The Art and Science of Love
A weekend workshop for couples based on real science.
Discover The Art and Science of Love at our world-renowned weekend workshop for couples created by Drs. John and Julie Gottman and see for yourself why millions of couples worldwide have benefited from the Gottman Method.
“Created by the Einstein of Love” -
Learn to recognize the Four Horsemen
and what to do if they are attacking your marriage
Learn about the effects of physiological flooding
and how it may affect conflict resolution
Identify your relationship’s strengths
and how to build on them together
Use the Fondness and Admiration System
to renew, respect, and care for one another
Strengthen Your Relationship In Two Days
The Art and Science of Love virtual event is a two-day workshop grounded on what actually works in relationships that are happy and stable. See for yourself why millions of couples worldwide have benefited from the Gottman Method. This is a synchronous event with Q&A throughout the session, as well as private roving therapist support during each exercise time. Additionally, couples will receive a physical box set of workshop materials to further their learning by use of tangible materials.
Discover The Art and Science of Love at our world-renowned weekend workshop for couples created by Drs. John and Julie Gottman and see for yourself why millions of couples worldwide have benefited from the Gottman Method.
2 days filled with engaging presentations and experiential activities designed to confirm, strengthen, or restore your love
For couples of every age, ability, and sexual orientation
Shown to achieve results similar to those of 6 months of marital therapy
Has produced positive results for 94% of those who attend
Based on over 50 years of research with thousands of couples, The Art and Science of Love workshop will give you new insights and research-based skills that can dramatically improve the intimacy and friendship in your relationship and help you manage conflict in a healthy, positive way.
Art & Science of Love workshop is now available online
John and Julie Gottman’s ASL workshop is available online to take from the comfort of your own home.
Workshop Description
Our curriculum is developed from 50 years of research with more than 3,000 couples. It’s grounded on what actually works in relationships that are happy and stable, not idealistic notions or anecdotal evidence of what a relationship should be. On day one, you will learn how to build friendship in your relationship and express feelings of respect and affection. On day two, you will learn how to manage conflict and communicate effectively.
The workshop has produced positive results for 94% of those who attend based on exit surveys!
What will I learn?
You and your partner will learn how to foster respect, affection, and closeness in your relationship. You will build and share a deeper connection with each other. You’ll learn how to keep conflict discussions calm, how to break through conflicted gridlock, and how to strengthen and maintain the gains in your relationship.
Other workshop topics include:
Learn to recognize the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and what to do if they are attacking your marriage
Identify your relationship’s strengths and how to build on them together
Learn about the effects of physiological flooding and how it may affect conflict resolution
Create an Emotional Bank Account that you can draw upon in times of stress
Use the Fondness and Admiration System to renew, respect, and care for one another
Develop your problem-solving skills, including the six skills for effective conflict resolutions
Who is the workshop for?
This workshop is designed for ALL couples in a committed relationship.
You do not need to be married.
If you have a strong relationship, this workshop will provide you with insights and tools to foster further closeness, friendship, and trust.
If your relationship is distressed, this two-day workshop will provide you with a greater understanding of your relationship and a road map for repair.
No public discussion or disclosure is involved.
All work is done as a couple and Gottman-trained therapists are available to support one-on-one during exercises.
This educational workshop may not be appropriate for couples dealing with addiction, domestic violence, or other serious relationship issues. In those situations, we recommend seeking counseling with a Gottman-trained therapist.
What is included in the price?
In addition to a greater understanding of how to build friendship, manage conflict, and create shared meaning in your relationship, you will receive The Art and Science of Love box set, which contains:
- Two (2) Couples Workbooks
- One (1) Repair Checklist
- One (1) Aftermath of a Fight Booklet
- Seven (7) Card Decks
- Love Map
- Opportunity
- Open-Ended Questions
- Rituals of Connection
- Salsa (Mild, Medium, Hot)
Workshop Reviews
More than 1,500 couples complete The Art and Science of Love workshop every year. Here’s what some of them have said about the workshop.
“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 couple
- Cedar Rapids, IA
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 couple
- Chicago, IL
“[This workshop] saved our relationship, in my opinion. It showed us how to communicate properly. I’ll be forever grateful, thank you!”
Anonymous couple
- Seattle, WA
“Excellent! Very practical and immediately useful. We would like to send our entire family to your seminars.”
Anonymous couple
- Seattle, WA
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. Is there public disclosure?
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?
Continuing Education Credits are not currently available for the Art & Science of Love Couples Workshop.
