# 57 – The Gottman Method and couples therapy with Clinical Psychologist Trish Purnell-Webb

Trish Purnell-Webb is an experienced psychologist with 38 years of work experience and 15 years of running her own private practice in the Gold Coast community.  Trish has a Master of Clinical Psychology degree through Charles Sturt University, is a certified Gottman Marital Therapist, and is the only certified Gottman Marital Therapy Trainer and Consultant in Australia, and is working towards certification as an Emotion Focused Couples Therapist.  Trish is also certified to present the Gottman Art and Science of Love Couples Workshop.

Trish together with her friend and business partner John Flanagan, started Relationship Institute Australasia in 2012. The RIA's guiding principle, is to utilise sound, evidenced-based approaches to help people build, repair and rejuvenate strong, sustainable relationships.   The RIA is also committed to developing and training relationship therapists across Australia, NZ, and Asia.

Trish also has extensive experience in working with people who have experienced trauma including adult survivors of childhood abuse, military veterans, police, ambulance and fire officers and members of the general community.  For the past 9 years Trish has been providing group interventions to Veterans and their families as a preferred provider for the Veterans and Veterans' Families Counselling Service, as well as mood management programs for community health organisations.  Over the past 7 years Trish has been providing professional development workshops to other psychologists, social workers, counsellors, youth workers and mental health workers in areas such as:

  • Gottman Marital Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Emotion Focussed Couples Therapy
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Today Trish mostly focusses on seeing couples and providing trainings to other professionals in the Gottman Method.  She particular enjoys providing marathon couples therapy, and encouraging other psychologists to train in the Gottman Method so this powerful therapy is accessible to many.

Trish's Self-Care Tip

Spend time with family!!!

Interesting Fact

Around 86% of people presenting to therapy rate relationship problems as one of their top 3 issues – so we need more well trained therapists in this area!

Feedback

Please leave Trish or myself a comment or some feedback, we’d love to hear from you and I’ll respond to everyone!

Amy Felman

5 Comments

  1. Krrl on February 8, 2019 at 4:52 am

    so glad you made a new episode-this is such a great podcast have really missed it.

    • Amy Felman on March 20, 2019 at 10:25 am

      Ooh thanks Kate, I’m planning to keep them coming! Any suggestion send them through 🙂

  2. Graham on April 28, 2019 at 9:07 pm

    What a fantastic episode! Thanks so much Amy and Trish. I see a lot of couples and this was a massive inspiration! Amy, your interviewing style is so natural and easy to listen to, but also draws out some gems from your guests. Keep up the great work. I plug you into my headphones when I ride and often have to stop just to write things down 🙂

  3. Elizabeth on May 17, 2019 at 10:16 am

    Great episode Amy! You seemed to magically ask the questions I was just thinking of as I was listening. So fun to listen to!

  4. Kathy on June 1, 2019 at 12:55 am

    Don’t let the qualifications fool you.

    My husband and I went to see Trish as she has a lot of experience in marital therapy and boasts an impressive resume. When we actually had our session with her we were appalled at the way in which she conducts herself. I’m sure the advice she was giving could be useful but when it’s said in such rude, uninterested and blunt manner it’s only going to fall on deaf ears.

    For the amount she charges per session it was just disappointing. I’ve never spoken to someone working in this field with such a poor attitude and lack of interest in actually helping her patients.

    Love the podcast as always Amy but I feel the need to let others know about our personal experience so that they make the right choice for their marital therapy.

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