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Tired of Sessions That Go Nowhere?
Let’s Fix That.
You start a session with a plan. You try to keep things on track. But suddenly, the couple is spiralling into the same old fight, and you’re just trying to keep the wheels from falling off.
Here’s the thing: Flying by the seat of your pants, or relying on intuition or trial and error may work sometimes, but is often exhausting. And it leads to burn out.
The principles in the Developmental Model™ Starter Series make your work easier. You’ll get a look at what top couples therapists use to confidently lead their sessions. You’ll discover a framework to:
Identify why couples are stuck (and what to do about it)
Redirect couples when they fall into old patterns
Stop second-guessing yourself and take control of your sessions
Make couples therapy easier, clearer, and more effective
Guide couples through change without getting flooded by their intensity
Avoid the 4 biggest mistakes therapists make
Welcome to what’s inside your free training:
Watch as Dr. Ellyn Bader lays out 5 stages of relationships and common patterns and struggles that emerge at each stage so you can plan what to do next.
(Two 10-minute videos)
A client-friendly handout that makes it easier for
couples to see their own patterns.
(Popular choice among relationship therapists)
Nuts and Bolts of the Initial Interview, including
3 questions to establish your leadership and gain a couple’s confidence in you.
(15-minute video training)
A clear explanation of the difference between differentiation and individuation so you can
avoid mistaken assessment of your clients.
(3-minute video training)
4 Common Mistakes Therapists Make that slow down your work.
(15-minute video training)
The Developmental Model™ is fundamentally inclusive and designed for ALL couples. Learn specific ways it helps when working with LGBTQ+ relationships, with expert
Tom Bruett.
Couples therapy can be a mess
– but it can also be amazing if you know what you’re doing and why.
The Starter Series shows you what’s keeping clients stuck and what interventions will actually work. No more guessing. No more hoping. Just a proven framework to give you clarity and confidence.
This training is free. It’s practical. And it works.
Join the thousands of therapists who are making couples therapy easier and more rewarding.
More about
Dr. Ellyn Bader
Couples Therapy Pioneer,
Couples Institute® Co-Founder
Dr. Ellyn Bader (she/her) is one of the early pioneers of couples therapy, as well as a recognized thought leader in relationship therapy worldwide. Through her informal research and thousands of sessions, Ellyn co-created The Developmental Model™, a revolutionary approach that is highly adaptable to the complex needs of two people growing, changing, and staying connected in a relationship. The model has deeply influenced the therapeutic field and is currently used around the world. It is taught by many graduate programs using her award-winning textbook In Quest of the Mythical Mate, which has been reprinted over 20 times.
Ellyn co-founded The Couples Institute® (1984) and co-authored Tell Me No Lies (2001) with her husband Dr. Peter Pearson, and the two have been a frequently trusted resource on Nightline, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Good Morning America, O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, NPR and over 70 other media outlets.
She continues to evolve the field of couples therapy through her tireless commitment. Therapists and coaches from 75 countries have completed her world-class training on applying The Developmental Model™ and becoming exceptional at the art of therapy.