In this powerful and vulnerable episode, Robert and Sharla demonstrate how to process a regrettable incident—a big fight or emotional injury that still holds an emotional charge.
Over the past three episodes, they’ve explored the ideal steps to repair conflict in the moment - which is ideally the goal.
But what happens when repair doesn’t happen early or often? How do couples handle the aftermath of a major fight?
Using the Gottman Institute’s Regrettable Incident Formula, Robert and Sharla work through a recent unresolved conflict live on the podcast.
This unscripted conversation offers a real-life example of how to move past defensiveness, build understanding, and create a stronger connection.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The 6-Step Process for processing a regrettable incident:
1. Agreements: Setting ground rules to create safety and openness.
2. Feelings: Sharing emotions experienced during the conflict without defensiveness.
3. Realities: Taking turns describing perspectives and validating each other’s experiences.
4. Triggers: Identifying personal triggers and past experiences that may have intensified the conflict.
5. Responsibility: Acknowledging each partner’s role in what happened.
6. Constructive Plans: Collaborating on practical ways to handle future conflicts more effectively.
- Why processing past incidents is about achieving understanding, not rehashing or assigning blame.
- The importance of waiting until both partners are calm and emotionally ready to process.
- How the cycle of harmony, disharmony, and repair builds trust, compassion, and deeper love in relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Processing a regrettable incident requires emotional distance and a willingness to engage constructively.
- The goal is mutual understanding, not reliving the argument or trying to “win.”
- Taking responsibility and creating actionable solutions is essential for true repair.
- The most important relational skills—trust, empathy, and love—are built during repair, not during harmony.