A GALENTINE'S WORKSHOP FOR SINGLE BLACK WOMEN · LIVE ONLINE · FEBRUARY 2027
Get ready for the love you're asking for.
Lessons in Love for Singles is The Gottman Institute’s research-based workshop on building a healthy relationship. Dr. Spesh teaches it with special attention to Black women, who so often end up invisible or villainized in conversations about love and dating. Here, your experience is centered, and the focus is on reflecting on your past relationships and building practical skills for healthy, lasting love.
DATE
Saturday & Sunday · February 6-7, 2027
WHERE
Live on Zoom · Join from anywhere
TIME
11:00 am - 5 pm ET both days
ALL-INCLUSIVE
$299 Early bird through Dec 31, 2026
$375 Beginning Jan 1, 2027
2 seats
$550 Bring-your-girl bundle through Dec 31, 2026
$650 Beginning Jan 1, 2027
Why this room, Sis?
You've read the threads and saved the posts. You can probably name every red flag on sight. What most of us never got was a place to practice the skills that make love last once we find it.
That's what this weekend is for. You'll learn proven principles, backed by decades of research, that make relationships work, and you'll practice them with women who understand the world you're dating in.
We'll also talk honestly about the pressure to be strong all the time, and what happens when that armor blocks you from the love you want and deserve.
THE WORKSHOP
What you'll learn
Lessons in Love for Singles adapts the principles from Dr. John Gottman's bestseller The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work for people who are single and want a healthy partnership.
Communicate so you're heard
Practical ways to say what you need and to listen in a way that builds closeness.
Handle conflict well
How disagreements can strengthen a relationship when you know what to watch for.
Date with intention
Tools for approaching dating and early relationship-building with a clearer head.
Know a strong foundation
What a healthy lifelong partnership is built on, so you can spot it early.
The weekend mixes teaching with small-group and large-group exercises, plus time for personal reflection. Joining the exercises is encouraged and always optional.
ADDED BY DR. SPESH
Sis Sessions
Dr. Spesh integrates her signature Sis Sessions into the workshop. Drawing from her clinical work and writing, she creates space for you to explore and reflect on how love and dating are influenced by your unique cultural experiences as a Black woman.
How you learned to love
A look at attachment and what your early experiences taught you to expect from relationships.
Strong Black Womanhood
How the strength that has helped you survive can shape whom you let in and how much you let them carry.
Sister circle
Guided conversation with the women in the room about dating as a Black woman right now.
Who it's for
Single Black women who want a happy, healthy partnership and are ready to put in some work before it arrives. This is an inclusive, affirming space focused on how we love, regardless of whom we love.
Taking a break from dating? Come anyway. Much of what you'll learn carries over to friendships, family, and work relationships.
GALENTINE'S, UPGRADED
Bring your girl. You'll both leave with something to work on.
Two seats for $550 through Dec 31 ($650 starting Jan 1) when you register together.
YOUR FACILITATOR
Meet Dr. Spesh
Speshál “Dr. Spesh” Walker Gautier, Ph.D., is a Yale-trained licensed clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, and certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist. She is the founder and director of D.I.V.E. Therapy & Consulting, LLC, a culturally responsive group practice based in Atlanta, GA, focused on trauma and relational healing. Grounded in attachment science, much of Dr. Spesh’s clinical work centers on helping Black couples create emotional safety and deep, lasting connection, and helping Black women move beyond unhelpful relational patterns in love, friendship, and work.
Dr. Spesh has spent her career locating and addressing gaps in psychological literature and treatment where the experiences of Black women and other culturally diverse populations have been overlooked. Various media outlets have featured her expertise, including VH1, Prime Video, and DatingNews.com. Through her Sis blog and her workshops as a Gottman Lessons in Love Leader, she helps single Black women build and experience healthy love.
Questions
Can I join if I'm not in Atlanta?
Yes! Workshops are offered both live online and in person, and the format for each date is listed at the top of this page. Virtual workshops are open to women anywhere. For those, you'll need a computer or tablet with a camera and a private spot where you can talk freely during the small-group exercises.
Is this group therapy?
No. Lessons in Love is a psychoeducational workshop. Dr. Spesh will answer questions and guide the exercises, and therapy happens in a separate setting. If something comes up that you'd like support with, she can share referral options.
Do I have to share personal things?
Only what you choose to. The group exercises are recommended, and you can always sit one out.
What's included?
One flat fee covers it all. Your seat includes your Lessons in Love singles guide and the Sis Sessions workbook. Virtual attendees will receive digital copies. In-person workshops include printed guides.
Are there discounts or promotional offers?
Yes. Each workshop offers early-bird pricing and a bring-your-girl rate when you register with a friend. Special promotions pop up throughout the year too, so join the interest list to hear about them first. Current pricing for each workshop is listed at the top of this page.
What's the refund policy?
Cancel at least 14 days before the workshop for a full refund, minus a $25 processing fee. Within 14 days of the workshop, refunds aren't available, but you are welcome to transfer your seat to a friend or move it to a future workshop. No refunds once the workshop begins. If we ever need to cancel or reschedule, you'll receive a full refund or a seat at the new date, your choice.