Treat yourself and your partner to a weekend of connection at a magical New Mexico location, where you can relax, learn to really listen to one another, resolve conflicts and revitalize your relationship.
Our intensive HOLD ME TIGHT© couples retreats are crafted using the concepts of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) developed primarily by Sue Johnson, Ph.D. The retreats are intimate in size and the tone is warm, confidential and nurturing. They focus on the attachment between a couple, and share proven methods for strengthening relationships. (HOLD ME TIGHT® is a registered trademark to Sue Johnson.)
Our HOLD ME TIGHT® retreats are an invaluable investment for a couple to make in themselves, but tuition at one of our retreats also makes a thoughtful gift to a beloved couple you know. The opportunity to experience this emotionally bonding retreat would offer your couple a roadmap to brilliantly navigate their relationship for years to come. It also demonstrates your commitment to the future success of their relationship. To arrange a gift certificate, call us at 505-271-5050 and we'll help you with the process. (Note: Gift certificate can only apply to retreat tuition, and does not include lodging.)
Tuition for the retreat is $1,250 plus tax per couple. What exactly does that include? In a practical sense, the fee includes all materials, instruction, guided discussion, videos, private processing time with expert help available and lunches both days. (For some locations, it also includes breakfast.)
Here's another way to consider the value: Retreat participants have access to 4 or 5 trained EFT therapists for two full days. One HMT weekend costs easily half of what a couple might spend in weekly therapy to receive the same amount of professional guidance and information.
More intangibly, the retreat's value also includes the setting, which has been thoughtfully chosen for privacy and serenity, both elements vital for a couple's private conversation and connection.
Even the group structure adds value, says retreat facilitator and certified EFT therapist Tricia McKenna, Ph.D.
"Seeing other couples work through their own issues validates the choice any couple makes to pursue a stronger and more lasting connection to each other. It gives you a sense you are not alone in your challenges," she says.
July 10-12, El Monte Sagrado, Taos, NM
Our first HOLD ME TIGHT® retreat in 2026 will be July 10-12 at El Monte Sagrado in Taos, NM. The weekend at this elegant upscale desert resort kicks off at 5 pm on Friday, July 10, with a Welcome Reception (optional but strongly encouraged) where you can meet other retreat staff and other participants and enjoy light appetizers. Core content is presented on Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, from 8:30 am- 5 pm.
The retreat fee is $1,250 plus tax per couple, not including lodging or amenity access, but until May 15, our early bird registration rate is $1,150 plus tax per couple. Retreat fee includes materials, instruction, guided discussion, videos, private processing with expert help available as needed, welcome reception and lunches on Saturday and Sunday.
Lodging at the award-winning El Monte Sagrado is available separately; book directly with the hotel. Come early or stay after the retreat to enjoy the ambience and amenities, including its distinctive modern pueblo architecture, eco-friendly aspects and the rich cultural heritage of Taos. HOLD ME TIGHT participants staying at El Monte Sagrado are also eligible for 20% of all spa treatments; ask for details when you register. Also, New Mexico locals can get up to 25% off at lodging at El Monte Sagrado. Learn more here.
A valid New Mexico ID is required. Book online or call 855-846-8267. Be sure to mention the code LOCALS25.
Oct. 9-11, Norbertine Spirituality Center, Albuquerque
Our second retreat of 2026 is Oct. 9-11 at Norbertine Spirituality Center in Albuquerque. It’s timed to coincide with the well-known Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, now in its 54th year. (Balloon Fiesta is Oct. 3-11, and includes both morning and evening events. Come to Albuquerque a few days early to enjoy the Fiesta’s unique sights, then join us at the Norbertine for the retreat.)
Events start at 5:30 pm on Thursday, Oct. 9, with a Welcome Reception (optional but strongly encouraged) where you can meet the retreat staff and other participants and enjoy substantial appetizers. Core content is presented on Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11, from 8:30 am- 5 pm.
The retreat fee is $1,250 plus tax per couple, not including lodging, but until July 31, our early bird registration rate is $1,150 plus tax per couple. Retreat fee includes materials, instruction, guided discussion, videos, private processing with expert help available as needed, welcome reception and breakfasts and lunches on Friday and Saturday.
Retreat tuition does not include lodging. And you do not need to stay at the Norbertine to have easy access to the gathering areas for our group sessions and activities. There’s ample parking provided for day visitors nearby.
However, if you’d like to stay on-site to enjoy the unique desert beauty and peacefulness of the Norbertine community’s setting, you have an affordable option. We’re offering two nights in one of the Norbertine’s Premontre guest rooms for $220 total plus tax. (Room includes two twin beds, private bath, Wi-Fi. Opens onto courtyard with Sandia Mountain view.) Just make your room reservation when you are registering for the retreat.
Is Our HMT Retreat Right For You?
Whether you are looking for relationship enhancement or recovering from an emotional or physical challenge that has stressed your relationship, our HMT retreats will offer you and your partner a transformative experience and an opportunity to regain and/or develop healing connections. Whether you are seeking a relationship enhancement or healing from hardships, the HMT retreat is here to help.
CEU/CPE Opportunity
New Mexico psychologists, Masters level mental health providers and licensed massage therapists can earn 12 CEUs/CPEs if attending the retreat as a participant with their partner. CEU cost is $30 plus $2.29 tax. Non-NM providers in other states should contact their state's licensing board to see if CEUs/CPEs apply.
How Do I Register?
Contact us at 505-271-5050 or slee@lifechangetherapy.net . All we need to start the process is your name, phone number and email. One of our HMT presenters will call you to personally finalize the registration.
Our HOLD ME TIGHT® Experts
Tricia Mckenna, Ph.D., (left) has been a New Mexico licensed psychologist for 28 years and owner of Life Change Psychotherapy Institute in Albuquerque for 31 years. She is also a certified Couples’ Emotionally Focused Therapist. Helping couples and groups move from disconnection to connection has been her focus and passion for nearly three decades. It began with her doctoral thesis, in which she studied how the death of a child–in comparison to other types of losses, such as sibling/parental death: affected couples’ relationships. Dr. McKenna found that such a tragic loss was positively affected if there was open disclosure and communication between the couple. In fact, it was men’s openness that became the largest factor in predicting marital satisfaction. The HOLD ME TIGHT® workshop will offer couples healing, transformation and potentially new beginnings. And again, it will prove the transformational value of open and honest sharing when facing a life challenge together.
For more than 12 years, Dr. McKenna has also guided a group called Healthy Connections that helps participants move out of loneliness and into a sense of belonging, where they can safely develop or regain a sense of security and connection.
Sarah Lee, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 21 years of experience in working with individuals and couples. Her training includes a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN, and a post-graduate degree internship with the McFarland Institute in New Orleans, LA. She has always had a passion for working with couples. Her initial experience started by developing and running a program called Healthy Marriages, which strengthened 1,000 couples annually for five years throughout the state of New Mexico. At that time, she also became a Certified Facilitator with the Prepare/Enrich pre-marital and marital assessment tool. From that point on, her passion has been to strengthen relationships. She has developed, participated in and led couples in educational retreats, trained mentor couples in the Prepare/Enrich assessment tool, led small groups at her church and in the community, and counseled couples in private practice. Sarah has continued to advance her training, specifically with intensive instruction in Emotionally Focused Therapy, and is working toward EFT certification.
