--- title: "Gottman Method Couples Therapy in DC — Cura Tempos" description: "Gottman Method couples therapy in Washington, DC — four decades of research on what makes relationships work, applied to yours." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Cura Tempos", "url": "https://curatempos.com" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#business", "name": "Cura Tempos LLC", "url": "https://curatempos.com", "areaServed": { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Washington, DC" }, "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "1301 K Street NW", "addressLocality": "Washington", "addressRegion": "DC", "postalCode": "20005", "addressCountry": "US" }, "telephone": "202-643-2846", "medicalSpecialty": [ "Behavioral", "PublicHealth" ], "availableLanguage": [ "English", "French" ], "serviceType": [ "Initial Consultation", "Intake Session", "Individual Therapy", "Couples Therapy", "Sex Therapy", "Dating Therapy", "EMDR Therapy", "Group Therapy", "In-Person Sessions" ], "founder": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#practitioner" }, "provider": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#practitioner" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#practitioner", "name": "Dr. William McVey", "jobTitle": "Founder & Clinical Sexologist", "hasCredential": { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "license", "name": "LPC" }, "worksFor": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#business" }, "url": "https://curatempos.com/drwilliammcvey", "knowsLanguage": [ "English" ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/REPLACE-ME", "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?cid=REPLACE-ME", "https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/238404" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://curatempos.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Approach", "item": "https://curatempos.com/approach" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gottman Method Couples Therapy", "item": "https://curatempos.com/approach/gottman-method" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "name": "Gottman Method Couples Therapy", "serviceType": "Gottman Method Couples Therapy", "provider": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#business" }, "areaServed": "Washington, DC" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Gottman Method work for non-traditional couples?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. The research base includes same-sex couples — some of the method's notable findings come from them — and the framework applies to any committed pair regardless of configuration." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if we're past fixing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No honest clinician promises outcomes. What the assessment gives you is accurate information about the state of the relationship's systems — most couples find far more workable material than the last two years led them to believe." } } ] } ] --- [![Cura Tempos](/__l5e/assets-v1/50a70a4f-7979-497e-9338-0a69569aa15d/logo.png)Cura Tempos Washington, DC ](/) [Home](/)[Our Team](/team-3)[Specialties](/specialties)[Services](/book-online)[Office](/therapy-office-washington-dc)[Investment](/rates)[Journal](/blog)[Media](/media)[Contact](/contact) [Book a free consult](https://www.therapyportal.com/p/curatempos/) Our methods # Gottman Method Couples Therapy The Gottman Method runs on four decades of research — thousands of couples studied in enough detail that the patterns that predict decline are identified, named, and — more usefully — workable. We use Gottman structure because couples deserve a method with an evidence trail — and because it gives two people a shared, non-blaming language for what's actually happening between them. ## What the method looks at - The Four Horsemen — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling — and their researched antidotes - Repair: the make-or-break skill of recovering mid-conflict - The friendship system: turning toward each other in small moments - Love maps: how well you actually know each other's current inner world - Perpetual problems — Gottman's research found most relationship conflict is perpetual rather than solvable, and strong couples learn to hold it - Shared meaning: what the relationship is for ## How it works here Couples work begins with structured assessment — together, individually, and via the method's questionnaires — producing an honest map of strengths and fault lines. Then sessions target the specific systems that need rebuilding, with practice that continues at home. Where intimacy and desire are part of the picture — and they usually are — doctorate-level sex therapy is in the same room, so the conversation doesn't stop at the bedroom door. ## Practical details Couples sessions are 55 minutes, $215 with [sliding scale](/rates) from $150–194, downtown or via [telehealth](/online-therapy-dc). See the couples therapy page for the fuller picture of how we work with pairs. FAQ ## Common questions ### Does Gottman Method work for non-traditional couples? Yes. The research base includes same-sex couples — some of the method's notable findings come from them — and the framework applies to any committed pair regardless of configuration. ### What if we're past fixing? No honest clinician promises outcomes. What the assessment gives you is accurate information about the state of the relationship's systems — most couples find far more workable material than the last two years led them to believe. Related - [Couples therapy →](/specialties/couples-therapy) - [Relationship issues →](/specialties/relationship-issues) - [Sex therapy →](/specialties/sex-therapy) ## Ready to begin? The 15-minute consult is where most people begin. [Book a free 15-minute consultation](https://www.therapyportal.com/p/curatempos/)[Rates & investment](/rates) Curated mental health & wellness for a life fully lived. [Book a free consult](/book-online) Cura Tempos A boutique DC practice — sex-therapy-led, holistic, unhurried. Sessions in English · Français Explore - [Home](/) - [Our Team](/team-3) - [Specialties](/specialties) - [Services](/book-online) - [Office](/therapy-office-washington-dc) - [Investment](/rates) - [Journal](/blog) - [Media](/media) - [Contact](/contact) Specialties - [Sex Therapy](/specialties/sex-therapy) - [Couples Therapy](/specialties/couples-therapy) - [Trauma & EMDR](/specialties/trauma-therapy) - [LGBTQIA+ Therapy](/specialties/lgbtq-therapy) - [Online Therapy](/online-therapy-dc) - [All Specialties](/specialties) Contact Cura Tempos LLC 1301 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 [202-643-2846](tel:2026432846) [Info@CuraTempos.com](mailto:Info@CuraTempos.com) Crisis In a crisis or emergency, call or text [988](tel:988) or [911](tel:911). Individual results vary; therapy outcomes are not guaranteed. Contacting Cura Tempos does not establish a therapist–client relationship. Coaching services are not psychotherapy and are not licensed mental-health treatment. 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