The first in the World
Hold Me Tight® workshop
for LGBTQI+ couples
What is
Hold Me Tight®
We are proud to be the first provider to offer the Hold Me Tight® workshop tailored specifically to LGBTQI+ couples, facilitated by Dr Anna Chiara Sicilia (Chartered Clinical Psychologist and EFT Therapist). We recognise that LGBTQI+ couples can face additional challenges due to the impact of societal norms and expectations.
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Our programme is based on the book and work of Dr Sue Johnson, the developer of the Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) model of adult relationships and attachment. EFT has been found to be the most researched and validated approach for improving relationships.
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Hold Me Tight® workshops are run all around the world to support couples who might be struggling to connect, having frequent arguments or who want to strengthen their relationship. The workshop involves a mix of mini-presentations, group discussions and seven facilitated conversations that couples can engage in privately, to work on specific aspects that are important to them.
What are the 7 conversations?
During the workshop, couples will be supported to work through seven conversations aimed at strengthening their bond and enhancing connection
1
Recognising demon dialogues
Identifying the negative cycles that happen when you feel disconnected and the position you each play in the cycle
2
Finding the raw spots and understanding each other
Identify and understand the underlying vulnerabilities that trigger the reactive cycles and responses for each partner
3
Revisiting a rocky moment and creating safety
Repairing past conflict by de-escalating, understanding each other and rebuilding a sense of safety
4
Hold me Tight
Learning to express your more vulnerable fears and needs openly with each other to strengthen your connection
5
LGBTQI+ Relationships
In addition to the standard 7 conversations, we also discuss how being LGBTQI+ can play up in your relationship
6
Forgiving injuries
Addressing deep relationship wounds / injuries allowing the injured partner to heal and rebuild your connection
7
Bonding through sex and touch
Connecting emotional connection with sexual intimacy, fostering a deeper bond both emotionally and physically
8
Keep your love alive
In the final conversation we explore how to keep nurturing trust, responsiveness and intimacy over time
How it works
The workshop follows the structure of the Hold Me Tight® book by Dr Sue Johnson. A copy of the couple workbook will be provided to you ahead of the workshop, together with additional material so that you can work on this with your partner throughout the workshop.
Schedule
Thursday evenings
8-weeks course
5.30pm to 7.30pm
Online
We will meet weekly online for 8 weeks.
The first session will focus on getting to know each other, introducing the programme and how we will work together and exploring some initial goals for the programme with each couple. We will then spend some time to introduce the first conversation.
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Subsequent sessions will focus on each of the 7 conversations, as outlined above, with a final closing session to explore possible next steps and have some time together to reflect on what you will take away from the workshop.
Session 5 has been included as an additional session to explore how being LGBTQI+ might have had an impact on your life and how you show up in your relationship.