Integrated Couples Therapy: PORT 1 Foundations

Understand the patterns. Integrate the models. Find your authentic voice in couples therapy.

20 Hours | Self-Paced Online Training | Lifetime Access | Assessment & Certificate Included

Couples therapy can be some of the most rewarding work we do as therapists. It can also be some of the most challenging.

Two people arrive with different histories, attachment needs, emotional reactions and expectations. Conflict can escalate quickly, and even experienced therapists can find themselves wondering which intervention, model or direction to follow.

What if you had one coherent framework that brought the leading approaches to couples therapy together?

Presence-Oriented Relationship Therapy (PORT) was developed to help therapists navigate the complexity of couples work with greater clarity, confidence and authenticity.

PORT 1 gives you the foundational knowledge and practical conceptual tools to begin working within this integrated approach, entirely at your own pace.

One Framework. The Wisdom of Many Models.

You don't have to become five different kinds of couples therapist to benefit from five different therapeutic approaches.

PORT integrates key insights from Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Imago Relationship Therapy, PACT and the Developmental Model, alongside principles from relational neuroscience, attachment theory and other experiential and therapeutic approaches.

Developed over eight years by the Relate NZ clinical team through therapist training, clinical practice and internship supervision, PORT brings these perspectives together into one accessible framework.

Rather than asking you to master a collection of disconnected techniques, PORT helps you understand how different approaches fit together and how to draw on them while maintaining your own authentic therapeutic presence.

The goal isn't to make you practise like someone else. It's to help you become more grounded, responsive and effective in your own way of working with couples.

What You'll Learn in PORT 1

PORT 1 introduces three foundational models that form the conceptual heart of Presence-Oriented Relationship Therapy.

1. The Relational Brain Model

Understand what's happening beneath the surface when couples become emotionally reactive, defensive or disconnected.

Explore the Baby, Child, Adult and Observer Brain states as accessible ways of understanding emotional regulation, attachment needs and relational behaviour.

Learn to recognise these states and consider interventions that help couples move toward greater emotional safety and connection.

2. The Presence Bridge Model

Discover how empathy, validation and mindful presence can help partners bridge their different emotional worlds.

Explore practical approaches to listening, mirroring, managing defensiveness and helping couples feel understood, even when their experiences of the relationship are very different.

3. The Five-Step Therapy Progress Model

Learn a structured framework for understanding therapeutic progress:

Alliance → Truth → Justice → Mercy → Peace

Explore how these five stages can help organise your therapeutic thinking, identify where couples may be stuck and guide the movement from conflict toward repair and connection.

Together, these three models provide a map for understanding couples, planning your work and making more intentional therapeutic decisions.

Who Is PORT 1 For?

PORT 1 is designed for:

• Counsellors and therapists new to couples work who want a coherent foundation before taking on the complexity of working with two partners.

• Experienced couples therapists who have studied different approaches but want a clearer way to integrate what they already know.

• Individual therapists expanding into relationship therapy who want to develop their understanding of attachment, interactional patterns and relational dynamics.

• Clinicians seeking a flexible approach that combines therapeutic structure with empathy, presence and their own authentic clinical style.

You don't need previous training in all five approaches. PORT helps you understand the essential concepts and how they connect.

The PORT 1 Curriculum

Your self-paced training includes an introduction and eight comprehensive learning modules.

Module	What You'll Explore
1. The History of Couples Therapy	The evolution of major approaches, their contributions and how PORT integrates them
2. Pursuer/Avoider Dynamics	Attachment patterns, cycles of conflict, emotional pursuit and withdrawal
3. The Presence Bridge Model	Mindful presence, empathy, validation, mirroring and relational connection
4. The Relational Brain Model	Neuroscience, emotional regulation, brain states and therapeutic interventions
5. The Five-Step Therapy Progress Model	Alliance, Truth, Justice, Mercy and Peace as a framework for relational repair
6. Couples Assessment	Understanding relationship challenges, attachment dynamics and presenting concerns
7. Case Formulation	Identifying relational strengths, obstacles, patterns and possibilities for change
8. Foundations of Betrayal Recovery	Betrayal trauma, rebuilding safety, trust, identity and relational repair

Throughout the training, you'll encounter clinical demonstrations, applied examples, therapeutic frameworks and downloadable resources that help translate complex ideas into accessible clinical concepts.

Learn at Your Own Pace, Revisit Whenever You Need

PORT 1 is delivered entirely online, giving you the freedom to study around your clinical practice and personal commitments.

Your enrolment includes:

• Approximately 20 hours of self-paced learning.

• Video lessons exploring theory, interventions and clinical applications.

• Case demonstrations and practical examples.

• Downloadable infographics, worksheets and formulation tools.

• Reflective exercises to support the integration of new ideas.

• The PORT 1 final assessment and Certificate of Completion.

You can pause, revisit and review the content whenever you need. The intention is not simply to expose you to new theories, but to give you a resource you can continue returning to as your clinical experience develops.

Assessment and Certificate of Completion

To successfully complete PORT 1 and receive your certificate, you must:

1. Complete at least 95% of all required training videos.

2. Achieve a minimum score of 80% on the final assessment.

3. Complete the required course evaluation.

The assessment is designed to consolidate your learning rather than test your ability to memorise information.

You have ongoing access to the course materials, so you can return to the videos, revisit key concepts and review the content as needed. Think of it as an open-book-style learning experience, with the emphasis on understanding and applying the PORT framework.

Once the completion requirements are met, you'll receive a PORT Level 1 Certificate of Completion (20 hours).

Ready to Go Beyond the Theory? Discover the Complete PORT Intensive.

PORT 1 gives you the map. PORT 2 helps you learn to navigate with it.

Understanding couples therapy is one thing. Applying that understanding when two people are emotionally activated, withdrawing, arguing or struggling to reconnect is another.

That's why we encourage therapists who intend to work with couples to consider the Complete PORT 1 & 2 Intensive.

The complete program combines two complementary learning experiences.

PORT 1: 20 Hours of Self-Paced Foundational Learning

Develop your understanding of the PORT framework, relational patterns, therapeutic principles and interventions at your own pace.

PORT 2: 20 Hours of Live, Facilitated Training

Bring the framework to life through eight weeks of interactive online training, applied practice, case consultation, collaborative reflection and facilitator feedback.

In PORT 2, you'll move beyond understanding the models to practising how to use them in the room. You'll develop your ability to respond in real time, remain grounded during difficult interactions and integrate therapeutic techniques into a natural, flexible process.

It's the difference between understanding the principles of couples therapy and developing the confidence to put them into practice.

Explore the Complete PORT 1 & 2 Intensive

Your PORT Training Pathway

PORT is designed as a progressive professional learning journey. See the PORT Certification Pathway.

Level 1: Foundations

Build your theoretical and conceptual understanding through self-paced learning.

Level 2: Applied Practice

Deepen your skills through live, interactive training, case consultation and facilitated practice.

Level 3: Advanced Development

Continue toward advanced PORT certification through further mentoring, supervision and clinical integration, subject to pathway requirements.

Whether you begin with PORT 1 alone or choose the complete Intensive, you are taking the first step toward a more integrated, presence-oriented way of working with couples.

Begin Your PORT Journey

You don't need another disconnected collection of techniques.

You need a way to make sense of what is happening between partners, recognise the underlying emotional patterns and respond with greater confidence and authenticity.

PORT 1 provides the foundation for that journey.

Start learning today, revisit the material for life, and develop a clearer framework for your work with couples.

Planning to continue into live skills training? Consider the Complete PORT 1 & 2 Intensive to secure the best overall value and begin preparing for the next live cohort.