Hold Me Tight®

Couples Workshop

Strengthen Your Relationship In Two Days

Many relationships begin with ease, excitement, and connection. Over time, however, even the strongest couples can find themselves struggling to communicate or feeling the spark fade. Daily stressors, careers, raising children, and the general busyness of life can create distance between partners, leaving couples disconnected, lonely, or stuck in patterns of conflict. For some, this may show up as recurring arguments over the same issues, while others may notice a quiet drifting apart—where conversations feel surface-level, physical intimacy fades, or emotional closeness feels out of reach.

If any of this resonates, you are not alone. These patterns are common and often rooted in deeper emotional needs and attachment dynamics. The good news is that with the right tools and guidance, couples can find their way back to connection, closeness, and renewed passion.

We are proud to offer the Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshop (HMT)—a dynamic program designed for couples who want to strengthen their relationship, reconnect emotionally, and build a secure, lasting bond. This workshop is based on the research-backed model of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, and incorporates the key concepts from her groundbreaking book Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love.

Throughout the workshop, couples will engage in a mix of education, guided exercises, and private conversations designed to create new patterns of emotional connection. Participants will learn to identify negative cycles that keep them stuck, better understand the emotions and needs driving these patterns, and practice new ways of reaching for each other that foster safety, intimacy, and trust. Rather than focusing on problem-solving or communication tips alone, this workshop helps couples go deeper—creating lasting change at the emotional level where true connection happens.

Whether you are looking to strengthen an already strong relationship, repair after periods of conflict or disconnection, or simply learn new tools to support your relationship through life’s challenges, Hold Me Tight® offers a supportive and transformative experience. Couples will leave with a deeper understanding of themselves and their partner, along with practical tools they can continue to use long after the workshop ends.

Hold Me Tight® is a registered trademark to Sue Johnson.

Upcoming Workshops

  • Hold Me Tight®

    May 3rd and 4th, 2025

    9:00am to 5:00pm, Saturday & Sunday

    $495 per couple

    Encinitas, Callifornia

  • Hold Me Tight®

    July 19th and 20th, 2025

    9:00am to 5:00pm, Saturday & Sunday

    $495 per couple

    Encinitas, California

Register Now

What You Will Learn

  • You will learn the art and science of attachment theory and emotional intelligence.

  • You will discover how to actively shape your relationship.

  • You will be able to identify the dance that drives fights and disconnection and learn how to shift it.

  • You will practice giving and receiving forgiveness.

  • You will connect emotionally and physically.

  • You will develop more effective ways of communicating.

  • You will practice asking for what you need and want in a way your partner can respond to.

  • You will explore bonding through presence to bring more fulfillment to your sexual and physical connection.

Principles Of The Workshop

  1. Most couples fall into interactional patterns shaped by nervous system responses, emotions, perceptions, and attachment needs. We call this The Negative Cycle. When couples recognize their negative cycle with compassion and understanding, they can work together to shift it and create a new pattern—one that fosters communication, connection, and intimacy. By approaching their relationship as a team, couples can actively shape a deeper, more fulfilling bond.

  2. When we recognize that all humans seek safety, security, love, and connection—and that we instinctively protect ourselves when faced with loss or rejection—it becomes easier to understand and interpret a partner’s behaviors. With this awareness, couples can take intentional steps toward emotional balance and closeness rather than falling into patterns of distance and discord.

  3. Couples who develop emotional intelligence and the ability to reach for and respond to one another can navigate challenges and communicate more effectively. When partners learn to truly see, hear, and support each other, they build the foundation for the kind of relationship they genuinely desire.

Workshop Curriculum

  • The Hold me Tight program is based on the science of attachment, bonding and emotional intelligence. When partners are able to be accessible, responsive and engaged with each other this leads to improved communication, connection and intimacy. We begin our program by helping couples understand that love is logical, critical to our survival and thriving, and can be repaired, shaped and strengthened.

  • We help couples discover where they get stuck and uncover the pattern of interaction that keeps them from enjoying the love, intimacy, and connection they desire. With high amounts of compassion and acceptance we support couples to see where things go wrong in order to help them do things differently.

  • In order to strengthen the way you and your partner communicate and connect, we need to go deeper. In this portion of the workshop you and your partner will explore the triggers, emotions, perceptions and longings that drive your negative interactions. You and your partner will share honestly and vulnerably which will bring you closer and move you toward working as a team to create the kind of relationship you desire.

  • Here, you and your partner will learn how to slow down your responses and rise above the pattern. You will explore how to stop the pattern when it comes up and work together to create new ways of interaction that is built on emotional safety and security.

  • You and your partner will experience times that you get off track. You may have experiences from your past that still cause you to hurt today. In this portion of the workshop you and your partner will be guided through the process of repair, forgiveness and healing.

  • The Hold me Tight conversation promotes bonding. You and your partner will share about what you need and want in a way that you can hear and respond to.

  • Sex is an important aspect of most love relationships. In this portion of the workshop you and your partner will have a conversation about sex. You will discuss what you want to explore, what you like, what you do not like, and what you both need to create a deeply fulfilling sexual connection.

  • We complete our workshop by helping you and your partner create a plan to keep your love alive for the long haul. You can expect to experience a deep sense of connection, intimacy and closeness.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We understand the need for confidentiality. Although all couples are invited to engage in discussion with the group, most conversations occur privately between partners. Couples who do not want to talk about their relationship with the group are not expected to do so, and we absolutely respect this. We want all couples to feel confident that what they share during the workshop will be kept confidential. This is important to us and we discuss this at the start of the workshop.

  • Yes! It is fantastic that you have a solid foundation. The concepts in this workshop will guide you to deepen your bond even more and can renew sexual excitement and spark and we offer a module that is devoted to this topic.

  • The Hold Me Tight workshop provides the time and space for all couples to renew and restore their relationship.

  • Yes! This program is designed for all couples with a desire to strengthen their relationship. We welcome couples in new relationships, those who have been married for decades or longer, and everything in between. Couples that are in newer relationships remind the group of the joy that comes with early love. Couples that have been together for decades or longer share stories of commitment and resilience.

  • Hold Me Tight is relationship education that is based on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. The Hold Me Tight Workshop is not marriage and family therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, or mental health counseling. This program is not suitable for couples experiencing active and untreated abuse, addiction, affairs, or severe mental illness. If you or your partner are experiencing these challenges we want to help you get the support you need. Contact our Care Coordinator for support.

  • Yes! We welcome all couples that are committed to their relationship in the way that they define.

  • No. We are not associated with any particular religion. We respect each individual's religion and spiritual practice. We teach tools, such as breathwork and visualization, to support participants with managing stress and being more responsive in relationships. We may incorporate yoga or mindfulness as they can provide a path toward emotional regulation, co-regulation and connection with self and others.

  • The Hold me Tight Couples Workshop was developed by Dr. Sue Johnson and is based on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and her book, "Hold me Tight, Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love". Hold Me Tight® is a registered trademark to Sue Johnson. Emotionally Focused Therapy is based on research and has been empirically validated to improve relationship satisfaction in 70 to 90 percent of couples. The workshop is an experience that consists of relationship and attachment science education, exercises, group discussion, and conversations that take place between couples. The program is facilitated and couples are given time to work together at their own pace. The focus is on supporting couples to develop connection, intimacy, and communication. To learn more about Hold Me Tight and Emotionally Focused Therapy visit www.iceeft.org

  • In this program we cover:

    How to communicate more effectively.

    What drives distress in relationships and how to change this.

    How to build on your strengths and renew connection and bonding.

    How to stop painful patterns of fighting or lonely withdrawal.

    How to forgive and repair past difficulties in the relationship.

    How to enhance intimacy through presence and touch.

  • No! Hold me Tight is considered relationship education and is based on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.

  • Yes.

    Cristina Trette offers private therapy, intensives, and Hold Me Tight.

    In addition we have several couples therapists at Integrative Couples Therapist that are trained in the Emotionally Focused Therapy, which is the model that Hold me Tight is based on. They are available to see you on a weekly basis at our office in Encinitas, CA or via video if you are located elsewhere in California. If you do not live in California we recommend you utilize the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy directory by clicking here.

Meet Your Facilitators

  • Cristina Trette, LMFT, brings over a decade of expertise in helping others strengthen communication, connection, and intimacy. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Integrative Couples Therapy, Cristina specializes in guiding couples toward deeper understanding and lasting emotional bonds. Her workshops provide a warm, supportive environment where couples learn effective tools to transform patterns, improve communication, and foster trust. Through her guidance, couples gain insights and skills that bring renewed closeness and resilience to their relationships. Read more about Cristina here.


  • JJeff Everage is a dynamic facilitator who brings a real-life, grounded approach to strengthening relationships. As a former Navy SEAL and CEO of Trident Proposal Management, Jeff has spent years helping individuals and teams navigate challenges, build trust, and communicate effectively under pressure. He now applies that same expertise to helping couples create secure, lasting bonds through the transformative Hold Me Tight® workshops. Learn more about Jeff on LinkedIn.

Who Should Attend

The Hold me Tight® Couples Workshop is designed for all couples in committed relationships. It is particularly helpful for couples wanting to create better communication and stronger intimacy. Couples in newer relationships will set their relationship up for success. Seasoned couples will have the opportunity to develop new tools, renew their bond, and bring healing to distressed aspects of their relationship.

This workshop is not intended for couples that are experiencing active infidelity, addiction, abuse, high conflict, or taking steps toward divorce. If you are in this situation we recommend that you begin therapy. You can contact our office for more information on our therapy services.