Presented by Dr. Vagdevi Meunier

Licensed Therapist and Gottman Master Trainer

Drs. John and Julie Gottman have learned what really makes marriages work by studying and following over 4,000 couples in over 40 years of research. The Gottmans designed this retreat to teach couples how to create a lasting and satisfying committed intimate relationship.

This is an advanced couples retreat that reviews and expands on the first Art and Science of Love retreat for couples.  In this two-day retreat we will work on friendship and intimacy that goes beyond card decks and reaches deeper into the attachment emotions and needs each partner has in the relationship.  We will spend more time on communication skills with a focus on having difficult conversations, repair and recovery skills, learning to find good compromises and solutions that honors both partners' core needs.  You will also learn some new structured exercises that celebrate what is positive in the relationship as well as help the two of you understand and dig deeper on the challenges and barriers to intimacy. There is no group work or public disclosure, couples will work on the exercises on their own.

At the end of this retreat, you will leave with a deeper understanding of your core needs and dilemmas as intimate partners, and the skills to repair or enhance your connection. 

Who Should Attend

This couples retreat is limited to couples who have already attended the first Art and Science of Love retreat.  We welcome all couples in a committed intimate relationship who wish to learn the Gottman approach to healthy relationships and is appropriate for relationships that need enhancement as well as those that need repair.  If you have a strong relationship, we will provide you with insights and tools to make it a great one.  If your relationship is struggling, this retreat will help you learn the tools and skills you need to repair and re-calibrate your connection. 

Both of you will learn how to:

• Foster respect, affection, and closeness
• Build and share a deeper connection with each other’s inner world.
• Keep conflict discussions calm
• Break through and resolve conflict gridlock
• Strengthen and maintain the gains in your relationship

Retreat Topics

(1) Learning what the Masters of Marriage Do

• Identify your relationship’s strengths and how to build on them
• Increase romance in your relationship
• Recognize the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and what to do if they are attacking your relationship/marriage
• The effects of physiological flooding and how it may impede conflict resolution

(2) Building a "Sound Relationship House"

• Learn how Love Maps provide a solid foundation for Intimacy
• Use the fondness and Admiration System to renew respect and care for one another
• Create an Emotional Bank Account that you can draw upon in times of stress
• Develop your problem-solving skills, including the four techniques of effective conflict resolution

Read More about the ASL2 Workshop from the Gottman Institute Here

* All couples must complete a 30 minute screening process at least 2 business days before attending this Retreat.