All Couples Get Tangled Up

Living in Florida, I do a lot of fishing. I may not catch many fish, but I’m pretty good at getting my line tangled. I’m actually an expert at that! Although I try to avoid it, it sort of comes with the territory when I go fishing. I’m doing fine one minute and, the next, I’ve got a world class tangle and I’m wondering, “How in the world did that happen…again? How did I make such a mess and how in the world do I undo it?” Everything stops until I straighten things out. But that takes time and patience. It’s frustrating, definitely no fun and, to make matters worse, often my best efforts only succeed in making a bigger mess. Sometimes, I just want to pack up my gear and go home.
Tangled fishing line and nets representing the tangles that happen in relationships. A Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL can help untie these knots. Retreats for Couples are offered for people in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Beyond.

The More You Try to Fix it the More Tangled You Get

Relationships can be that way too. No matter how in love we might be, all couples get “tangled up” from time to time. It’s fairly inevitable. We don’t set out to do it; it’s not how we want our relationship to go, but tangles sort of come with the territory in love. One minute, things are going fine and the next, we misunderstand, misinterpret, misspeak, someone’s feelings get hurt and everything grinds to a halt. Our lines are crossed. We’re stuck and nothing good happens until we can straighten things out. And often, the more we try to fix it or figure it out, the more tangled we get. Things just go from bad to worse and we wonder, “How in the world did that happen…again?” It’s easy to get discouraged, frustrated. We might even want to throw in the towel and give up.

You Can Make Sense of What Seems So Confusing in a Couples Retreat

Wouldn’t you love to understand those tangles, not just how they happened but, more than that, how to work them out, how to get back to the fun you were having before everything got crossed up in the first place? I’ve got good news: that’s what we do in a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat.  Hold Me Tight®️ is based on the groundbreaking science of attachment. Together with other couples over two low key, fun days together, you and your partner will find out, first, that you aren’t alone. All couples get tangled up and, second, those messes really do make sense. Contrary to how it looks when things are so knotted, love is more than just a jumble of criss crossed emotions and desires. In Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreats, you’ll make sense of what can be so confusing. You’ll learn about the connection that all couples want and need, but is so often missing. You’ll begin to understand your partner in ways you never did. When those terrible tangles begin to make sense, you’re one step closer to straightening them out.

A young couple sit on the edge of an old boat on the beach representing a couple participating in a Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL. Couples Retreats are offered for people in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and beyind.

Couples Retreats Can Untangle Those Knots

In a Hold Me Tight®️ couples retreat, you’ll learn that we all have ways of coping with our tangles, trying to straighten things out. Maybe we get critical, blame, find fault with or interrogate our partner. Or maybe we run for cover, shut down, avoid, obfuscate, minimize, defend. Some of us pursue our partner, some pull away. But those many and various moves really only make things worse, until we slow down and understand what we really need.

The Beauty of Untangling Knots

It’s beautiful when couples finally see that, in those tangled up messes that we all encounter, something deeper is happening, something we don’t often see on the surface. When we finally understand that and let our partner in on it, we can connect in ways that perhaps we never have. It really is possible to untangle the messes we get into. When we understand how we got tangled up and what we really need in that moment, we can work out the knots and get back to the fun that a good relationship is supposed to be in the first place.

A couple stands face to face on the beach at sunset rejuvenated after a Retreat for Couples in Orlando, FL. Couples Retreats are offered for everyone in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and beyond.

Ready to Attend a Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL and Untangle Your Relationship Knots?

Are you a couple that is attending therapy but still feel that something is missing? Do you there is more you could be doing to improve your relationship on a fundamental level? Are you ready to take the next step? If any of these sound like where you are at in your life, you are not alone. Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreats, offered by Vicki and Mark, offer a safe place to reconnect and learn how to grow in your relationship. This workshop will leave you equipped to continue enriching your relationship long after the weekend is over. Follow the steps below to get started on your empowering journey.


  • Get to know more about Vicki and Mark here.
  • Fill out our convenient online contact form.
  • Prepare for a powerful life changing experience!


A fishing boat with untangled nets cast in the water representing the clarity that can be found at a Couples Retreat in Orlando, FL. Our Couples Retreats in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and beyond are here to help.

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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