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Workshop Reviews
More than 1,500 couples complete The Art and Science of Love workshop every year in Seattle , and many hundreds more complete the workshop around the world either in-person with Certified Gottman Therapists or at home with the DVD set . Here’s what some of them have said about the workshop.
“I had put my marriage on cruise control. I had gotten lost and didn’t stop to ask for directions along the way. I thought I could work it out for myself. How different my married life would have been if I could have gone to a workshop like this 20 years ago!”
– Anonymous evaluation from Chicago, IL
“When our daughter decides to get married, our wedding gift to her and her chosen will be a week-end at one of the Gottman’s couples workshops. I can think of no better way to give a couple a good send-off on their marriage.”
– Anonymous evaluation from Cedar Rapids, IA
“[This workshop] saved our relationship, in my opinion. It showed us how to communicate properly. I’ll be forever grateful, thank you!”
– Anonymous evaluation from Seattle, WA
“Excellent! Very practical and immediately useful. We would like to send our entire family to your seminars.”
– Anonymous evaluation from Seattle, WA
Additional Workshop Information
Gottman-trained Professionals
All Gottman-trained professionals are now eligible for a $250 discount to attend The Art and Science of Love workshop in Seattle. Click here for further details.
Microsoft Employees
You are eligible to attend The Art and Science of Love workshop in Seattle at no out-of-pocket expense. Your registration fee is paid for by your EAP plan through Wellspring Family Services. Click here for further details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How effective is the workshop?
The Art and Science of Love has been shown to achieve results similar to those of 6 months of marital therapy and 94% of previous workshop attendees have reported positive results after attending this groundbreaking weekend workshop.
Will John Gottman personally be conducting the workshop?
Yes. Drs. John and Julie Gottman are the presenters for live The Art and Science of Love couples workshops in Seattle, WA, unless otherwise indicated. The Art & Science of Love virtual couples workshop will be hosted by:
Faith Drew, Ph.D. and George Bitar, Ph.D. are a husband and wife team of Certified Gottman Therapists who present the Art and Science of Love both in person and in virtual events. Faith and George each have a Ph.D. in Marriage Therapy, and together they run Connect Couples Therapy in Charlotte, NC.
Donald Cole, D.Min. and Carrie Cole, M.Ed. serve as the Clinical Director and Research Director of The Gottman Institute, respectively. They are both Certified Gottman Therapists and Master Trainers in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and together run the Gottman Love Lab in Seattle.
Who attends the workshops?
Couples of all ages, incomes, races, nationalities, professions, religions, abilities, and orientations attend our workshops. Couples attend who already have a strong, healthy relationship, and couples attend to repair relationship damage and get back on track. Parents sometimes attend who have decided to end their relationship but want to do so in a way that doesn’t negatively impact their children, and receive skills to become healthy co-parents moving forward. We welcome all couples who want to work on making their relationship stronger.
Can we attend the workshop even if we aren’t married?
We strongly encourage all couples in committed relationships to attend, whether you are dating, engaged and seeking premarital preparation, not married and living together, or committed to a potentially life-long relationship but don’t plan to get married—this workshop is for you!
Is this workshop appropriate for premarital couples?
Yes. We strongly encourage attending our workshop as premarital preparation.
Is this workshop appropriate for LGBTQ couples?
Yes. We welcome all couples. While some of the workshop language is heteronormative, our curriculum does include research data on same-sex relationships.
Is the cost per person or per couple?
Per couple.
Can I give the couples workshop as a gift to someone else?
Yes. Gift certificates are available upon request.
Can I come to the workshop alone if I can’t convince my partner to attend?
Sorry, no. Our workshops are specifically designed to be interactive and experiential for couples only.
How can I convince my partner to attend a workshop or go to counseling?
We believe that it is important for all individuals to learn the basics of how relationships work based on our scientific research. Many individuals have found that a good place to start is by sharing some of the research on our website with their partners. We have videos of Dr. John Gottman covering our concepts of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (with Anderson Cooper), the Magic Relationship Ratio , and Making Marriage Work , all of which introduce the most important concepts that Drs. John and Julie Gottman will present at the Art and Science of Love workshop. You can also visit the Gottman Relationship Blog for more information on our methods, and you can look through our Research Overview page. For a preview of the kinds of exercises you’ll do at the workshop, you can download our free Gottman Card Decks app .
I’d love to come to your workshop, but my partner is a private person and is not comfortable sharing in a group setting.
No problem. Couples sit as an audience during Drs. John and Julie Gottman’s lectures, but we provide lots of extra square footage for privacy while couples engage in the workshop exercises. Our Certified Gottman Therapists are available to work one-on-one with couples who desire support and assistance during exercises. There is no group work, and no mandatory sharing.
Is there public disclosure?
No. Couples sit as an audience during the lectures, but for couples’ individual exercises we provide lots of extra space and seating for you to engage in those exercises with plenty of privacy. Couples will not be asked to publicly participate in any exercises in front of the audience, nor will any of your exercises be publicly disclosed by The Gottman Institute in any form.
Will we be left on our own or will we receive assistance?
Our highly experienced team of Certified Gottman Therapists are on hand at every workshop. These therapists are available to work one-on-one with you during the exercises. Couples are not required to use clinical help, but we strongly encourage using this resource while you have the opportunity.
How many couples attend the workshop?
The venue, weather, time of year, and several other factors affect the size of each workshop. The Seattle workshops with Drs. John and Julie Gottman tend to average between 300-350 couples. Local workshops presented by trained Certified Gottman Therapists may offer smaller group sizes. All workshop leaders use The Art and Science of Love curriculum designed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman. These workshops are offered independent of The Gottman Institute.
Are we appropriate for your workshop if we don’t have any really huge problems?
Yes. Couples who attend our workshop tend to fall into two categories: enhancement and repair. We applaud couples who are wise enough to attend the workshop for enhancement purposes. Our brains are more open to new learning when we are not stressed out, and our workshop is designed with plenty of humor and romance, so enhancement couples have a terrific time while learning. Feedback from both enhancement and repair couples indicates that the couples workshop is very beneficial.
Would it make sense for us to attend your workshop if we are already separated or in the process of divorce?
Sometimes. While each situation is unique, we do have many couples attend the workshop who are separated or have begun divorce proceedings. These couples continue to report that the workshop was very helpful to them. Our staff will discuss the specifics of your situation with you during the registration process to see if it is appropriate for you.
Should I do anything to prepare?
There are no prerequisites to attending a couples workshop. The workshop is self-contained and is appropriate even if you’ve never heard of Dr. John Gottman and his work. Some find it helpful to peruse the information and videos on our website, but even this is not required.
Can I bring my newborn?
No. We recognize that newborns spend a lot of time sleeping, and it is difficult to be away from them during the first couples months. However, you will not be able to focus entirely on your relationship and it can be a distraction for other couples.
Do you provide childcare?
No. While we do not recommend any specific childcare service, some couples have reported positive results with care.com .
Do we stay in a hotel during the weekend?
Yes, if you are coming from out of town. Our staff will provide hotel information for each venue. If you are local, you can certainly go home. However, we recommend you try to preserve your focus on your relationship throughout the entire weekend, if possible. Try not to go home to kids, jobs, neighbors, pets, all the daily distractions and stressors we face. Try to keep the weekend just for the two of you.
We do not live in Washington but we would like to attend a couples workshop in our area. Are workshops offered in other states or online?
Yes. While Drs. John and Julie Gottman only present The Art and Science of Love in Seattle, we offer a video online workshop and live virtual couples workshops .
Also, Certified Gottman Couples Workshop Leaders offer workshops for couples around the world. Please be sure to check workshop locations and presenters for workshops in your area.
Do you provide discounts or scholarships to attend?
Scholarships are not currently available for the Art and Science of Love programs.
I’m a therapist. Can I receive Continuing Education credits for attending the workshop?
Yes. You can receive 14 CEs through R Cassidy. There is a $40 charge that is payable directly to them. Visit here for additional details.