Creating a Confluence: An Interview With Susan Johnson and John Gottman

In 2003, The Family Journal interviewed Dr. Susan Johnson (Jencius, 2003) and Dr. John Gottman (Jencius & Duba, 2003) in individual interviews. This interview is with Drs. Johnson and Gottman together in an attempt to capture the confluence of their mutual influence. Sue Johnson is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ottawa University and director of the Ottawa Couple and Family Institute. She is one of the originators and the main proponent of emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT). John Gottman is co-founder of the Gottman Institute, director of the Relationship Research Institute, and emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Washington. Both have done extensive research in the areas of couple relationships, and each maintains an active research and training schedule. This interview took place in November 2003 in Seattle, Washington. For more information about the works of Johnson and Gottman, visit their Web sites at www.eft.ca and www.gottman.com.