Principle Skills Relationship Center

Principle Skills Relationship Center Gottman training for professionals • Certification mentoring • Couples therapy & intensives • Betrayal trauma, addiction, and Couples On The Brink”specialists

Principle Skills Relationship Center is one of the few therapy practices in Colorado that specializes in treating couples with The Gottman Method, which is based on extensive research and data on relationships. Our therapists integrate the Method with other therapeutic approaches. We provide individual, couples and family counseling for a range of issues:
- Trauma
- Addiction
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- Betrayal
- Life Transitions
- Emotional/Sexual Betrayals
- Pornography-related problems
- Sexual Compulsions
- Substance Abuse
- Disabilities & Medical Conditions
- Divorce & Separation

We were the first group to offer The Gottman Institute’s couples and parenting workshops to families in Colorado and Hawaii. We also train healthcare professionals in The Gottman Method and other continuing education courses in Colorado and Hawaii.

Many couples struggle with communication because they feel unsafe emotionally.When therapists help partners create safet...
04/10/2026

Many couples struggle with communication because they feel unsafe emotionally.

When therapists help partners create safety, curiosity naturally replaces defensiveness.

Connection grows from there.

Couples often arrive feeling unheard and misunderstood.The therapist’s role isn’t to solve the argument — it’s to create...
04/08/2026

Couples often arrive feeling unheard and misunderstood.

The therapist’s role isn’t to solve the argument — it’s to create a space where partners finally feel seen and understood.
That’s where change begins.

04/04/2026

Stonewalling is the fastest way to destroy a relationship.
It’s not always the shouting that causes the most damage — it’s the silence.
The withdrawal.
The shutdown.
The feeling of being completely shut out.

When one partner disconnects, the relationship starts to break quietly.
But there’s a better way.

👉 Pause. Regulate. Return.
Because healthy conflict doesn’t mean avoiding — it means coming back with the capacity to engage.

For therapists, this is a critical skill to teach and model.
Help couples move from shutdown → reconnection.
🔗 https://principleskills.com/

04/02/2026

Contempt is the fastest way to destroy a relationship.
It shows up in small moments — an eye roll, a sarcastic tone, a look of superiority.
But those moments? They cut deep.

Eyerolling isn’t harmless — it’s contempt made visible.
And once it enters the dynamic, respect starts to disappear.

The shift?
👉 Replace contempt with curiosity
Because the goal isn’t to judge your partner —it’s to understand them.

For therapists, this is a critical intervention that can completely change the direction of a relationship.

Learn how to help couples move from disconnection → understanding.
🔗 https://principleskills.com/

03/31/2026

Criticism doesn’t just hurt relationships… it slowly destroys them.
Most people think they’re communicating — but they’re actually attacking character instead of addressing the real issue.

That’s where disconnection begins.

The shift is simple, but powerful:
👉 Replace criticism with a gentle start-up
Because healthy conflict isn’t about winning — it’s about understanding and being understood.
For therapists, this is a core skill that changes everything in the room.

Learn how to guide couples from conflict → connection.
🔗 https://principleskills.com/

This past weekend ... . they showed up — and did the work.Congratulations on completing Gottman Level 1 👏
03/31/2026

This past weekend ... . they showed up — and did the work.

Congratulations on completing Gottman Level 1 👏

03/30/2026

Wow — this Gottman Level 1 training weekend was something special.

Clinicians came from all over — Wisconsin, Georgia, LA — all meeting in Colorado for a few days focused on growth, connection, and real skill-building.

In-person just hits different.

The conversations between sessions.
The shared meals.
The real-time practice.

If you’ve been thinking about training that actually changes how you show up in session, this is it.

Hope to see you at the next one 👏

https://principleskills.com/event/

Dr. John M Gottman identified four communication patterns strongly linked to relationship distress:• Criticism• Contempt...
03/29/2026

Dr. John M Gottman identified four communication patterns strongly linked to relationship distress:
• Criticism
• Contempt
• Defensiveness
• Stonewalling

Helping couples recognize and replace these patterns is a key part of effective couples therapy.

Gottman’s decades of research consistently highlight friendship as the core of lasting relationships.When therapists hel...
03/27/2026

Gottman’s decades of research consistently highlight friendship as the core of lasting relationships.

When therapists help couples rebuild friendship — through curiosity, admiration, and shared meaning — relational resilience grows.
Friendship is not just a nice idea. It’s a predictor of long-term relationship success.

Relationship success isn’t built from grand gestures.Research from John Gottman shows that small everyday interactions —...
03/25/2026

Relationship success isn’t built from grand gestures.

Research from John Gottman shows that small everyday interactions — responding to emotional bids, showing appreciation, and turning toward a partner — build the foundation of lasting connection.

Helping couples notice these moments can significantly improve relational satisfaction.

Couples often express criticism when deeper emotional needs go unmet.As therapists, helping partners translate complaint...
03/24/2026

Couples often express criticism when deeper emotional needs go unmet.
As therapists, helping partners translate complaints into underlying needs can shift conversations from conflict to understanding.

Teaching couples to recognize these deeper longings is a powerful therapeutic intervention.

Address

7710 N Union Boulevard #202
Colorado Springs, CO
80920

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 9pm

Telephone

+17194947412

Website

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Our Story

Caralee presents The Gottman Institute's couples weekend workshop, The Art and Science of Love. She completed a lengthy and rigorous training program to earn her credential as a Certified Gottman Therapist and a Certified Gottman Levels 1 and 2 Trainer. Caralee was the first Certified Gottman Therapist to open the “Art & Science of Love” couples workshop to the public in Colorado, hosting the first event in the Spring of 2015. Caralee's practice, Principle Skills Relationship Center, operates in Colorado Springs and she presents her couples workshops in various beautiful Colorado locations. She also provides trainings for Gottman Couples Therapy Levels 1 and 2. Caralee is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has operated a private practice since 2009. As a marriage and couples therapist/counselor, Caralee has experience helping people who deal with issues such as depression, addiction and betrayal. Caralee is also a certified Sexual Addiction Recovery Therapist. Her credentials, plus her wealth of experience, allows her to effectively and compassionately help couples strengthen their relationships.