Currently Enrolling: Hold Me Tight Couples Workshop | March 14-16, 2026!

 
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CURRENTLY ENROLLING!

Reconnect at Our Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat in Pasadena, CA

March 14-15, 2026

Pasadena, CA

 
Rebuild connection. Interrupt old patterns. Strengthen your bond.

 

If you and your partner/s feel stuck in the same arguments, disconnected, or longing for deeper intimacy, our Hold Me Tight® Weekend in Pasadena, CA offers a research-based path forward. Grounded in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), this immersive couples retreat helps you understand the negative cycles that block closeness and gives you practical tools to replace them with trust, responsiveness, and emotional security.
Ideal for couples currently in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy or those who are curious about beginning EFCT, this weekend workshop guides you through powerful conversations that help you break old patterns, express your needs with clarity so that your partner can hear you, and reconnect. If you’re ready to strengthen communication, deepen emotional intimacy, and feel like a team again, this Hold Me Tight® experience provides the roadmap.

DETAILS AT A GLANCE

ATTENDEES

This workshop is welcoming to couples/ partnerships 18+ of all identities & expressions. The workshop is limited to a total of 10 partnerships and will be held in-person in Pasadena, CA.

DATES

Saturday, March 14, 2026- Sunday, March 15, 2026

LOCATION

In-person in Pasadena, CA

INVESTMENT

Early Enrollment: $999
** (before January 1, 2026)
After January 1, 2026: $1200

WHY CHOOSE A HOLD ME TIGHT® WEEKEND RETREAT IN PASADENA, CA?

Hold Me Tight® is a transformative weekend couples retreat designed to help partners reconnect, communicate better, and strengthen emotional intimacy. Based on the internationally acclaimed book Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Sue Johnson, this workshop uses the principles of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most research-supported, effective approaches to relationship healing

This Hold Me Tight® Weekend gives you research-backed tools to:

  • Recognize and break negative cycles that create distance.
  • Understand why arguments repeat and how to get underneath them.
  • Share needs vulnerably in ways your partner can truly hear.
  • Repair past hurts and strengthen trust.
  • Reignite playfulness, trust, and intimacy.
  • Create secure emotional connection that lasts beyond the weekend.
  • Improve communication so both partners feel understood and appreciated.

Whether you’re feeling emotionally distant, stuck in the same old arguments, or simply want to grow closer, this retreat gives you the structure, tools, and support to move forward together.

Couple holds hands on a field in front of a large tree.

WHO THIS COUPLES RETREAT IS FOR

This weekend retreat is designed for couples in the Pasadena and Los Angeles area who are ready to reconnect, deepen their emotional bond, and move past stuck patterns.

It’s a great fit for:

  • Couples feeling stuck in repeating conflict cycles
  • Partners experiencing emotional disconnection or distance
  • Busy working professionals who find it hard to commit to weekly couples therapy
  • Couples who want to accelerate progress in ongoing therapy
  • Partners who want a powerful, structured start to their couples therapy journey

Whether you’re looking to reignite connection or address long-standing challenges, this Pasadena-based Hold Me Tight® workshop offers a focused, supportive space to do the work together.

WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE DURING THE WEEKEND

Over two days, you’ll experience a mix of:

✔️ Short teaching sessions

Understand the science of attachment, bonding, and emotional patterns.

✔️ Guided private conversations with your partner

You won’t be sharing personal details with the group — you’ll be supported in having meaningful, structured conversations with each other.

✔️ EFT-informed exercises that build closeness

These exercises are based on decades of research showing how couples form and maintain secure bonds.

✔️ A safe, nonjudgmental environment

Perfect for couples who are in therapy, starting therapy, or simply wanting to deepen connection.

MEET YOUR FACILITATORS

Headshot of Danielle Palomares, LMFT
Danielle Palomares, LMFT
Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist
Danielle Palomares (LMFT #152067, she/ her) is an attachment, trauma, and sex therapist based in Pasadena who works extensively with couples and relationships. Her work centers on helping clients cultivate more secure connections, balancing emotional safety with individuation, through the lens of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, in which she is certified. Danielle specializes in relationship therapy at complex intersections, including partnerships impacted by trauma, sexual challenges, betrayal, high conflict, cultural dynamics, neurodivergence, relational impasses, and diverse relational structures. She is especially passionate about supporting consensually non-monogamous partnerships and the LGBTQIA+ community, helping clients imagine expansive, affirming ways to structure their attachment systems. Her integrative, client-centered approach draws from trauma-informed modalities including EFT, EMDR, sex therapy, parts work, Narrative Therapy, somatic practices, and psychodynamic theory, which offers a deeply personalized and compassionate therapeutic experience.
 
Headshot of Tsoline Kouyoumjian, LMFT
Tsoline Kouyoumjian, LMFT
Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist

Tsoline Kouyoumjian (she/her) has been a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist since 2013. She has worked in most levels of care including residential and outpatient programs where she served in different capacities including primary therapist and interim director. Her experience includes working with clients struggling with substance abuse, eating disorders, and mood disorders. In 2020, Tsoline pursued her interest in providing more evidenced based relationship therapy and began her education and training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. In 2024, Tsoline was certified as an EFT therapist and is providing care to individuals and couples throughout CA. Tsoline can provide therapy in both English and Armenian.

FAQs ABOUT THE HOLD ME TIGHT® WEEKEND RETREAT

What is a Hold Me Tight® workshop?

A Hold Me Tight® workshop is a structured, two-day relationship retreat based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most research-supported approaches for couples. Through short teaching segments, guided private conversations, and structured exercises, couples learn how to identify negative cycles, express deeper emotional needs, and strengthen secure attachment — the foundation of lasting closeness.

How is a Hold Me Tight® workshop different from couples therapy?

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) typically unfolds across weekly sessions, allowing space to integrate insights over time. A Hold Me Tight® weekend condenses the core components of the EFCT change process into a structured, experiential format. For couples who are new to EFCT, the workshop provides foundational psychoeducation about attachment, negative cycles, emotional safety, and core relational needs. For couples who are actively engaged in EFCT, the weekend offers an intensive opportunity to reinforce themes from therapy, deepen emotional conversations, and complete guided exercises that may take longer to reach in weekly work. All personal work happens privately with your partner, not in a group format. Many couples find the combination of therapy + workshop to be particularly powerful.

Who is this workshop for?

This retreat is ideal for couples/ relationships who:

  • Feel stuck in recurring arguments or communication patterns

  • Want a deeper emotional connection

  • Are longing for more closeness, trust, and understanding

  • Are in couples therapy and want to enhance the work

  • Are interested in beginning EFT but haven’t started therapy yet

  • Have been feeling like “roommates” and want to reconnect
    Whether your relationship is strong but longing for deeper intimacy or struggling and needing a path forward, this workshop meets you where you are.

Is this workshop suitable for couples in distress or crisis?

Many couples who attend are experiencing significant disconnection, high conflict, or painful cycles that feel hard to break. The Hold Me Tight® model is specifically designed to help repair emotional injuries, reduce reactivity, and increase safety. If your relationship is in acute crisis (e.g., ongoing affairs, recent separation, active violence, or untreated severe mental health concerns), we encourage you to reach out so we can help determine whether this workshop or a different form of support is the best next step.

Do we need to be in couples therapy to attend?

Not at all. This workshop is helpful both for:

  • Couples currently in therapy, who want to accelerate progress

  • Couples new to therapy, who want a powerful introduction to EFT
    Many partners attend as a way of strengthening connection before beginning regular therapy—while others attend mid-therapy as a transformative reset.

Will we have to share personal information with the group?

No. The workshop includes group teaching, but all emotional conversations and vulnerable work happen privately between you and your partner. You can relax knowing you will not be asked to disclose anything personal with others in the room.

What if my partner is hesitant or nervous about attending?

It’s extremely common for one partner to feel unsure, overwhelmed, or anxious. This workshop is gentle, structured, supportive, and not confrontational. There’s no public sharing, no forced vulnerability, and no surprises. Many hesitant partners end up reporting that the workshop felt safer, calmer, and more grounding than they expected. If helpful, we can provide a short call or written overview to help your partner feel more comfortable.

Is this workshop LGBTQ+ affirming and inclusive?

Yes. The workshop is fully inclusive of LGBTQ+, queer, non-monogomous, poly, and gender-diverse partners. EFT is an attachment-based model relevant to all relationships, and our approach is affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.

Is this couples retreat better than weekly therapy?

Not necessarily, they’re just different! Both have their own benefits, and they can even work beautifully together.

This Hold Me Tight® couples retreat offers a focused, immersive experience designed to help you and your partner reconnect, understand each other more deeply, and begin shifting unhelpful patterns. It can be a powerful catalyst, especially if you’re feeling stuck or need a jumpstart.

However, lasting relationship change often takes time. Weekly therapy allows for ongoing support, integration, and the kind of consistent emotional rewiring that helps new patterns really stick. Many couples use the retreat to complement their therapy, to gain momentum, or to reconnect after hitting a rough patch. It’s not a replacement, but it can absolutely be a turning point.

What is your refund or cancellation policy?

Cancellations made up to 21 days prior to the date of the workshop are subject to a $75 admin fee. Cancellations made between14-20 days prior to the date of the workshop will be refunded at 50%. No refunds given 14 days or less from the workshop (March 1st or later).

LOCATION

Image of a beautifully lit meeting space in Pasadena, CA
Image of a beautifully lit meeting space in Pasadena, CA
Image of a brown Crafstman home in Pasadena, CA
The couples retreat will take place in the heart of Pasadena, CA, serving couples throughout South Pasadena, San Marino, Altadena, Eagle Rock, Glendale & Greater Los Angeles.

ENROLL

Ready to Reconnect? Reserve Your Spot in the Next Hold Me Tight® Weekend
Spots are limited to ensure an intimate, supported experience.

Join us and begin rebuilding the relationship you’ve been longing for.