Hold Me Tight®
Reconnect Before Life Gets Busy Again
A Hold Me Tight® Workshop for couples who value connection, growth, and emotional depth
Understand your cycle. Reach for each other with more accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement.
This September couples are invited to join a Hold Me Tight® Workshop, in a cozy early-fall atmosphere perfect for reflective, bonding-focused work, in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Based on Dr. Sue Johnson’s Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, this two-day psychoeducational workshop offers couples a respectful, structured space to slow down, understand the pattern that keeps them stuck, and practise new ways of reaching for each other with care, clarity, and emotional safety.
workshop Details
September 26 and 27, 2026
9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. • Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre
Investment: $850 CAD per couple • Includes lunch and refreshments • Limited to 8 couples
Take the first step toward a more secure connection.
Reserve your spot: www.riseup-coaching.ca/workshop-registration • Questions: info@riseup-coaching.ca or 365-880-3457
Some extended benefits plans may cover psychoeducational workshops facilitated by a Registered Psychotherapist. Please check directly with your provider in advance to confirm eligibility under your plan.
Meet your Facilitator
Reem Abdul Rahim, Registered Psychotherapist
“ My name is Reem Abdul Rahim, Registered Psychotherapist. Working from an emotionally focused therapy orientation, I support couples in learning a novel dance and working together to break the negative cycle of arguments, as they also begin to learn about and share their deepest fears and needs, in a corrective emotional experience.
I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and am a certified practitioner of Humanistic Neurolinguistic Psychology (HNLP). I have a Child Psychology Diploma, in addition to my MA, and am the author of the book: Coach Inspire Empower, Change your Focus Change your Life.
I have been facilitating workshops since 2009, bringing over a decade of experience to my role as a trainer. As a designated Registered Professional Trainer, I am committed to delivering high-quality, engaging, and impactful training sessions.”
Dr. Sue Johnson
About Hold Me Tight®
What You’ll Learn and Experience
The Science Behind Hold Me Tight®
What You’ll Learn and Experience
If you care about your relationship but feel caught in the same painful pattern, this workshop offers a guided way to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and practise conversations that support a more secure bond.
· Understand the negative cycle that keeps you feeling stuck, disconnected, or reactive
· Communicate
If you care about your relationship but feel caught in the same painful pattern, this workshop offers a guided way to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and practise conversations that support a more secure bond.
· Understand the negative cycle that keeps you feeling stuck, disconnected, or reactive
· Communicate needs and emotions in a clearer, softer way
· Respond to your partner with more openness and reassurance
· Repair disconnection and create moments of closeness
· Build a stronger foundation of trust, safety, and emotional intimacy
· Apply EFT-based tools to create more accessibility, responsiveness, engagement, and closeness in your relationship
What to Expect
The Science Behind Hold Me Tight®
What You’ll Learn and Experience
You will be guided through conversations and structured couple exercises to help you recognize your cycle, understand deeper emotional needs, and practise responding in ways that support closeness.
Video examples featuring Dr. Sue Johnson are used for teaching, and couples complete exercises privately. Sharing with the group is always opt
You will be guided through conversations and structured couple exercises to help you recognize your cycle, understand deeper emotional needs, and practise responding in ways that support closeness.
Video examples featuring Dr. Sue Johnson are used for teaching, and couples complete exercises privately. Sharing with the group is always optional.
This is a psychoeducational workshop, not therapy, and it does not guarantee a particular outcome. It offers relationship education, guided practice, and a supportive learning environment, with therapist support available in a respectful and private way.
The Science Behind Hold Me Tight®
The Science Behind Hold Me Tight®
The Science Behind Hold Me Tight®
Hold Me Tight® is based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson that helps couples recognize their negative cycle and build more secure connection through accessibility, responsiveness, and emotional engagement.
Research on EFT shows meaningful improvements in relationship satisfactio
Hold Me Tight® is based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson that helps couples recognize their negative cycle and build more secure connection through accessibility, responsiveness, and emotional engagement.
Research on EFT shows meaningful improvements in relationship satisfaction and emotional connection, with gains often maintained over time; Hold Me Tight® studies also point to improvements in trust, closeness, and communication.
HOLD ME TIGHT® Couples Workshop Agenda
Overview
Welcome to the Hold Me Tight Couples Workshop, a transformative experience designed to foster deeper connection, understanding, and love, within your relationship. Through guided conversations and engaging activities, you'll discover new ways to bond, communicate and celebrate your unique love story.
In this workshop you can expect a series of interactive discussions, reflective exercises, and activities all aimed at strengthening your emotional bond with your partner. You'll explore themes of attachment, understand patterns in your relationship and learn practical tools to foster lasting intimacy and romance.
Day 1: Introduction: A New Light on Love
Day one kicks off with “A New Light on Love”. Through understanding and practicing emotional responsiveness, on day one we will shine a new light on love, exploring a revolutionary perspective on connection. We'll discuss the dilemma of “where did our love go?”, and how losing connection affects relationships.
You'll be introduced to the concept of emotional responsiveness, the key to a lifetime of love. We will delve into the demon dialogues and learn to recognize and break negative patterns.
The Seven Transforming Conversations. Recognizing the Demon Dialogues, Conversation 1
Next, we'll dive into the first of seven transforming conversations, recognizing the demon dialogues. We will identify the negative cycles and patterns that disrupt your connection. By recognizing these dialogues, you'll learn how to interrupt them and shift towards more positive and constructive communication.
Finding the Raw Spots, Conversation 2
Finding the raw spots will delve into sensitive areas that trigger emotional reactions. By identifying these raw spots, you'll better understand your emotional responses and create a path towards deeper intimacy. This segment emphasizes the importance of sharing your raw spots with your partner in an open and honest way. By practicing vulnerability, you'll learn to communicate your feelings effectively and foster deeper empathy and connection.
Revisiting a Rocky Moment, Conversation 3
In conversation 3, revisiting a rocky moment, we focus on the power of repairing past hurts. Inspired by Deborah Blum’s words, “It's fixing mistakes that matters - even just the willingness to try again”, you'll learn to revisit and feel past conflicts transforming them into opportunities for growth and renewed connection.
We will work on deescalating disconnection by recognizing how your actions impact your partner. We will also delve into understanding how fears drive your partner's behavior. Through guided practice, you'll learn to approach these sensitive topics with empathy and a willingness to understand and support each other.
Day 2: Hold Me Tight. Engaging and Connecting, Conversation 4
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” – Billy, age four, defining love, as reported on the Internet
In conversation 4, engaging and connecting, we will dive into what it truly means to feel loved and cherished. We will explore how love makes you feel safe and valued. This conversation includes discussions like, “What am I most afraid of?”, and “What do I need most from you?”
Forgiving Injuries, Conversation 5
“Everyone says that forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” – C.S. Lewis
In conversation 5, we will explore the complex journey of forgiving injuries. We will examine how small incidents can lead to a big fallout and learn the six steps to forgiveness. Through practice, you'll gain insights into releasing resentment and moving forward together.
Bonding Through Sex and Touch, Conversation 6
“We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.” - Tom Robbins
In conversation 6, we will explore bonding through sex and touch. We will discuss what the sealed-off sex, solace sex, and synchrony sex mean, and how these dynamics affect intimacy. We will also address resolving sexual issues and you will reflect on your intimate relationship with your partner to deepen your connection.
Keeping your Love Alive, Conversation 7
“Anyone who's bored in marriage just isn't paying attention.” - A colleague's husband.
Conversation 7 dives into keeping love alive. We will cover crucial sections like, danger-point detours, celebrating moments of connection, and marking moments of separation and reunion with rituals. We will also delve into safety first, creating a resilient relationship story, future love stories and wrap it up through play and practice.