Healing Betrayal and Trauma Grief – Free Training with David Kessler and John & Julie Gottman

When betrayal or loss shatters the ground beneath a client’s life, it can feel like there’s no reliable path forward. Therapists often find themselves navigating raw emotions, ruptured trust, and the somatic shockwaves that grief and trauma leave in their wake.

In this free, live online training, you’ll learn directly from pioneers whose work has transformed our field: Drs. John and Julie Gottman on healing after infidelity — and David Kessler with Paul Denniston on the tender intersection of grief and trauma. You’ll come away with evidence-based protocols, embodied practices, and clinical tools you can use right away.

Whether you support couples in the aftermath of an affair or individuals carrying profound loss, this program weaves research-backed methods with compassionate, practical guidance. You’ll gain clarity about what actually helps… and how to pace and sequence interventions so clients feel safer, stronger, and more connected.

Join a global community of practitioners committed to ethical, heart-centered care — and receive 14-day replay access so you can revisit key insights and apply them with confidence.

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Why Attend “John & Julie Gottman and David Kessler on Healing Betrayal Trauma & Grief”

Affairs can feel like the kryptonite of love — quickly de-skilling even seasoned clinicians. In their keynote, Drs. John and Julie Gottman share new findings from a six-year randomized controlled trial and walk you through an evidence-based protocol for restoring safety and rebuilding trust.

You’ll learn how to pace disclosure, repair, and reconnection so couples can emerge more resilient.

Grief and trauma often walk hand in hand. David Kessler and Paul Denniston will help you recognize traumatic grief, differentiate prevention from postvention, and engage somatic practices that release what’s stuck in the body. You’ll gain practical strategies for complex losses — including sudden death, suicide, addiction, or long illness.

Across both sessions, you’ll receive step-by-step tools you can use immediately: structured dialogues, attunement practices, and body-based methods that help clients regulate, reconnect, and reimagine their future.

Expect clarity, compassion, and interventions that honor both science and the human heart.

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What You’ll Learn

In the immediate aftermath of betrayal, couples need containment, safety, and a map. You’ll explore a research-backed protocol that helps you stabilize sessions, pace disclosure, and rebuild a foundation of trust without rushing reconciliation. We’ll practice therapeutic dialogues that lower reactivity, invite accountability, and foster empathy so partners can begin to tell the truth, hear each other, and imagine a path forward.

When grief intertwines with trauma, stories can heal—or keep clients stuck. You’ll learn how to discern when to gently engage the narrative of loss and when to shift toward present-moment regulation and embodiment. We’ll integrate movement, breath, and mindful awareness to metabolize shock and guilt, release frozen grief in the body, and restore a felt sense of connection and meaning.

Ethical sequencing matters as much as technique. You’ll learn to assess readiness, titrate interventions, and create individualized plans that weave cognition, emotion, and somatic work. We’ll clarify scope of practice, identify referral points, and structure follow-up so clients feel resourced, respected, and strong enough to grow at a sustainable pace.

Here’s just a bit more of what you’ll learn:

• New insights from a six-year randomized controlled trial on affair recovery
• A stepwise protocol for rebuilding trust after infidelity
• Structured dialogues that lower arousal and increase connection
• Somatic techniques to release grief stored in the body
• How to discern prevention vs. postvention — and why it matters
• Support for complex loss: sudden death, suicide, addiction, or long illness
• When story heals and when it hinders — pacing narrative wisely
• Practices to stabilize the nervous system and foster hope
• Ethical guidelines for scope of practice and referrals
• How to integrate learning into ongoing treatment plans

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Who This Training Is For

This training is designed for mental health professionals who support couples or individuals facing rupture, loss, and the long tail of trauma. If you value research-grounded methods paired with compassionate, embodied care, you’re in the right place.

It’s also an excellent fit for coaches, chaplains, and healing arts practitioners who want clear frameworks and practices they can use within their scope. You’ll gain tools you can apply immediately — and principles that will continue to serve your clients for years.

This training is especially suited for:

• Couples therapists and relationship counselors
• Grief, trauma, and bereavement specialists
• Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, LPCs, and counselors-in-training
• Coaches, chaplains, and peer-support facilitators
• Yoga, somatic, and mind-body practitioners
• Clinic directors and group practice leaders
• Professionals seeking CE-ready training options
• Anyone supporting clients after affairs, loss, or traumatic events

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About John & Julie Gottman and David Kessler (with Paul Denniston)

John Gottman, PhD, is a renowned psychologist and researcher whose decades of laboratory and clinical work have reshaped couples therapy. He’s authored over 200 articles and more than 40 books, including The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, and is widely known for his findings on marital stability and the early predictors of divorce.

Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and co-creator of Gottman Method Couples Therapy. An internationally respected expert on relationships, trauma recovery, and parenting, she brings a compassionate, deeply practical lens to healing after infidelity and building trust that lasts.

David Kessler, MA, RN, FACHE, is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief, founder of Grief.com, and author of seven books, including Finding Meaning. He’s coauthored with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and Louise Hay and trains professionals worldwide in evidence-informed grief care.

Paul Denniston, RYT 500, is the founder of Grief Yoga® and author of the bestseller Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment. He teaches movement-based practices that help release grief from the body and certifies professionals to incorporate these methods safely and effectively.

Together, these teachers offer a rare blend of rigorous research, clinical wisdom, and embodied practice — equipping you to meet clients with skill, presence, and hope.

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FAQ

Is this really free?

Yes. Registration for the live training is free and includes 14-day replay access.

When and where does the event take place?

It’s a live online training broadcast in Pacific Time. Attend from anywhere with an internet connection.

Will replays be available?

Yes. Replays are available for 14 days after the event ends so you can review and integrate at your own pace.

How do I get CE credit for attending live?

Register free, then choose the optional Live CE upgrade during or after signup. You must attend live sessions in full to earn live CE hours.

Can I get self-study CE credit?

An optional self-study CE upgrade is available. Follow the instructions provided after registration to access requirements and quizzes.

How do upgrades work?

After you register free, you’ll see options to upgrade for CE credit and extended recording access. Upgrades are entirely optional.

Will there be live interaction?

During David Kessler and Paul Denniston’s workshop, you’ll be able to submit questions. Due to audience size, Drs. John and Julie Gottman will not be taking questions.

What is the schedule?

The keynote with the Gottmans is followed by a short break, then the workshop with David Kessler and Paul Denniston. Exact times are provided on the registration page.

Are slides or handouts included?

Yes. Downloadable handouts, slides, and worksheets are included so you can apply what you learn immediately.

What are the tech requirements?

You’ll need a reliable internet connection and a device that can stream video with audio. A modern browser is recommended.

Who is hosting the event?

This event is presented by PESI and Therapist.com, a global leader in transformational online programs for therapy professionals.

Who should attend?

Mental health professionals, coaches, and healing practitioners who support clients navigating betrayal, grief, and trauma.

Is this medical or mental health advice?

No. The training is educational and not a substitute for medical, psychological, or legal advice. Always practice within your scope.

Will the Gottmans take questions?

No. Due to audience size, the Gottmans’ keynote will not include live Q&A.

What if my client’s grief is traumatic?

You’ll learn how to identify traumatic grief and apply postvention strategies and body-based practices that help clients safely process.

Will you cover the aftermath of an affair?

Yes. The Gottmans present a research-backed protocol for stabilizing, repairing, and rebuilding trust after infidelity.

Do I need yoga experience for the somatic work?

No. Grief Yoga® practices are accessible, gentle, and adaptable — suitable for beginners and clinicians alike.

Will I receive a certificate of completion?

Registrants receive instructions after the event to download a certificate of completion. CE certificates require the respective upgrade and completion of requirements.

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