What makes relationships fail? Why do so many couples end up breaking up? And many other couples who stay together struggle…but not for lack of trying. You and your partner love each other and want to find real joy (or at least to just get along!). But, somehow, our greatest hurts often come from and with those we love most. What is that about? Why do we hurt most those closest to us? What’s happening when the harder we try, the worse it seems to get? It’s easy to begin thinking we just weren’t meant for each other, our relationship is a mistake or we’re not a good fit.

What if you could see it another way? What if you could make sense of all that? It would be great to understand what’s really going on beneath the hurt. It would be great to know how to heal. 

The Science of Love

And the good news is—you can—at a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat. Hold Me Tight®️ is rooted in attachment science, years of research, and results that have shown us what all humans want and need. Love seems so complex and mystical at times. But, actually, love is very rational. It makes exquisite sense. Attachment science has shown us that love is a search for safety, for a dependable connection with another. 


From infancy, we all need protection, assurance, the comfort of knowing that someone is there for us: accessible and responsive, and engaged. With that person (or persons) in our lives, we thrive. We are confident, capable, self-assured, willing, and able to become our best selves. Even as adults, we seek and thrive with a partner who will support us, believe in us, trust us, and sacrifice for us. The word is safety; we feel safe with a partner who is there for us. That’s how attachment science defines love: a safe, emotional connection.

A man and a woman sit next to each other atop a wall struggling to connect representing a couple who could benefit from a Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL. Couples Retreats are available to couples in Florida and throughout the United States.

Losing that Safe Connection

But, no relationship is perfect and, inevitably we miss that mark with our loved one. We misspeak, misinterpret, misunderstand and we begin to doubt that safe connection. When that happens—or we fear that it might—our body responds as if to a life or death situation. And that is how attachment defines conflict—it’s a loss of that safety. And THAT is where many couples miss the memo. 


So many struggling couples think that their problem has to do with money or sex or religion or in-laws or children or chores. We get bogged down negotiating and trying to make the relationship more equal or fair. But, the real problem is deeper—and simpler. It’s a lack of safety, a lack of confidence that we matter and our partner is there for us.


A couple holds hands as they sit together after attending a Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL. Reconnect with your partner in a Couples Retreat, offered throughout the United States.

Building a Strong Foundation

These are the things couples learn in a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat. They learn to understand what they each need though perhaps they’ve never realized it. They learn to build safety through empathy and vulnerability, how to go deeper and have conversations, not confrontations. With safety comes confidence and renewed trust. Wounds that have festered for far too long truly can heal. 

Heal Your Relationship's Wounds and Build New Connections at a Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL.

Love is a safe emotional connection. It’s the confidence that your partner is there for you. A Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat can help you make sense of what has confused you for too long. In two days, you can build a closer connection than ever with other couples committed to the same thing. In a low-key, relaxed setting, you’ll meet other couples on the same journey. And you’ll leave with a road map for a closer connection. It could make all the difference. Don’t wait. Sign up today for the next Hold Me Tight®️ retreat in beautiful Orlando, FL. 


  • Get to know more about Vicki and Mark here.
  • Fill out our convenient online contact form.
  • Prepare for a powerful life changing experience!


A couple sits with their backs to each other on a bench as they argue. Bridge the gaps in your relationship with a Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL.
A woman sits on the arm of a couch next to her partner after reconnecting at a Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat in Florida. Couples Retreats are available to couples in Florida and throughout the United States.

Have a Safety Plan

Safety First

By Mark Beck • April 1, 2025
A local factory required all of its employees to attend a safety class. One fellow didn’t really pay attention and when the final exam at the end of the class asked, “In case of a fire, what steps would you take?” the fellow answered, “Large ones!” “Safety First” is a wise strategy, everywhere from the workplace to the highway to healthcare to childcare. Injuries and accidents cost multiplied billions every year and it’s always better to prevent an accident than to treat one. Whatever the setting, people do better when they feel safe.

Curious or Critical

By Mark Beck • March 14, 2025
Somebody said, “Marriage is a never ending conversation.” I think that’s true. It certainly is a never ending education. That’s part of what makes it fun. Everyday I learn something about my wife, Debbie, about how she sees the world and sees me. And I’m often surprised at our different perspectives. We were on the verge of an argument the other day, simply because we both saw the situation very differently. Neither of us were wrong. But, once I realized how Debbie saw things, I understood her actions and reactions much better. And I realized again that a real key to connection lies in understanding, more than being understood. The late Sue Johnson used to say, “People calm down when they feel understood.” I’ve certainly found that to be true.

Love Is a Team Sport

By Mark Beck • January 29, 2025
If you’re a sports fan (specifically, football) this is your favorite time of year. The NFL playoffs showcase the best of the best and even for the non-fanatics out there, some important truths are evident. Football, like many other sports, is a team game. For sure, individual superstars shine, but only because those around them pull together for a common goal. The best teams operate as one. Eleven players, all on the same page: focused, supportive, picking each other up, pursuing the same goal. When they do, they become more than the sum of their parts…highly efficient. They minimize mistakes and overcome them when they happen. When adversity hits, lesser teams slip into fault finding, sniping and looking out for number one. In any sport, if teammates ever become opponents, they can’t win. It’s game over.

Relationship Rescue

By Mark Beck • January 24, 2025
You might remember the cruise ship Costa Concordia that foundered off the coast of Italy in 2012 after her captain carelessly steered her too close to shore. Rocks tore a 175 foot gash in her hull and the ship listed severely to her starboard side, taking on water and running aground. Ultimately, 32 people died and the recovery cost about $2 billion. Perhaps the greatest blunder though, was that the captain waited over an hour to give the order to abandon ship. For such negligence, he was ultimately convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years. Indeed, he left the ship with 300 passengers still on board! (He said he “fell” into a lifeboat as it was being lowered.)

Help Is Nearby

By Mark Beck • January 17, 2025
I had a close call today. I was almost duped by a very slick hacker. He posed as a security guy from PayPal and I nearly gave him remote access to my computer. (I know, that sounds pretty stupid on my part.) Fortunately for me, when things smelled fishy, I tapped out before any real damage was done. But, I didn’t know what to do from there. I unplugged my PC and called an expert. He knew just what to do and he got me up and running in no time. What a relief! It cost me a few bucks, but most likely saved me a lot more. Computers are a necessary evil in my life. I can’t even imagine managing my home or my business without one. But, they can sure be troublesome. And a cyber wizard, I am not. That’s my problem. I know just enough to be dangerous. It sure eases my mind that help is available when I need it. Because some things I can’t fix. That doesn’t make me stupid…it’s just not my expertise.

Comfort Isn't Always Comfortable

By Mark Beck • January 10, 2025
Intimate relationships are never easy and too many don’t survive. Courtrooms and counselors’ offices are full of couples who didn’t set out to destroy their love; it just looks as if they did. Maybe you’re one of those couples…trying to figure out how you went from newlywed to nearly dead...and you never saw it coming...or you did and you didn't know how to stop it.
A Hold Me Tight couples retreat in Orlando is a great way to ring in the new year

Happy New Year

By Mark Beck • January 2, 2025
A Hold Me Tight couples retreat in Orlando is a great new years resolution

When You Hit Turbulence

By Mark Beck • December 16, 2024
Now and then, I travel by air. I enjoy it, for the most part. But, on one trip, seemingly out of nowhere, the plane hit heavy turbulence. Suddenly, the cabin was shuttering and shaking. I looked outside; the wings were visibly bouncing up and down as the plane lurched and pitched. I tried to hide my fear, but (pardon the pun) it really shook me up. My stomach tightened; my breathing got shallow. I couldn’t think straight. Having such little experience with something like that, I feared we would crash. But, then, I noticed the flight attendants. They were cool as the backside of a pillow…no panic or alarm. I wondered how they could be so calm. Soon the pilot came over the intercom and in a steady, measured voice, explained that turbulence is normal, the plane was built for much, much worse and it would all subside in a few moments. The crew had been through this many times. They understood what was happening and what to do. I was so glad that somebody did! Their calm was contagious. Gradually, I was able to relax and realized that it wasn’t the crisis I had feared it was. That was a game changer. I got through it and now, turbulence isn’t the problem it used to be for me when I fly. It still happens, but I know what it’s about when it does and that gets me through. .

In Person Or Online?

By Mark Beck • December 2, 2024
Vicki and I will start something new in March of 2025. We have been leading in person Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreats at least four times a year for six years now. No two are the same; we always see amazing results and we get more than we give every time. And, in addition to our in person workshops, we’ll also begin offering online Hold Me Tight®️ workshops next year. In person and online workshops are definitely different. Each format has its own advantages. So, what’s different about the two and what is the same and which might be best for you? I’m glad you asked.

What About Love Languages?

By Mark Beck • November 19, 2024
Dr. Gary Chapman’s “The Five Love Languages” is one of the most popular and prolific couples self-help books in history. Since its initial release in 1992, through several revisions, it has sold over 20 million copies. That’s one popular book! Perhaps you’ve read it. If not, it’s worth your time. Chapman basically contends that romantic love shows up in five ways. He calls them “languages.” In no particular order, they are: personal touch, words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service and giving gifts. The idea is that all of us have a top one or two love languages and that couples can and should know, not only their own love language, but more so, their partner’s. And the more you and your partner speak one another’s language, the more love you’ll both share.
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