Gottman 7 Principles Groups

The Forward Foundation's Gottman 7 Principles groups are psychoeducational workshops and/or support groups based on The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, a book by Drs. John and Julie Gottman. These groups are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships using research-based principles developed by the Gottman Institute, which has studied thousands of couples over several decades.

7 Principles groups aim to:

• Improve relationship satisfaction.

• Reduce conflict and increase understanding.

• Teach practical tools for enhancing intimacy, friendship, and communication.

• Help couples become more emotionally connected and in touch with one another's goals and values.

The Seven Principles 

1. Love Maps

   • Learn more about your partner’s inner world—dreams, fears, values, history, and daily life.

2. Nurture Fondness and Admiration

   • Focus on the positives. Recall and express appreciation and respect.

3. Turn Toward Instead of Away

   • Recognize and respond to "bids" for connection, building emotional closeness through small moments.

4. Let Your Partner Influence You

   • Share power and decision-making. Accept influence from your partner rather than resisting it.

5. Solve Your Solvable Problems

   • Learn effective conflict resolution strategies, like using a softened start-up and compromising.

6. Overcome Gridlock

   • Understand and dialogue about perpetual problems rooted in core values or dreams, without trying to “solve” them.

7. Create Shared Meaning

   • Build a sense of purpose and meaning in your relationship through rituals, goals, and shared narratives.

Group Formats

For couples:

For those who have a good relationship and want to make it even better. Couples will learn skills, then break off to practice them with some coaching from the group leader.

This group is not a substitute for couples therapy, but can be a helpful compliment to couples therapy. 

Couples in distress who would like to be introduced to the Gottman principles may benefit more from our individual groups, described below.

For individuals:

We offer groups for individuals who would like the opportunity to learn the 7 principles without their spouse present.  This gives them time to learn the material, talk through it with others who are in similar situations, and consider how to best apply the material in their relationship before they are ready to practice it with their spouse in a group setting. 

This group combines education with therapeutic processing and peer support.

The following groups are currently available:

Men's group: 

• The 7 Principles will be broken down into segments and processed over a period of 20 weeks.
• Group size is limited to 10 men in order to provide adequate time for group sharing
• Each group session is 1 hour
• 20 week curriculum will start over the following semester.
• Insurance accepted:
  • Aetna
  • AllSavers UHC
  • Allied Benefit Systems - Aetna
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
  • Christian Brothers Services - Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Confide Enhanced EAP
  • Health Scope - Aetna
  • Meritain
  • Nippon
  • Optum
  • Optum Emotional Wellbeing Solution (Premium EAP)
  • Optum Live & Work Well (EAP)
  • Oscar
  • Oxford Health Plans
  • Resources for Living EAP
  • Surest (Formerly Bind)
  • Trustmark Health Benefits - Aetna
  • Trustmark Health Benefits - Cigna
  • Trustmark Small Business Benefits - Aetna
  • UHC Student Resources
  • UMR
  • United Healthcare Shared Services
  • UnitedHealthcare
  • UnitedHealthcare Global
• Out of network rate: 
  • $40/session 
  • Save 15% if all 20 sessions are paid in full at the beginning of the course. 20 sessions @40ea. = $800. -15% = $680 

Dates and Times: Weekly, Tuesday nights, 6:30-7:30pm

Group Start: Aug 5, 2025

Group End: Dec 16, 2025

Location: Christian Resource Center, 1150 S Bell Blvd., Cedar Park, TX 78613

Group leader: Solome Skaff

To join the course, email: sol@forwardcce.com