The science behind Pragma
Pragma's coaches are built on six approaches used in couples work. You never need to know the names, but here is what is under the hood.
Drawing on a method is not delivering therapy. Pragma is a coach. It does not diagnose or treat.
01
Where it comes fromDrs. John and Julie Gottman, from decades of observing real couples.
What it teaches
Raise an issue gently, with a soft startup. Spot the Four Horsemen: criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. Keep a detailed map of each other's inner world.
Where you meet it in Pragma
Many exercises in The Practice follow the Gottman approach, like the six-second kiss.
02
Where it comes fromDr. Sue Johnson, building on attachment research.
What it teaches
EFT draws on attachment theory. It helps partners see the negative pattern between them, then reach for each other underneath it.
Where you meet it in Pragma
Juno, the Connection Coach, leans on EFT. You feel heard first, and solve second.
Source ICEEFT, what is EFT
03
Where it comes fromAaron Beck and others, from the 1960s onward.
What it teaches
Separate the event from the story you tell about it. "He didn't text back" is an event. "He doesn't care" is an interpretation.
Where you meet it in Pragma
Aria, the Clarity Coach, uses CBT moves to help you answer what actually happened.
04
Where it comes fromMarshall Rosenberg, who founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication.
What it teaches
Give conflict a grammar without blame: what you saw, what you feel, what you need, and one clear request.
Where you meet it in Pragma
Sessions look for the need under the argument. Your Journal keeps what surfaced.
05
Where it comes fromJohn Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, later applied to adult couples.
What it teaches
Why some of us pursue when scared and others withdraw. Knowing the pattern explains much of the conflict that keeps coming back.
Where you meet it in Pragma
The Blueprint names your pattern as a couple, so you can work on it instead of each other.
Source APA Dictionary of Psychology
06
Where it comes fromMartin Seligman and colleagues, from the late 1990s.
What it teaches
Relationships are not only repaired. They are nourished, with gratitude and by noticing the good out loud.
Where you meet it in Pragma
A short daily ritual and a shared streak keep the good moments in view.
Source Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania
Three coaches
Every coach draws on all six methods, weighted to their style. Switch coaches whenever you like.
Juno · Connection Coach
Warmth first, from emotionally focused therapy.
Aria · Clarity Coach
Structure and clear thinking, from CBT.
Kai · Momentum Coach
Small next steps, from CBT and positive psychology.
The honest line
Pragma applies tools these methods developed, so you can practice better habits. For abuse, trauma or a crisis, see a licensed professional first.
Questions
No. The coach puts them into plain questions and small exercises. You will never be quizzed on a name.
It depends on the coach and the moment. Exercises in The Practice often follow the Gottman approach. Conversations lean on EFT, CBT and NVC.
No. Pragma draws on published concepts. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by any of these organizations.
Trademarks and attribution
The methods named here, from the Gottman Method to Nonviolent Communication, belong to their creators. Pragma draws on their published concepts as a coaching aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed, certified or sponsored by any of them. All trademarks belong to their owners.
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