Tune Up, Repair, Rekindle Your Relationship

A Hold Me Tight® couples experience  is designed to deepen your engagement and connection with each other. You’ll learn from lectures, video examples of other couples & YouTube clips. Private conversations with your partner will help you to gently and safely explore your unique destructive relationship patterns and you’ll practice new communication patterns that build trust, love, and intimacy.

This retreat is based on the science of love (yes love and science go hand in hand) and Emotionally Focused Therapy.  You’ll learn alongside other couples, without sharing the specifics of your relationship with the other couples and no requirement to participate in group sharing!

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Who Attends Hold Me Tight® Retreats?

This retreat is for you if:

  • You want to take a deep dive into the workings of your relationship.

  • You want to spend quality & focused time with your partner.

  • You find yourself in the same disagreement over and over again.

  • You feel like you spend more time in conflict than in good times.

  • You are worried your relationship is slipping away.

  • You want to have a stronger relationship.

Most couples are committed and looking to deepen, rekindle or heal their relationship. Some are at the beginning of their relationship, some ten years in, some many more years in.

A few couples come uncertain about the future of their relationship. Some come wondering if their relationship could benefit from the deeper work of couple’s therapy.

Same sex couples come, dating couples come, couples in their second or third relationship come, married or un-married couples come, therapists wondering about couples counselling come… get the picture?

Hold Me Tight® retreats help couples with virtually every concern, and whatever place they are at in their relationship. Amazing, and certainly not what Irene expected when she started doing these retreats, but that’s what she (and her colleagues across the world) have found!

And yes, the group nature of Hold Me Tight®couples retreats is anxiety provoking. Rest assured, there is a lot of private couple time at a Hold Me Tight® retreat and you will not be required to be an active participant in the larger group times. You can learn more about the structure of a Hold Me Tight® on the retreats FAQ’s page.

Don’t take our word  for it. Here’s what others have said about their experience at a Couples In Step Hold Me Tight® retreat.

Upcoming Retreats

Hold Me Tight® In-person

May 13-15, 2022 Toronto

Friday 2-6pm, Saturday 9:30am-4:00pm, Sunday 1-5pm

Lasting Connection™ Online

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2022

5 Thursdays, 7-9pm

Hold Me Tight® Online

Fall 2022, exact dates to be determined

Fridays 6-9:30pm, Saturdays 10:00am-1:30pm

Touch & Physical Intimacy In-person

Fall 2022, exact dates to be determined Caledon, ON

Friday 4-7pm, Saturday 9am-3pm, Sunday 10am-3pm

Hold Me Tight® In-person

Fall 2022, exact dates to be determined Toronto

Friday 2-6pm, Saturday 9:30am-4:00pm, Sunday 1-5pm

Lasting Connection™ Online

Fall 2022 or Spring 2023, exact dates to be determined

5 Thursdays, 7-9pm

Details for Online Hold Me Tight®

  • Takes place over 2 weekends, Fridays 6–9:30pm and Saturdays 10am-1:30pm

  • You’ll each need to be in the same location

  • You’ll each receive a zoom invite to your email prior to the scheduled start time. Please sign into zoom on one device (laptop works best!)

  • Further information related to technical requirements

Details for In-Person Hold Me Tight®

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  • Friday 2–6pm, Saturday 9:30am–4pm, Sunday 1–5pm

  • Saturday lunch: onsite. Bring your own or delivered via Uber Eats at your expense. Lunch will be 30 minutes so no time to leave venue to pick up food.

  • Location: Lawrence Park Community Church, 2180 Bayview, Toronto (just south of Lawrence, across from Sunnybrook Hospital). Though this is a church there is not a religious focus at this retreat.

  • Covid considerations:  Public health, provincial directives/guidelines, and venue requirements in place at the time of event will guide proof of vaccination requirements, use of masks and other covid safety protocols. The venue for this retreat is large. Physical distancing is easily accommodated.

What a Hold Me Tight® Retreat Meant to this  Couple

Here’s what others have said about their experience at a Couples In Step retreat.