Getting Started in Couples Therapy: A Practical Introduction: Training for

This full-day, experiential workshop is designed for social workers and other mental health professionals who are new to couples therapy and seeking a practical, inclusive foundation to begin this work with confidence. As more couples seek support for relational challenges, clinicians are often at the forefront, helping diverse clients whose issues are embedded in both personal and systemic contexts.

Couples therapy is not individual therapy with two people present. It requires a shift in mindset—from an individual lens to a two-person relational system. This training facilitates that transition by offering a structured, accessible approach grounded in the Developmental Model and informed by the Gottman Method.

Participants will learn to:
- Structure and lead early sessions with confidence and clarity
- Ask effective, culturally attuned questions to uncover attachment patterns and conflict dynamics
- Integrate differentiation, attachment theory, and neuroscience into a socially informed clinical lens
- Recognize and address individual issues (e.g., anxiety, trauma, addiction) as they affect the relational system
- Step into the leadership role that couples therapy demands

The workshop blends didactic learning with experiential practice, including brief lectures, role plays, case discussions, and observation. Short video examples will be used when available. We will emphasize inclusiveness, cultural humility, and social context, aligning with the core values of the social work profession. Participants will leave with tools they can immediately apply and a roadmap for building confidence as relational therapists.

This workshop is ideal for clinicians ready to grow in a new area of practice with guidance grounded in both theory and real-world application.

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