice. By utilizing the floors and pillars, I would be able to build off of the positives in the relationship while providing tools with helping to repair certain areas.

References

The Gottman Institute, (n.d.). The Gottman Method.https://www.gottman.com/about/the-gottman-method/

Colleague2:

The Gottman Method is unique in its focus on perpetual versus resolvable conflicts. Interventions are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and making of shared meaning (Gurman, 2015). The Sound Relationship House Theory is the foundation of the Gottman Method, which uses a practical approach to help couples break through barriers to achieve greater understanding, connection, and intimacy in their relationships. Understanding this difference is part of how this form of therapy can help couples positively change their relationship (Davoodvandi, 2018). Unlike Gottman's counseling style, EFT therapists do not spend time teaching social skills but focus on experiencing and understanding emotions in session (Severinsen, 2022). One quality or principle of the Gottman Method that presents opportunities for integration is how to "Build Love Maps". Love Maps help you develop greater personal insight and a more detailed understanding of each other's life and world.

Resources

Davoodvandi M, Navabi Nejad S, Farzad V. Examining the Effectiveness of Gottman Couple Therapy on Improving Marital Adjustment and Couples' Intimacy. Iran J Psychiatry. 2018 Apr;13(2):135-141. PMID: 29997659; PMCID: PMC6037577.

Gurman, A. S., Lebow, J. L., Snyder, D. K. (2015). Clinical handbook of couple therapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Severinsen, L., Stiegler, J. R., Nissen-Lie, H. A., Shahar, B., & Zahl-Olsen, R. (2022). Effectiveness of emotion focused skills training for parents: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial in specialist mental health care. BMC psychiatry, 22(1), 453. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022 04084-xLinks to an external site.