A 3-hour public workshop · No prior experience needed
Understanding what underlies our arguments
Where Did It Go Wrong? is a practical, research-grounded, experiential workshop on what really happens in an argument — in your body, in your words — and how to find your way back. For anyone who wants better relationships. Come alone, or with a friend, partner or family member.
01 — INSIDE The body in conflict
What happens to your heart rate, breathing, and nervous system the moment an argument starts — before you've even said a single word.
02 — OUTSIDE The breakdown
The behaviors — blame, judgment, defensiveness — that turn a disagreement into a rupture, and why some are far more corrosive than others.
03 — REPAIR The way back
The specific, research-backed moves, verbal and physiological, that de-escalate conflict and rebuild connection afterward.
What to expect
Three hours, built around the three parts above. We move from the internal (the physiology of conflict) to the external (the behaviors that escalate it) to repair (what actually brings people back together), combining short teaching segments, guided reflection, and live practices in small, confidential groups. You'll leave with tools that apply to any relationship.
What you'll walk away with
● Recognize your own body's early warning signs before a disagreement tips into a blowup.
● Name the specific behaviors that turn a disagreement into a breakdown, so you can catch them in real time.
● Practice concrete, evidence-based repair techniques you can use the same day — not just theory.
● Leave with a personal, written de-escalation and repair plan to take home.
Grounded in the research
Your heart rate can cross roughly 100 bpm within seconds of an argument starting, and once it does, the brain's capacity to reason and truly listen drops sharply. Researchers call this “flooding.” — J. Gottman, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
Of the four most damaging conflict behaviors identified in decades of couples research, contempt — eye-rolling, sarcasm, mockery — is the single strongest predictor of a relationship breaking down. — Gottman & Levenson (1992), Journal of Family Psychology
Stress hormones take roughly 20 minutes to clear the bloodstream, which is why a real, intentional pause (not a slammed door) is a legitimate repair tool, not avoidance. — Gottman Institute, physiological self-soothing research
Facilitators
Psychotherapist Laurence Moriette and Clinical Psychologist Dr Sarah Sease
For Registration contact BioPsychoSocial Clinic
☎ 04 577 1289
💬 058 823 9417