A rainbow colored Ferris wheel at night. Find pleasure that lasts in your relationship with Couples Retreats in Florida today. Our Couples Retreats are offered to couples throughout the United States.
 When I was a kid, I loved it when the carnival came to town. (Truth be told, I still do.) I loved the rides and the games and I especially loved the cotton candy. I could only get cotton candy at the carnival. It was the best! It tasted so good and just melted in my mouth. But, that was the problem: it melted in my mouth…and then it was gone. It just dissolved. It tasted great while it lasted. It just didn’t last long.  

The best pleasures last. That’s part of what makes a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat so special. If you think about it, couples can enhance their relationship in any number of ways: weekend getaways, dance lessons, working out together, sharing a hobby, vacations. And there are all kinds of couples retreats. So, what sets a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat apart? 

Results that Last 

More than anything else, a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat brings results that last. Lots of things, even other couples workshops might help for a time. But, too often, they don’t help for long—then things go back to the way they were. Hold Me Tight®️ is not a “cotton candy” connection. In fact, among couples who complete the workshop, 70% say they are still doing well two years later. That is the best result in the business! 


So, why does a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat last? It’s two things. First, couples learn about where and how relationships really tick. When couples get into conflict, whether it’s combat or Cold War, it’s not about money or sex or in-laws or kids or household chores. All that is just window dressing. And solutions aren’t about negotiating or using better words. Something deeper is happening. Once we learn what’s beneath the surface, what was blurry comes into focus. Love really does make sense. We start to understand what we (and our partner) really need. 

A couple eats cotton candy at a carnival representing the joy that can be found in your relationship with the help of Couples Retreats in Orlando, FL. Our Couples Retreats are available to couples anywhere in the United States.

Learning AND Doing 

And second, we can begin to connect in a new, deeper way. We can create the safety all of us need to be vulnerable and authentic with one another. And here’s where the magic of a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat really happens. We don’t just tell couples about all this. We give couples the chance to experience it, to have those newer, deeper, more vulnerable conversations firsthand, in real-time. So, conversations don’t become confrontations; they become connections—deep, safe connections. 


Over two days together, couples gain the confidence that they can understand and be understood, that they can connect more closely and more deeply than they may ever have before, and that they can have conversations they never knew they could or should have. They don’t just learn about deeper connections—they do it. 

Get On the Dance Floor! 

It’s like taking dance lessons. There’s a huge difference between someone telling you how to dance and showing you, on the dance floor, in real time. At a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat, you get to be on the dance floor. You get to do it for yourself. And, once you know that you can, you never want to stop! 

A couple dances in the street during Carnival. Get back in the dance with the help of a Couples Retreat in Florida. Couples Retreats are open to anyone in the United States. Reach out for more info.

Create Change and Connection That Last in a Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL.

In short, Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreats are experiential. That’s why the results last. You, your partner and your relationship are different after those two days. Yet and still, each couple goes at their own pace. No one is put on the spot. You each risk what you’re ready to. No two couples are alike, but all couples can learn and grow. A Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat can truly change your relationship. And that change can last a lifetime. Sign up now and find out for yourself!


  • 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 stands in front of a carousel at night after rekindling their relationship in a Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL. Couples throughout the United States are encouraged to come to our Couples Retreats in Florida.

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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