Hold Me Tight®
September 26-28, 2025
Do you want to build connection between you and your partner?
Do you and your partner need a safe space for important conversations?
Join us for one of our transformational Hold Me Tight® workshops taught by experienced therapists trained in the Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) model. We create space for you and your partner to have 7 impactful conversations that are specifically curated to strengthen emotional closeness, intimacy, and safety within your relationship.
EFT is a relationship-strengthening model that is backed by decades of research and supported by our therapists' experiences helping hundreds of couples improve their relationships.
Foundation of the HMT Program
If you want to dig into the content before (or after) the workshop, check out Dr. Sue Johnson's book, Hold me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. (We get no royalties for this endorsement--it just a great book!)
Limited to 12 couples
We want you to have a space that feels comfortable and safe so you can focus on your relationship! We limit the workshop to 12 couples so our instructors can provide individualized instruction to those attending.
Is Hold Me Tight® couples therapy?
No, HMT it is not couples therapy. It is a relationship education program. If you're looking for couples therapy, we recommend connecting with a couples therapist at Assessment and Therapy Associates in Grand Forks (if you are in North Dakota or Minnesota) or visiting the ICCEFT website to find one in your area.
Who benefits most from HMT workshops?
Couples wanting to establish more emotional connection that are experiencing no, mild, or moderate relationship distress benefit most from HMT. This workshop is not appropriate for couples in high distress (we recommend high distress couples begin couples therapy).
Relationships that include physical or emotional abuse, an active substance use disorder or other addiction, or in which one or both partners experience significant mental health concerns are best supported in couples therapy and not the HMT workshop.
If you are not sure if this workshop is right for you and your partner, please contact Dr. Jackson, and he can discuss this with you.
14 Hours Devoted to Your Relationship
For perspective, 14 hours of work in couples therapy would cost nearly $300. Although HMT is not couples therapy, for less than what 4 couples therapy sessions would cost, you can learn skills to have relationship conversations leading to meaningful change.
What Should You Expect?
Teaching
Our instructors will begin the workshop with an overview of HMT and describe the science behind love. Each of the 7 conversations will begin with information about the topic, which includes explanation about how it can help create emotional connection.
Practicing
You and your partner will have time alone (in a quiet & private space) to practice each conversation, and the instructors are available to support you as needed. We also provide additional information about how you can continue practicing these conversations at home.
Debriefing
After each practice conversation, we will return to the large group where you and your partner can debrief the conversation, learn from other couples, and the instructors will answer questions that arise. You share in the large group to the degree that you are comfortable!
Join our Hold Me Tight® Email List!
We keep our courses small so we can give couples they individualized attention they deserve--that means our workshops fill fast!
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Weekend Schedule
This workshop will be held at Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks (ATAGF) in Grand Forks, ND.
Address: 3535 S. 31st St., Suite 201, Grand Forks, ND 58201
Here is the workshop schedule:
Friday, September 26, 2025: 6pm to 9:15pm
Saturday, September 27, 2025: 8:30am to 5pm
(1-hour lunch on your own)
Sunday, September 28, 2025: 8:30am to 12pm
We will provide light refreshments (snacks, beverages), and we will also take short breaks each day.
What Does the Research Say?
Great question! A meta-analysis of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy found relationship satisfaction significantly improved and was maintained a follow-up (Beasley & Ager, 2019). Similar positive results are found with the HMT program. Couples who participate in HMT report positive relationship adjustment (McKibben et al., 2025), security of the partner bond (Conradi et al., 2018), improved family functioning (Wong et al., 2017), forgiveness (Conradi et al., 2018), and increased relationship satisfaction and trust (Kennedy et al., 2019)!
Do you offer continuing education credits?
Although HPC and ATAGF are not offering continuing education credits for this workshop, we are happy to provide information (e.g., agenda, certificate of attendance) to mental health professionals who would like to request continuing education credits directly from their licensing board themselves.
However, we cannot guarantee that your board will approve this workshop for continuing education credits, as that is up to the discretion of each licensing board.
Dave Jackson, PhD, LP
Certified EFT Therapist & Supervisor
Dave Jackson, PhD, LP, is our primary HMT instructor. He is a Licensed Psychologist, Certified EFT Therapist, and Certified EFT Supervisor with over 30 years of clinical experience. Since January 2021, the only clients he personally works with are couples. Although he is an EFT expert, he continues to be an active student of EFT.
Dr. Jackson is co-founder of Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC, which is a group practice dedicated to providing compassionate, effective services that enhance the quality of life of those they serve. He also provides EFT supervision and mentorship, training courses for therapists, seminars, and retreats for couples seeking to improve emotional closeness. He is also an avid bicyclist and dog lover. He and his wife share their home with 3 herding mix rescue dogs.
Katya Mickelson, PhD
Psychology Resident & EFT-trained Therapist
Katya Mickelson, PhD, is one of our core HMT instructors. She is a Psychology Resident with several years of EFT training, and her couples therapy work is supervised by Dr. Jackson. She is pursuing the Certified EFT Therapist credential.
Dr. Mickelson is employed at Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC, where she works with survivors of trauma and provides couples and relationship therapy within an EFT framework.
Dr. Mickelson’s areas of personal interest include dogs (please show your pet pictures), podcasts / documentaries, and discussing her rather impressive collection of coffee and tea mugs.
