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Hold Me Tight – Created for Connection Couple Relationship Education and Enhancement Program

Home  /  Virtual Community Mental Health Programs  /  Hold Me Tight – Created for Connection Couple Relationship Education and Enhancement Program

Hold Me Tight

Created for Connection

Joint Program with Toronto Christian Community Church (TCCC)

Christian-Based Couple Relationship
Education and Enhancement Program Details

Hold Me Tight Couples Workshops

Hold Me Tight® or its Christian version, Created for Connection is an educational program based on the theory and practice of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT). Created on the foundations of studies of adult attachment theory, EFT is an empirically tested model of couples therapy that has shown excellent, lasting outcomes with many different kinds of couples. Over the last two decades, EFT has developed as a systematic and powerfully effective approach to reducing relationship distress and helping couples create mutual emotional accessibility, responsiveness and engagement. The ultimate goal of EFT is to enable partners to not only reduce conflict and distance but to shape their relationship into a more loving secure bond that nurtures growth and healing.  

EFT has also shown positive results with couples who are dealing with particularly difficult problems (e.g., where partners are trauma survivors, are caring for a chronically ill child, or are struggling with depression as well as relationship distress). Over the course of this program, you will learn about the new science of love. The program will focus on helping you and your partner use the seven conversations laid out in the Hold Me Tight® or Created for Connection book.

Register today for “Hold Me Tight: Created for Connection” and embark on a transformative journey that will breathe new life into your relationship, rediscover the joy of a loving and connected relationship. 

Term 2 Program Schedule:

    • This program will be held online as twelve 1.25-hour modules, a total of 15 hours.
      • DATEDATES: April 21, 28, May 12, 19, 26, June 9, 16, 23, July 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024

Morning Class:

      • timeTIME: 9:45am – 11am
      • Format: In person or online
      • Location: Toronto Chinese Community Church (Warden/Steeles)

Afternoon Class:

      • timeTIME: 2pm – 3:15pm
      • Format: In person or online
      • Location: Toronto Chinese United Church (Kennedy/Steeles)

Term 2 details to be announced. Stay tune.

Term 3 details to be announced. Stay tune.

You are encouraged to join in person for a more effective learning outcomes, especially participants who have young children. Parents can leave their children at Children’s Sunday School and pick them up after class. 

Program Format:

Term 1

In the first term on the importance of attachment bonds, the facilitator teaches the core concepts of attachment and demonstrate these concepts using experiential exercises which are then carried out by the couples supported by their group.

Term 2 and 3

In second and third terms, each conversation outlined in Hold Me Tight® or Created for Connection is first presented by the facilitator who offers a framework of key points for the conversation, demonstrates the conversation and then help couples to complete the conversation supported by their group.  Couples are invited to share their experience of the exercises and given homework.  In the following session, couples are asked to share their experience of doing the homework.

Languages: Cantonese Only
(English and Mandarin groups will be offered at later dates according to need and demand)

Audience: Couples or people in a relationship

What You Will Learn in the Program:

Term 1: The importance of attachment bonds

    1. Attachment and Relationships, Health and Emotion Regulation
    2. Attachment needs and fears
    3. The negative interactional cycle
    4. Emotional accessibility, responsiveness and engagement are the keys to lasting love

Term 2: Barriers to attachment bonds

    1. Understanding Love and Attachment
    2. How Love Goes Wrong – The Demon Dialogues
    3. Finding the Raw Spots in the Demon Dialogues
    4. Fixing Mistakes and Creating a Secure Base: Revisiting a Rocky Moment
    5. Becoming Open and Responsive: The Hold Me Tight® Conversation 

Term 3: Rebuilding attachment bonds

    1. Becoming Open and Responsive: The Hold Me Tight® Conversation
    2. Forgiving Injuries and Trusting Again
    3. Tender Touch and Synchrony Sex
    4. Keeping Your Love Alive & Caring for Your Relationship

Program Delivery:

    • The program will be held on Ontario Telehealth Network, a secure platform provided by the Ontario Government for physicians to meet with patients and Zoom during the presentations, videos and small group breakout time. Links will be sent to participants prior to each meeting.

Course Fees:

You may come as an individual, but we highly encourage your partner to join with you. Pricing for individuals is the same as for a couple.

    1. Course Material Fees: 
      All participants are required to purchase copyrighted course material and resources.
      • Standard Rate: $300 plus HST = $339 CAD per twelve 1.25-hour sessions
    2. Non-OHIP Registration Program Fee for non TCCC members (Applies to all rate types)
      • Standard Rate: $700.00 plus HST = $791.00 CAD per twelve 1.25-hour sessions
      • Sponsorship Application (applicable to those with financial challenges. Please read below for more details)
  1. Participants who would like a sponsorship, please email our staff at therapy@gracehealthcentre.ca for the application form.
  2. Participants who successfully applied for sponsorship from Grace Health Centre will be asked to help with demonstrations of the exercises by Dr. Wong and to grant permission to use these demonstrations to benefit other participants.

Grace Health Centre will make every effort to accommodate people experiencing low resource, take into consideration your financial situation and not turn away anyone unless the seats are full.

Payment is made with e-transfer or credit card on the registration form. If you are using E-transfer to complete payment, please use email address therapy@gracehealthcentre.ca for e-transfer service. 

 

If you are paying by e-transfer, please take note of below details to set the transaction passwords:

email: therapy@gracehealthcentre.ca

Password: Your last name + last four digit of your mobile number on the registration form

example:

Name: Alex Chen
Mobile: 647 123-4566

Password: chen4566

Course fees (covering non-physician facilitation, course development costs and copyright fees) may be eligible for private insurance coverage claims under Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist – for Online Group Therapy. Your private insurer determines and approves the eligibility of the claim. You will receive an invoice to send to your insurer.  You are responsible for making these claims to your insurer.

Meet Your Course Lead and Trainer

Dr. Tat-Ying Wong is a family physician who graduated with his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Toronto and has extensive experience and training in marital, family, and sexual therapy. Dr. Wong is also the only Cantonese speaking ICEEFT certified Emotionally Focused Therapy International Trainer,  training thousands of social workers, counsellors, couple and family therapists, clergy, psychologists, physicians and nurses in Asia and North America. His special interests include premarital counselling, couples therapy, emotional disorders, trauma, neurodiversity, families in ministry, cultural contextualization of family therapy to Chinese families, family therapy related to medical problems and training and supervision of lay and professional helpers. Dr. Wong has been involved in psychoeducation for three decades and regularly leads evidence based groups for individuals on self esteem, managing emotions, Hold Me Tight® and Created for Connection groups for couples, Hold Me Tight Let Me Go groups for families with adolescents, and other  couple and parent training and support groups. Dr. Wong published the first and only EFT outcome study with Chinese couples based on Hold Me Tight and Created for Connection, showing couples improved their attachment security, dyadic adjustment and family functioning after the program.

Languages Spoken: English, Cantonese, Mandarin

Register Now

Initial Screening for Suitability for the Group

Once you register, you will be offered two options for the initial screening.  If you are attending the group in-person, you will meet with Dr. Wong in person.  For those participants participating virtually, a Grace Health Centre staff will be in touch with you to schedule an in-person appointment at Grace Health Centre (402-2830 Keele St, Toronto) for an initial screening with Dr. Wong.

The initial screening is NOT necessary for these people:

  • Participants who have seen Dr. Wong in 2023-2024
  • Participants who attended the in-person “Hold Me Tight” courses at TCCC in September 2023

PROGRAM APPLICATION

Program Participation Agreement Form
  1. This is an educational program that does not replace the need for professional help and medications. Participants need to continue their current treatment during the course.  Even though the facilitators are trained and licensed mental health professionals, they are not acting as an individual therapist in their role as course facilitator.  The course materials are presented from a scientific perspective. The Created for Connection, Christian version of the Hold Me Tight program will also integrate Scripture.
  2. Participants need to be stable, able to commit the time required, concentrate, absorb the key concepts, complete the basic exercises, and not be at risk to themselves or others so that a safe and productive learning environment can be maintained. The facilitators will ask participants who need additional help to consult their helping professionals. Participants who are not suitable for the course will be provided with a refund less administrative charge of $20. 
  3. Most participants will benefit from listening or watching to the course content several times to improve comprehension and retention. 
  4. Attendance of all the online sessions, engaging with the audio-visual and written course material for each session, and participation in the in class discussions, sharing, self-reflection and skill building exercises are required for maximum benefit and growth. 
  5. For optimal learning, participants are encouraged to review each lesson. 
  6. Participants will keep the personal sharing and discussion confidential to protect each other’s privacy. 
  7. Participants who are absent for emergencies, illness and other reasons beyond their control are expected to notify the facilitator as soon as possible and complete the work for the session that they have missed to the best of their ability. 
  8. I acknowledge that my personal and relational growth is my own responsibility and am willing to take this responsibility by facing myself, engaging and renewing my way of thinking, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviour and experience without avoiding/blaming myself or others. I understand that I am fully and solely responsible for the results and decisions that I make regarding my use of this course. I release the facilitator, the program developer, and all related institutions and organizations from any and all liability and accept full responsibility for my involvement in this course and the use of any related materials. 
  9. Participants can support each other through mutual acceptance, understanding, validation, empathy and encouragement. 
  10. Participants are also required to complete self-assessments before and after the course to gauge their progress and encourage self-awareness and self-reflection, which is the first step in personal and relational growth. 
  11. In emergency situations or times when the participant is at imminent risk of hurting him/herself or others, then he or she needs to go to the closest emergency department or call 911 for immediate assistance. 
  12. Participants may be involved in photographs, testimonies, and the production of short audio-visual clips for the purpose of promotion and helping other course participants.
  13. Participants understand the Risks of using electronic communication and that Grace Health Centre (GHC) Team will use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of information sent and received using email and/or text messages. However, because of the risks outlined below, the GHC Team cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of electronic communications. 
    • Use of electronic communications to discuss sensitive information can increase the risk of such information being disclosed to third parties.
    • Despite reasonable efforts to protect the privacy and security of electronic communication, it is not possible to completely secure the information.
    • Employers and online services may have a legal right to inspect and keep electronic communications that pass through their system.
    • Electronic communications can introduce malware into a computer system and potentially damage or disrupt the computer, networks, and security settings.
    • Electronic communications can be forwarded, intercepted, circulated, stored, or even changed without the knowledge or permission of the GHC Team or the patient.
    • Even after the sender and recipient have deleted copies of electronic communication, back-up copies may exist on a computer system.
    • Electronic communications may be disclosed in accordance with a duty to report or a court order.
    • Videoconferencing using services may be more open to interception than other forms of videoconferencing.

Participants acknowledge and understand that despite recommendations that encryption software be used as a security mechanism for electronic communications, it is possible that communications with the GHC Team using the Services may not be encrypted. Despite this, I agree to communicate using video conferencing, email and/or text messages with a full understanding of the risk.

14. Participants understand that Grace Health Centre will keep participant information private and secure.

15. Application fee is non-refundable. If participants cancel before/after the first session, the course fee will be prorated and can be kept as “credit” for future courses. A “credit’ will be valid for 24 months, starting from the date of your cancellation.