Hold Me Tight® + Optimal Intimacy™
Two Days. Two Proven Frameworks.
One Transformational Experience for Your Relationship.
You’re close… but not quite connected. Maybe your emotional bond feels a little frayed. Maybe desire has faded—or feels hard to talk about.
This powerful 2-day workshop helps couples rebuild trust, rekindle intimacy, and create a relationship that feels both secure and alive.
Based on Dr. Sue Johnson’s Hold Me Tight® and our science-backed Optimal Intimacy™ model, this science-based workshop series helps couples enhance meaning, desire, and sexual connection.
Ready to reconnect–emotionally and intimately?
This experience combines the power of two proven models to help you and your partner break out of challenging patterns, rebuild trust, and create a more fulfilling emotional and sexual connection.
Dates: February 27 & 28, 2026
Day 1: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT
Please arrive at 8:45 AM for check-in.
Day 2: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT
Lunch break: Both days will include a 1-hour lunch break, with several restaurants within walking distance.
Cost: $975 per couple (includes workbooks and snacks)
Facilitator: Karen Naegel, Ph.D (Clinical Sexology), LMFT, EFCT, CST
Location: 4726 Park Road, Suite C, Charlotte, NC 28209
In-person — Limited to 4 couples
Cancellation policy: Your space is reserved exclusively for you and your partner. Cancellations made 7 days in advance receive a 50% refund. Cancellations made within 7 days receive a 25% refund.
What you’ll learn and practice together
This two-day workshop integrates two evidence-based frameworks to help couples repair, reconnect, and strengthen their emotional and sexual bond.
Day 1 — Hold Me Tight®
Emotional Bonding & Communication
1. Understand Attachment Bonds
Learn how adult attachment shapes your relationship and reconnect with what brought you together.
2. Enhance Emotional Connection
Develop skills to express and validate emotions effectively and understand each other’s emotional needs.
3. Improve Communication Dynamics
Identify your negative cycle, enhance active listening, and break reactive patterns.
4. Build a Secure Foundation
Strengthen emotional safety, trust, and responsiveness.
5. Navigate Conflict Constructively
Develop strategies to repair, respond, and reconnect through difficult moments.
Day 2 — Optimal Intimacy™
Desire, Touch, & Sexual Connection
1. Meaning & Motivation
Explore how meaning, purpose, and emotional engagement shape desire and closeness.
2. The Science of Desire
Understand your individual desire pathways—emotional, cognitive, and physiological.
3. Trust in Touch & Sexual Scripts
Enhance trust, comfort, and erotic confidence through updated sexual scripts and safe communication.
4. Pleasure, Touch & Connection
Learn the “touch gears” that support physical and emotional intimacy.
5. Couple Expansion & Future Roadmap
Develop a clear plan for sustaining emotional and sexual connection long-term.
“Excellent sharing of real-life examples. It helped us realize we’re not alone. The workshop reinforced that commitment and willingness to make it work are key to success.”
— Male Participant, Hold Me Tight®
Feeling disconnected emotionally or sexually?
Let this weekend be your turning point.
Is this 2-day workshop right for us?
This combined workshop is designed for couples who want to strengthen their relationship—emotionally, relationally, and sexually.
This experience is great for you if...
- You want to feel closer, more secure, and more connected.
- You’re craving more confidence and comfort around sexual intimacy.
- You’re ready to stop avoiding sensitive conversations—and start having them with care.
- You’re seeking tools that actually work—not just more communication tips.
This workshop is ideal for committed couples at any stage—newly married, long married, or later-in-life couples.
This experience may not be a fit if there's...
- A lack of commitment from one or both partners
- High relationship distress, including threats to leave the relationship
- A partner unwilling to engage in strengthening emotional or sexual connection
In these cases, individual or couples therapy may be more appropriate before joining a growth-oriented workshop. Referrals are available.
Unsure if this workshop series is a good fit for you?
Contact us, and we’ll help you decide if this is the right next step.
“The breakout sessions were extremely helpful! The science-backed information made everything feel clear and practical. This workshop has been very worthwhile.”
–Female workshop participant, Optimal Intimacy™
About your facilitator, Dr. Karen Naegel
PhD (Clinical Sexology), LMFT, EFCT, CST
Dr. Karen Naegel created the Optimal Intimacy™ and combined Hold Me Tight® + Optimal Intimacy™ workshops based on her specialized training in couples therapy, attachment science, and sex therapy.
Her doctoral research integrated Hold Me Tight® and Optimal Intimacy™ into a unified model for strengthening emotional and sexual connection. Her dissertation, Hold Me Tight and Enhancing Sexual Intimacy: An Integrated Workshop for Couples Pilot Study, led to a peer-reviewed manuscript, Integrating Attachment and Sexuality, accepted for publication in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy and currently in production.
Dr. Naegel has facilitated more than 25 couples workshops, continually refining her approach to help partners deepen closeness, improve communication, and cultivate lasting desire.
Outside of her work with couples, she enjoys spending time with her husband of over 24 years and their two young adult children. She also loves weightlifting and outdoor activities that keep her grounded and energized.
Reviews from past workshop participants
Reconnect where it matters most
Strengthen your emotional bond. Increase desire. Build intimacy that lasts.
Spots are limited for privacy and personal attention.
Can’t make our next 2-day workshop?
Get on our waitlist by completing the form below.