Why Strong Relationships Matter More Than Ever in a Climate-Altered Australia

By Certified Gottman Therapist Campbell Townsend

Last week, my family, our friends, and our wider community in Central Victoria found ourselves directly in the path of a major bushfire. Evacuation plans were activated, uncertainty hung heavily in the air, and for a time the outcome felt genuinely uncertain.

A last-minute change in wind direction spared us from immediate danger, but around fifty homes and local businesses just up the road were not so fortunate.

In the middle of that threat, what stood out most to me was not only the importance of practical preparation, but how profoundly a strong intimate relationship shaped our ability to stay calm, think clearly, and act together.

For clinicians interested in studying or practising Gottman Method therapy, Australia’s increasing exposure to fires, floods, and prolonged climate-related stressors offers a compelling clinical rationale. Decades of research led by Julie and John Gottman demonstrate that relationship quality is closely linked to emotional regulation, physiological stability, and recovery following stress. Laboratory research shows that couples in stronger relationships experience lower physiological reactivity during conflict and recover more quickly from emotional arousal — a capacity that becomes critical under disaster conditions.

From a Gottman perspective, the mechanisms are well understood. Strong friendship systems, effective repair attempts, and high levels of trust reduce the likelihood of chronic flooding when stress escalates. Longitudinal research has shown that destructive interaction patterns predict relationship breakdown with high accuracy, while the ability to make and receive repairs significantly increases relationship resilience over time.

Standing in the uncertainty of that fire, I felt deeply grateful for the relationship skills the Gottman Method has taught me. For clinicians, investing in Gottman Method training, supervision, and further study is not simply professional development; it is a clinically strategic way of helping clients build the relational resilience they will increasingly need in a climate-altered Australia.

Campbell Townsend - Clinical Psychologist

Certified Gottman Therapist and Level 1 Trainer