Tools for the Journey
Relationship Repair Resources
Curated worksheets, evidence-based reading, and podcast recommendations from Dr. Karen Muhammad — designed to support your relationship repair work between sessions and beyond.
Gottman-Based Worksheets
Free Downloadable Tools
These evidence-based exercises are drawn from Gottman Method research and Dr. Karen's clinical practice. Use them independently or alongside therapy.
The Four Horsemen Self-Check
Identify criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling patterns in your relationship — and discover their antidotes.
Love Maps Conversation Cards
Deepen your knowledge of your partner's inner world — their hopes, stresses, joys, and dreams — with guided questions.
Bids for Connection Tracker
Learn to recognize and respond to your partner's emotional bids — the small moments that build or erode trust over time.
Aftermath of a Fight Worksheet
A structured process for processing conflict after an argument — reducing flooding, understanding triggers, and repairing connection.
Dreams Within Conflict Exercise
Uncover the deeper hopes, values, and life dreams that fuel recurring arguments — and find a path to mutual understanding.
Relationship Vision Statement
Co-create a shared vision for your relationship — your values, rituals, and the future you want to build together.
Worksheets link to Gottman Institute resources. Dr. Karen recommends these as supplements to — not replacements for — professional therapy.
Recommended Reading
Books Dr. Karen Recommends
A curated reading list spanning Gottman research, family systems theory, trauma-informed care, and personal growth — for clients, couples, and curious minds.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
John M. Gottman & Nan Silver
Gottman MethodThe foundational Gottman text — grounded in decades of research on what makes relationships succeed or fail. Essential reading for any couple.
Find on AmazonHold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
Dr. Sue Johnson
Emotionally Focused TherapyThe definitive guide to Emotionally Focused Therapy — helping couples understand attachment needs and break negative cycles.
Find on AmazonNo More Fighting: The Relationship Book for Couples
Alicia Muñoz
CommunicationTwenty practical exercises to help couples stop arguing and start connecting — accessible, warm, and evidence-informed.
Find on AmazonThe Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk
Trauma & HealingA landmark work on how trauma reshapes the body and brain — and the paths to recovery. Foundational for trauma-informed relationship work.
Find on AmazonAttached: The New Science of Adult Attachment
Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
Attachment TheoryUnderstand your attachment style — anxious, avoidant, or secure — and how it shapes every relationship in your life.
Find on AmazonWired for Love
Stan Tatkin
Neuroscience & RelationshipsA neuroscience-based guide to understanding your partner's nervous system — and building a secure, lasting bond.
Find on AmazonPodcast Picks
Shows Worth Your Ears
Podcasts Dr. Karen recommends for deepening your understanding of relationships, mental health, and personal growth.
Relationship Repair Podcast
Dr. Karen Muhammad
RelationshipsEvidence-based conversations on couples, family systems, and relationship healing — hosted by Dr. Karen herself.
Listen NowWhere Should We Begin?
Esther Perel
Couples TherapyReal couples therapy sessions with world-renowned therapist Esther Perel — raw, honest, and deeply illuminating.
Listen NowThe Gottman Relationship Coach
Drs. John & Julie Gottman
Gottman MethodPractical guidance from the founders of the Gottman Method — covering communication, conflict, and connection.
Listen NowTherapist Uncensored
Dr. Ann Kelley & Sue Marriott
Attachment & NeuroscienceNeuroscience and attachment theory made accessible — helping listeners understand the science behind human connection.
Listen NowNot Sure Where to Start?
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