Singapore University of Social Sciences

Level: Advanced
Duration: 4 days
Dates: 20 - 23 March 2024
Venue: Singapore University of Social Sciences

Synopsis

This course focuses on couple counselling based on the clinical work and research done by Drs John and Julie Gottman over the past 30 years. The Gottman Method is an approach to couple counselling that includes a thorough assessment of the couple’s relationship and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. The course aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills for assessment and intervention in couple counselling, based on the Gottman Approach which is developed by Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre Ltd (‘EMCC”) with consent from The Gottman Institute, USA. EMCC is the exclusive institutional partner of The Gottman Institute in Singapore.

Who Should Attend

This course is for professionals, both counsellors and social workers, who are working with couples and seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their therapeutic work with the couples.

Topics

• Introduction to The Gottman Couple Method 
• Myths about Dysfunctional and Failing Relationships 
• Functional Elements in Couple Relationships 
• Summary Checklist for Dysfunctional and Healthy Relationships
• The Sound Relationship House Theory
• Four Horsemen of Apocalypse
• Assessment Session 1: Couple session 
• Assessment Session 2: Individual session 
• Assessment Session 3: Conjoint session 
• Introduction to Intervention: Philosophy of Therapy
• Intervention 1: Conflict Management 
• Intervention 2: The 4 Horsemen and Their Antidotes 
• Intervention 3: Building Friendship
  
  

Objective

A. Knowledge and Understanding (Theory Component)

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Differentiate the focus between individual and couple counselling 
• Understand the research-based Gottman Approach for engagement, assessment and intervention in couple counselling
• Understand key concepts in the Sound Relationship House Theory
• Appraise couple’s narrative of their relationship and conflictual pattern of interaction 
• Understand the 16-item assessment tool for Gottman Relationship Checkup 
• Understand the Love Map as a foundational element for stable marital relationship
  

B. Key Skills (Practical Component)

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Engage couples for assessment and intervention using the Gottman Approach 
• Appraise relational dynamics between couples 
• Apply summary checklist to identify functional and dysfunctional couple relationship 
• Identify conflictual pattern of interaction between couple 
• Apply key concepts of the Sound Relationship House Theory
• Conduct oral history interview and assess couple’s narrative of their relationship 
• Apply Gottman-Approach core intervention 1: Gottman-Rapoport Intervention 
• Apply Gottman-Approach core intervention 2: Elimination of 4-Horsemen Intervention 
• Apply Gottman-Approach core intervention 3: Love Map Tool 
  
  

Schedule

Time	Agenda
Day 1
09:00 – 10:30	Welcome and Introduction Group discussion: Individual vs Couple counselling
10:30 – 10:45	Group discussion: Individual vs Couple counselling Understanding the language of relationships
10:45 – 12:00	Understanding the language of relationships
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch
13:00 – 15:30	Role-play: Couple interviewing skills and observation
15:30 – 15:45	Break
15:45 – 16:30	Learning Objectives of this course Introduction to the Gottman Approach Research findings and theory on the Gottman Approach
16:30 – 17:30	What is “Dysfunctional” and “Functional” in Relationships?
Day 2
09:00 – 10:30	The Sound Relationship House Theory
10:30 – 10:45	Break
10:45 – 12:00	Group discussion: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
13:00 - 15:30	Role-play: Interviewing a couple with a perpetual problem Assessment Session 1: Couple session Role-play: Oral history interview
15:30 - 15:45	Break
15:45 – 16:30	Assessment Session 2: Individual session The Sound Relationship House Questionnaire Enhanced Relationship Check-up video
16:30 – 17:30	Assessment
Day 3
09:00 – 10:30	Assessment Session 3: Conjoint session (contracting and goal setting)
10:30 – 10:45	Break
10:45 - 12:00	Introduction to Intervention: The Philosophy of the Therapy
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
13:00 - 15: 30	Intervention 1: Gottman-Rapoport Intervention Role-play
15:30 - 15:45	Break
15:45 – 16:30	Intervention 1: Gottman-Rapoport Intervention Role-play
16:30 – 17:30	Assessment
Day 4
09:00 – 10:45	Intervention 2: Eliminating the 4 Horsemen and Replacing them with Antidotes
10:45 – 11:00	Break
11:00 – 12:30	Assessment
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 15:30	Intervention 2: Eliminating the 4 Horsemen and Replacing them with Antidotes Role-play Intervention 3: Building Friendship Exercise: Gottman Love Map
15:30 – 15:45	Break
15:45 – 16.15	MCQ Quiz (Assessment)
16:15 – 17:30	Consolidation of learning points Feedback for the course    Gottman Clinical Training & Certification Track

Assessments

Skills Demonstration - Role Play Assessment (3.5hrs)

• Learner demonstrates ONE skill area and obtain group learning through feedback 
• 1 to 2 Observers in a group to feedback demonstration of skills 
• Self-reflection and observation taken in as part of learning 
• Group does round robin, so each learner gets to demonstrate one skill each 
• Skill assessment includes Couple Interview, taking Oral History, use of Gottman Rapoport
   *Trainer/Assessor visits groups to observe demonstration of learning skill and peer learning
  

Multiple Choice Quiz (0.5hr)

• A set of questions will be given to the learners to assess their understanding of the topics in line with learning outcomes. Learners must have a score of no less than 70%.
  

Requirements

• Degree in counselling, and at least 1 year experience in counselling and currently doing counselling work 
• Degree in related fields (psychology, social work and education), completed the 5 foundational modules, at least 3 year experience in counselling and currently doing counselling work at an SSA
• Master in Psychology or Master in Social Work, at least 3 year experience in counselling and currently doing counselling work at an SSA and completed the foundational module Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills
  
  

About the Trainer

Mr Joachim Lee 
JoachimTan Lee, PBM, Executive Director of Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre Ltd, is a Senior Principal Psychotherapist, Board Certified Hypnotherapist and a Singapore Association of Counselling certified Clinical Member and Clinical Supervisor. . He obtained the Master of Social Science (Counselling) in 2001 from the University of South Australia. To further enhance his clinical acumen, he proceeded to study and completed three years of training in Analytical Psychology under the C.G. Jung Developing Group of the International Association of Analytical Psychology in 2004 and intensive training in Interpersonal Psychotherapy in 2005. He further enhanced and completed trainings in Solution Oriented and Inclusive Therapy, under the guidance and mentorship of the creator, Master Therapist Bill O’Hanlon in 2005 (who was Milton Erickson’s direct student). In 2010, after demonstrating an in-depth knowledge and expertise in the therapeutic modality, he was endorsed as a trainer of the Solution Oriented and Inclusive Therapy approaches to change work. In his on-going journey in therapeutic advancement, he was trained and certified by Dr Jeffrey Zeig and the Ericksonian Foundation in the Ericksonian approach to Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy in 2008 and the Professional Certification in Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy from the Australian Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy in 2014.

His clinical experience in assessment and treatment are obtained over 20 years of clinical practice in a school as a school counsellor, a youth residential home, in the National University of Singapore Counselling Centre, a residential Home for the Homeless and Alcoholic women, a Family Service Centre and currently in Therapeutic Clinical centre. In 2004, he was certified as Trainer of the Mental Health First Aid, Australia and Singapore and certified as a Gambling Addiction Counsellor in 2005.

He is dedicated to sharpening his skills and knowledge to provide up-to-date neuroscience informed effective therapeutic treatment to his patients/clients. Some of the trainings include intensive training with Cloe Madanes, Co-Creator of Strategic Family Therapy, Professional Certification in Hypnotherapy with Igor Ledowchowski, Freddie and Anthony Jacquin, Bob Burns, Ines Simpson among many others. He also completed training in the Seven Eyed Model of Supervision and was the co-trainer of the modality with the creator, Professor Peter Hawkins. In 2015, under the guidance of Dr Kenneth Kang, he completed training as a Certified Neurofeedback Therapist. He presented in two Asia Pacific Neurofeedback conferences in 2016 and 2017, focussing on integrating neuroscience and psychotherapy/clinical hypnosis. He has completed all three levels of the Gottman Couple Therapy and is on the learning track as a Gottman certified therapist.

 

Ms Dawn Tan

Dawn Tan, Senior Counsellor, is a Singapore Association for Counselling Registered counsellor and Clinical Supervisor. She is the Co-Chair of the SAC Community Counsellors Committee. She has completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy levels 1, 2 and 3.

Dawn has devoted more than 20 years in the social service sector, shouldering various roles and capacities, ranging from children and youth work, casework and counselling in family service centres and eventually taking up the dual role of practitioner and Assistant Director in a Family Service Centre.

In pursuit for effective therapeutic outcomes, she received professional certifications in CTRT, is a Master Practitioner in SFBT, Clinical Hypnosis and is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist and Neurofeedback Therapist. Her present specialisation in EMCC is in couple work, Trauma Recovery and clinical supervisor and in promoting the counselling profession in Singapore via SAC’s Community Counsellors Committee.           

 

Application Procedures

Please submit the following documents to cet@suss.edu.sg:

1. Coloured copy (back and front) of NRIC for Singaporeans and PRs, or "Employment"/"S" Pass for foreign applicant
   
2. Application form
   
   

Course Fee

¹ Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy: Singaporeans aged 40 and above may enjoy subsidies up to 90% of the course fees.
² Enhanced Training Support for SMEs: SME-sponsored employees (Singaporean Citizens and PRs) aged 21 and above may enjoy subsidies up to 90% of the course fees.
³Additional subsidy for Singaporeans:  With effect from 1 January 2023, the GST rate will be revised from 7% to 8%. There will be no fee increase for Singaporeans taking SSG subsidized course(s) from 1 January to 31 December 2023.

• Participants are required to achieve at least 75% attendance and pass any prescribed examinations/assessments or submit any course/project work (if any) under the course requirement.
• Participants are required to complete all surveys and feedbacks related to the course
• The course fees are reviewed annually and may be revised. The University reserves the right to adjust the course fees without prior notice.
• Singapore University of Social Sciences reserves the right to amend and/or revise the above schedule without prior notice

For clarification, please contact the Centre for Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE) via the following:

Telephone: +65 6248 0263
Email: CET@suss.edu.sg