Gottman & Neurodiversity Couples Therapy
Relationships can be hard. Relationships between one or more neurodivergent individuals can be harder.
This is especially true when we judge our success by our ability to utilize strategies developed for neurotypical individuals. Let's work together to develop a specialized tool kit for you and your partner!
Traditional methods of couples therapy may not work well for neurodivergent couples, making the process of improving a relationship particularly frustrating and overwhelming. Just like in other environments, neurodivergent individuals bring their own set of strengths and support areas to their relationships and succeed best with resources tailored to thier individual experience. This is where I come in!
The goal of my couples work is to integrate one of the most well-researched couples therapies, the Gottman Method, with current research on effective neurodiversity affirming support strategies. By combining the Gottman Method with emotional and behavioral regulation and executive functioning skills, couples gain the necessary tools not just to improve the foundation of their relationship, but also to navigate complex interactions that may arise as a result of inattention, executive dysfunction, and emotional dysregulation from one or both partners.
In addition, as part of this work we look at communication, a fundamental aspect of relationships, from a neurodiversity informed perspective. This means that we discuss differences in communication styles and novel strategies to facilitate communication between neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, not just strategies designed to work among neurotypical couples.
The Gottman Method.
The Gottman Method is an approach to couples therapy that includes a thorough assessment of the couple's relationship, and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. This method, developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, has helped couples learn skills to improve their relationships for 50 years!
The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy; respect; and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy; and create a heightened sense of empathy and unerstanding within the context of a relationship.
Neurodiversity-Affirming Care.
Current research supports the idea that neurodivergent individuals in therapy are best supported through neurodivergence-informed therapy techniques. We acknowledge this and do our best to adapt traditional therapeutic to best meet the needs of neurodivergent individuals, such as in the context of neurodiversity-affirming Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
We also know that neurodivergence isn't just a label, it is a way of understanding a unique experience with oneself and the world. Neurodivergence impacts all areas of our lives, including our relationships. So, why wouldn't we use the information that we have about neurodiversity to create couples therapy that works??
