East Bay Relationship Center formerly Alameda Couples Counseling

09/09/2026

⏳ Only 5 spots left for THE ART & SCIENCE OF LOVE — Sept 19–20 in Oakland.

This is the original couples workshop developed by Drs. John & Julie Gottman — two days to reconnect, communicate better, and build a relationship that lasts. Led by Sinead Smyth LMFT and Mike McNulty Mike McNulty, PhD,, both Gottman Institute Advanced Trainers.

Whether you’re navigating a rough patch or just want to invest in your relationship, this weekend is for you.

📍 Oakland | 🗓️ Sept 19–20 | 💌

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/the-art-and-science-of-love-september-2026--2-day-gottman-retreat-2138673764

Spots are limited and going fast — don’t wait!!!

RelationshipTherapy EastBayRelationshipCenter MarriedLife CouplesRetreat HealthyRelationships

08/06/2026

EARLY REGISTRATION until August 22nd

The Art and Science of Love Couples Workshop

September 19th & 20th. Oakland, CA

**REGISTER IN BIO**

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07/09/2026

JULY 4TH SALE....STILL ON (ends Saturday 11th)

Get $100 off with Access Code: ASLJULY4

Register Here: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/the-art-and-science-of-love-september-2026--2-day-gottman-retreat-2138673764

What couples who attend The Art and Science of Love are saying:

"...presented by Sinead Smyth and Mike McNulty. What a talented and very accessible pair of therapists"

"Super positively impactful for our marriage"

"Every couple should take this workshop"

"We feel very encouraged and empowered to continue making our partnership better and better"

"..extremely meaningful and beneficial"

"An informative and very worthwhile weekend. We highly recommend"

ACCESS CODE: ASLJULY4

07/02/2026

July 4th Sale 🎆

Get $100 Off our next THE ART AND SCIENCE OF LOVE Couples Workshop, September 2026

What couples who have attended our    are saying:

“...presented by Sinead Smyth and Mike McNulty. What a talented and very accessible pair of therapists”

“Super positively impactful for our marriage”

“Every couple should take this workshop”

“We feel very encouraged and empowered to continue making our partnership better and better”

“..extremely meaningful and beneficial”

“An informative and very worthwhile weekend. We highly recommend”

Read more about The Art and Science of Love Workshop, and register in BIO (July 4-11th)



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06/04/2026

✋🏼“It’s easy to notice when our partner seems checked out or distracted. 😴 It’s harder to ask ourselves whether we’re actually reaching toward them (making bids)— or whether we’ve quietly stopped. If you find yourself feeling lonely in your relationship, it’s worth questioning not only if your partner is turning toward you but are you turning toward them?” 🤔

BIDS FOR CONNECTION: The Small Moments You Might Be Missing ….Full Post in Bio ****

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04/30/2026

THE PATTERN IS THE PROBLEM🤔

Today is the first in our 4-part series focusing on conflict issues within relationships.

If you’ve been having the same fight over and over again, you might be surprised to learn that it’s not about the dishes. Or the phones. Or the kids.

Decades of research from Dr. John Gottman suggest that the topic is usually not the real issue. What matters much more is the pattern couples can fall into during conflict.✋🏼

What Trips Us Up?

Gottman identified the four communication patterns (AKA The Four Horsemen) that tend to repeat themselves and derail arguments:
 Criticism – attacking your partner’s character (“You never help around here”)
 Defensiveness – protecting yourself instead of listening (“That’s not true, I did it yesterday”)
 Contempt – sarcasm, eye-rolling, or disrespect (“Wow, you’re unbelievable”)
 Stonewalling – shutting down or withdrawing (silence, leaving the room, checking out) 🐎🐎🐎🐎

Once couples fall into this pattern, conversations tend to escalate quickly. One partner criticizes, the other gets defensive, the tension rises, one or both withdraw. One client described it as “a feeling like we’re on a runaway train, and we cant use the brakes”. Usually the pattern takes us far down the tracks before we can even recognize it. It doesn’t seem to matter what the issue is, we argue in the same way, with the same inevitable negative outcomes.

Why Do We Behave This Way?

FULL FEATURE: https://www.eastbayrelationshipcenter.com/the-problem-isnt-the-problem-the-pattern-is-the-problem/

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04/30/2026

The Pattern Isn’t Random….It’s Well Rehearsed🎭

Part 2 in our series on Couples Conflict

“…the different ways we try to take care of ourselves when something doesn’t feel right in the relationship. They all make sense, BUT end up being losing strategies. When both partners are reacting this way at the same time, the pattern can build quickly”

FULL FEATURE: https://www.eastbayrelationshipcenter.com/the-pattern-isnt-random-its-well-rehearsed/

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03/19/2026

'Gray Divorce' - What is it? And, What Happens Next?

Deciding whether to stay or leave a long-term marriage can feel less like a dramatic crossroads and more like a slow reckoning—one where the hardest part is that nothing is clearly "bad enough," After years (or decades) together, it can become a quiet weighing of the devil-you-know, versus the uncertainty of the one you don’t. Inertia is powerful: shared history, routines, finances, family roles, and just the sheer effort of change keep people stuck.

Full Post Here:

The divorce announcement by Bill and Melinda Gates took many people by surprise. From the outside, it seemed that the couple’s lives were very intertwined. Why do this now after 27 years of marriage? Despite the fact that overall divorce rates in the U.S. dropped since the 1980s, the rate of divor...

01/30/2026

Early Registration Ends Tomorrow!!!

Get $50 off our upcoming 2 Day Gottman Couples Retreat

February 21st & 22nd, Oakland CA

Register Here!

Discover The Art and Science of Love at our world-renowned weekend workshop for…

01/26/2026

EARLY REGISTRATION - One More Week Only - Ends January 31st 🎉

The Art and Science of Love - Gottman Couples Workshop - February 21st & 22nd, Oakland CA

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/the-art-and-science-of-love-february-2026--2-day-gottman-retreat-2138682620

Whether your relationship is blossoming, needs a check-in, or is struggling, this 2-Day workshop covers every facet of relationships, providing invaluable tools and ideas to keep things/get things back on track.

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