The book Hold Me Tight, first published by Dr. Johnson in 2008, offers a revolutionary new way to see and shape love relationships. The stories, new ideas and exercises in the book are based on the new science of love and the wisdom of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), an effective new model developed by Dr. Johnson. Subsequently, Dr. Johnson developed the Hold Me Tight® Program as a workshop for couples to enhance their relationships. By 2018, several variants of the program had also been developed: Hold Me Tight®/Let Me Go for parents and teens, Created For Connection for Christian couples, Healing Hearts Together for partners facing cardiac disease, and Hold Me Tight® Online for couples who wish to experience the benefits of the Hold Me Tight® Program from the comfort of their home and on their own schedule. These programs are now used in many countries throughout the world. For more information, see the links below.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company – Published Apr 08, 2008 – ISBN: 9780316113007

Seven Transforming Conversations:

  1. Recognizing Demon Dialogues—In this first conversation, couples identify negative and destructive remarks in order to get to the root of the problem and figure out what each other is really trying to say.
  2. Finding the Raw Spots—Here, each partner learns to look beyond immediate, impulsive reactions to figure out what raw spots are being hit.
  3. Revisiting a Rocky Moment—This conversation provides a platform for de-escalating conflict and repairing rifts in a relationship and building emotional safety.
  4. Hold Me Tight—The heart of the program: this conversation moves partners into being more accessible, emotionally responsive, and deeply engaged with each other.
  5. Forgiving Injuries—Injuries may be forgiven but they never disappear. Instead, they need to become integrated into couples’ conversations as demonstrations of renewal and connection. Knowing how to find and offer forgiveness empowers couples to strengthen their bond.
  6. Bonding Through Sex and Touch—Here, couples find how emotional connection creates great sex, and how good sex creates deeper emotional connection.
  7. Keeping Your Love Alive—This last conversation is built on the understanding that love is a continual process of losing and finding emotional connection; it asks couples to be deliberate and mindful about maintaining connection.

What Is Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT)?