Couples Therapy (The Gottman Method) Supports

Jessica is passionate about supporting families from preconception and beyond

Couples Therapist Bathurst

Jessica is a passionate and down to earth Psychologist, Board Approved Supervisor, and mother of two. She began her career in psychology over 10 years ago, supporting children, parents, carers, and support staff within the foster care system. Personally and professionally, Jessica very quickly learnt about the conscious effort and work that relationships require to thrive over time. Jessica went on to complete a 2-year training program in family and systemic therapy, along with additional training via the Gottman Institute. Jessica continues to regularly extend her skills via further training and ongoing supervision. 

Jessica provides couples therapy within the Gottman Method Framework. The Gottman Method was founded by clinicians, researchers, and educators Dr John Gottman (Professor Emeritus of Psychology) and his wife Dr Julie Schwarts Gottman (American Clinical Psychologist). If you are wanting to learn more, the Gottman’s have a great:

 

The broad aims of couples therapy within the Gottman Method framework include, developing:

  • Stronger friendship, connection, and intimacy

  • More constructive conflict

  • An increase in shared meaning and future direction

This can include identifying and shifting out of difficult or dysfunctional interaction patterns and repairing past relationship ruptures.

Bathurst Couples Therapy

The Gottman Method occurs within a phased approach of intake/assessment, followed by therapy, if/as agreed by the couple and therapist. The intake/assessment phase includes:

  • Initial couple consultation

  • Individual session each

  • Follow up couple consultation to clarify, confirm goals, and develop a plan for the couples therapy support

This phased approach allows the therapist to get a comprehensive sense of your, and your partners, unique circumstances and history so to most appropriately, collaboratively and effectively plan the therapy supports with you.

Couples therapy does require that each partner has a sense of hope and commitment to the process, and honestly examines their own interaction and communication styles, identify and express their own feelings, and make an attempt at experimenting with alternative methods of communicating and interacting.

Couples therapy cannot take place when there is an ongoing extramarital affair or ongoing characterological domestic violence.

Within couples therapy supports, Jessica has a policy of “no secrets”, which means that she cannot promise to protect secrets of either partner from the other person, especially if the secret is harmful or destructive to the process of the therapy itself or undermines the agreed upon intention of the therapy.  

Bathurst Gottman Method Couples Therapy

Jessica’s couples therapy (Gottman Method) supports are trauma informed and neurodiverse affirming, grounded in current understandings from relational neuroscience and family and systemic practice. Jessica believes in your innate capacity to cope and flourish no matter your circumstance. She truly believes that relationships take work and support and would be honoured to support you on your relationship journey.