It's The Season for Giving!

Ah, our favorite time of year, the season for giving. (Pardon the little bit of sarcasm there.) And, whether you do your shopping early or, like me, you somehow always wait too late, Christmas shopping is tough…not knowing what to buy, where to look, how to find it. Shopping is the stressfullest (is that a word?) part of the holiday season. You want to find that perfect gift. A perfect gift is something useful, something your giftee (is THAT a word?) will appreciate—something with value and meaning, and you want something that will last, hopefully a very long time.
Hmmm. That’s a tall order.
Never fear, I have just the ticket for the couples on your wish list.
How about gifting them a Hold Me Tight®️ couples weekend retreat in beautiful Orlando, FL? It just may be the perfect gift for a couple.

A Useful Gift

First of all, it’s useful. Every couple can use two days away just for themselves, deepening their relationship, strengthening their connection. And don’t worry, gifting a couples retreat doesn’t suggest that a relationship is in trouble.

In fact, Hold Me Tight®️ is great for any couple—any age or stage, almost any situation.

All couples, even the closest couples have much to learn in love. None of us are experts from the start. Hold Me Tight®️ teaches what all couples need to know—what draws them together and what pulls them apart. Hold Me Tight®️ is rooted deeply in attachment science. Until we learn these powerful lessons, we are likely to make the same mistakes and follow the same patterns until we drift apart or lose our way. 

What could be more useful for couples than learning the lessons of love?

A Valuable Gift

A perfect gift is valuable as well. You want to give something that shows how much your loved ones mean to you. The gift of Hold Me Tight®️ may well be priceless. You can’t put a price tag on a healthy, strong relationship. It pays off in a thousand ways. We know that people with healthy connections tend overall to live longer, resist illness and heal faster, suffer less anxiety, depression and addiction, tend to have more stable and rewarding careers, tend to raise happier children and tend to do better in just about every way we measure better. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but a healthy relationship certainly slants the playing field in a positive direction. And those benefits can trickle down for generations, even to those yet unborn. Nothing says you love and want the best for your loved ones like investing in their committed relationships.

A Gift that Lasts

And most of all, Hold Me Tight®️ is a gift that lasts. Of course, there are many types of couples workshops and retreats. They are NOT one size fits all. Only Hold Me Tight®️ is based on attachment science and the tenets of Emotionally Focused Therapy. Mind you, Hold Me Tight®️ is not therapy, but it stands on a reliable, validated therapy model that has the best track record in the business. Numerous outcome studies show that couples who learn the lessons of Hold Me Tight®️ report a stronger, closer connection as much as two years later. Hold Me Tight®️ is more than a two day “sugar high.” The lessons couples learn can change things for good. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving.


So, Hold Me Tight®️ might just be the perfect gift! It’s useful, valuable and can last a lifetime.

What couples do you know and love? Maybe they are engaged or just starting out. Maybe they’ve been together for years and are looking for a shot in the arm. Whether they are naughty or nice, Hold Me Tight®️ is a perfect gift that will show them that you care.


At the top of the home page of this website, click on “More” and go to the Store. Gift cards come in various denominations. Gift all or part of a Hold Me Tight®️ Florida couples retreat and show that you care!


Get to know more about Vicki and Mark

Fill out our convenient online contact form

Prepare for a life changing experience



Have a Safety Plan

We All Need Predictability

By Mark Beck • April 25, 2025
If you are invested in the stock market, it’s been a roller coaster lately. Indeed, perhaps the best short run strategy is to close your eyes and hold on and ride it out—just like on a roller coaster! However you view the market moves we’re seeing—tariffs and the like—one thing is pretty clear: markets don’t like unpredictability. Uncertainty makes markets very nervous. Hence, lots of ups and downs make for tension and trouble. It’s human nature; unpredictability is stressful in any context.

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.
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