Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshop
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Deepen your bond. Repair ruptures. Rediscover each other.
About the Workshop
Every couple longs for closeness, safety, and connection, but life’s stresses, misunderstandings, and repeated patterns can leave us feeling distant from the one we love most.
The Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshop is a two-day experience based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the most research-validated approach to strengthening and repairing relationships.
Through a mix of teaching, live role play demonstrations by the facilitators, and private guided conversations with your partner, you’ll learn to:
Recognize and stop negative cycles of conflict
Share your needs and longings with more clarity and safety
Rebuild trust and strengthen emotional intimacy
Cultivate tools for resilience and connection that last
This is not group therapy - you won’t be asked to share personal details publicly. Instead, you’ll be guided through private conversations with your partner in a supportive and structured setting.
Upcoming Hold Me Tight® Workshop | November 7-8, 2025
Location: Greentree Community Church, 100 Kirkwood Pl, Kirkwood, MO 63122
Date: Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Cost: $749 early bird (by Oct 17), $849 standard.
What’s Included:
Two days of teaching and guidance (Friday + Saturday full day)
Workbook and materials for each couple
Light refreshments and a supportive learning environment
Can’t Make November?
Join the Waitlist for the Next Workshop to be the first to know when future dates open. Spots are limited and fill quickly. Drop us an email indicating your interest at holdmetight@sarahestudios.com and we will make sure to reach out to you as soon as we post our next workshop.
Who It's For
This workshop is for couples who:
- Feel stuck in patterns of disconnection or conflict
- Want to rebuild trust after hurts or distance
- Long to feel closer, safer, and more understood
- Simply want to invest in their relationship and deepen intimacy
Gentle note: This is an educational workshop, not therapy.
What Couples Will Gain
- A clear map of negative patterns and how to shift them
- Skills to talk about raw spots, rocky moments, and injuries
- Deeper empathy and openness with your partner
- A more secure emotional bond
Facilitators - Sarah & Sue
Sarah Howell is a Licensed Master Social Worker and ICEEFT Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist (EFCT), and is an active board member of the St. Louis EFT Community, where she serves as Chair of Marketing & Communications. She specializes in helping couples transform disconnection into secure, lasting bonds through the evidence-based framework of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
In her practice, Sarah also works with individuals navigating grief, trauma, anxiety, depression, and life transitions, drawing on advanced training in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), creative and expressive techniques, and animal-assisted therapy with her certified therapy dog, Penelope.
Known for her compassionate, attuned presence and use of metaphor and imagery, Sarah brings warmth, structure, and creativity to her work. She considers it a privilege to walk alongside couples as they risk vulnerability, repair ruptures, and rediscover closeness with each other to create the secure bond every relationship longs for.
Sue Verble is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist (EFCT) with more than a decade of experience walking alongside couples who long to feel closer and more secure in their relationship. She brings a calm, supportive presence to her work, helping partners move through negative cycles, heal from betrayal, and rediscover the bond that first brought them together.
Sue holds a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Lindenwood University and services as the President of the St. Louis EFT Community. Before becoming a counselor, she spent 20 years in sales, management, and recruiting, as well as time as a full-time homemaker raising her four children — experiences that give her a grounded, real-world perspective on love, family, and resilience.
In addition to her weekly therapy practice, Sue offers couples intensives and co-leads Hold Me Tight® workshops. She is passionate about helping couples not just repair, but also create lasting patterns of connection, safety, and joy.
FAQ
Do we have to share in front of the group?
No. All couple conversations are private. You’ll learn from live role-play demonstrations by the facilitators, short talks, and your own partner dialogue.
Is this therapy?
No. It’s an educational workshop based on EFT principles. While therapeutic, it is not a substitute for therapy.
Do we need to be in crisis to attend?
Not at all. Many couples attend to strengthen their bond, learn new tools, or deepen their connection even when things are going well.
What if my partner is hesitant?
It’s normal to feel uncertain. We’ll provide a safe and structured environment that makes participation feel accessible and supportive.
This workshop is designed to help you and your partner step out of old patterns and into a deeper sense of security, trust, and closeness. Whether you’re seeking repair or simply wanting to invest in your relationship, Hold Me Tight offers a path forward.
We’d be honored to have you join us.
We would love to have you join us. This is a chance to invest in your relationship, slow down, and rediscover each other in a safe and supportive space.
Hold Me Tight® is a registered program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson and ICEEFT.