Gottman Couples Therapy

Every couple argues. What matters is whether the two of you can find your way back to each other afterward. If you keep having the same fight, feel distant from your partner, or wonder whether the relationship can be repaired, Gottman Couples Therapy offers a practical, research-based path forward.

Suzanne Gabriele, LMFT is a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist, with more than 20 years of experience. That is not the same as a therapist who borrows a few Gottman techniques. Certification means Suzanne has completed specialized training in the Gottman Method and uses it as a complete approach, from assessment through treatment. Sessions are available in person at our Norwalk, Connecticut office and by telehealth for couples located in Connecticut, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts.

Communication and Recurring Conflict

Most couples don't argue about the dishes or the schedule. They argue about feeling unheard, criticized or alone. Gottman research identifies patterns that quietly damage relationships: criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. In therapy, you learn to recognize these patterns as they happen and replace them with calmer, clearer ways to raise a concern and respond to your partner.

Emotional Connection

Strong couples know each other's inner world: worries, hopes, stresses and small daily joys. Therapy helps you rebuild that knowledge, and helps you notice and respond to each other's everyday attempts at connection. Feeling understood by your partner is often the first thing to return.

Friendship and Intimacy

When life gets busy with work, children and stress, couples can slip from partners into roommates. We work on rebuilding fondness, appreciation and warmth, the friendship that supports emotional and physical intimacy.

Conflict Management

A healthy relationship isn't one without conflict. Many disagreements never fully go away, and couples do well when they learn to talk about them without hurting each other. You'll practice taking a break when emotions run too high, soothing yourself, understanding the needs underneath a disagreement, and reaching compromises you can both live with.

Trust and Commitment

Trust grows through small moments: showing up, following through, and turning toward your partner when it counts. We help you rebuild trust and strengthen commitment, and build shared rituals and meaning that give the relationship a firmer foundation. If trust has been broken by an affair, see our page on affair recovery and infidelity counseling.

Gottman Assessment and Interventions

Gottman Method therapy typically begins with an assessment. This usually includes a questionnaire and conversations with you as a couple, and often with each partner individually. Suzanne then shares what she has learned about your strengths and the areas that need attention, and together you set a treatment plan. Interventions are tailored to your relationship, not taken from a script.

High-Conflict Couples

If your arguments are intense, your home feels tense, or you or your partner tend to shut down completely, therapy can provide structure and a safer way to talk. Suzanne has extensive experience working with high-conflict couples and families. If there is any physical violence or fear in your relationship, tell us right away so we can talk about safety first, since couples therapy may not be the right starting point.

Telehealth in CT, NY, FL and MA

Suzanne Gabriele, LMFT is licensed to provide therapy to clients located in Connecticut, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts. In-person services are available at our Norwalk, Connecticut office. Telehealth is a good option if you live outside the area, travel often or have a demanding schedule.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

  • No. Some couples come in on the brink of separation, while others want to strengthen a good relationship or get through a transition such as a new baby, a move or a career change.

  • Yes. We offer in-person couples therapy in Norwalk, Connecticut, as well as telehealth for couples located in Connecticut, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts.

    Subject to clinician licensure and availability.

  • Yes. Suzanne helps couples work through infidelity and rebuild trust. Ask us about affair recovery and infidelity counseling.

Take the next step

If you're ready to change how the two of you communicate and reconnect, contact us to ask about scheduling. Suzanne Gabriele, LMFT & Associates | 71 East Avenue, Suite H, Norwalk, CT 06851.

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