Calling All Couples/ Relationship Therapists

When It Gets Personal: The Self of the Therapist in Couples Therapy

A One-Day Experiential Gathering for Relationship Therapists Ready to Deepen Their Clinical Presence and Reconnect with Community

You spend your days helping couples navigate conflict, attachment wounds, betrayal, and emotional intensity. But who helps you process the impact of doing this vital work?

Many couples therapists work in relative isolation, carrying the emotional weight of relational work without regular opportunities for reflection, consultation, and community.

This workshop was created to change that. It offers an opportunity to step out of isolation and into a room filled with clinicians who care deeply about relational work, allowing us to exist in a supportive and collaborative community.

Date & Time

Date: October 2, 2026

Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Location

Holiday Inn Burlington

3063 South Service Road

Burlington, Ontario

L7N 3E9

Investment

Regular Price: $250

Early bird pricing has ended! Sign up now to avoid disappointment.

This price includes lunch and refreshments.

In order to uphold the values of what the day is, we will be capping enrollment at 30 participants.

Why Experiential Learning Matters in Couples Therapy

As relational therapists, our reactions, histories, and relational patterns don’t stay outside the therapy room. They shape what we notice, how we intervene, and where we feel pulled. This workshop is an invitation to engage with that reality more intentionally.

This workshop is rooted in self-of-the-therapist exploration and professional identity development for relationship therapists. This is not a didactic training. The focus will be experiential, reflective, and collaborative, with time for dialogue and meaningful professional connection.

Intentions

Create a safe place where we can slow down, think together, speak honestly about the work and wrestle with its complexities
Explore how our experiences shape our therapeutic presence, particularly in moments of reactivity, high conflict, and emotional intensity
Build meaningful professional communities
Enhance our personal/professional identity
Invigorate our passion for relational work

You May Benefit From This Workshop If:

✓ You work with couples/relationships and sometimes feel alone in the complexity of the work.

✓ Your own relationship is struggling, leading you to question how you can possibly show up for your clients.

✓ You want space for reflection rather than another skills-based training.

✓ You value experiential learning and meaningful dialogue.

✓ You are looking to deepen your professional identity as a relationship therapist.

✓ You want to build genuine connections with other couples and relationship therapists.

Session Spotlight

The Courage to Be Human: What our own relational struggles ask of us as couple therapists

GUEST SPEAKER

Michelle Garraway, MSW, RSW

What happens when the relational struggles we support our clients through begin to echo our own?

Drawing on her experience of going through a divorce as a couples therapist, Michelle will explore the intersections between our personal and professional selves—and the courage it takes to keep showing up, exploring ourselves, and growing alongside the couples we support.

We’ll consider how our own relational experiences can challenge us, expose our edges, and deepen the very capacities we ask couples to build: self-awareness, vulnerability, accountability, repair, and the willingness to stay engaged when relationships get hard.

Hanna Watkins from Hanna Watkins Psychotherapy
Waterdown, Ontario
Burlington, ON
Hamilton, ON

Your Host

Hanna Watkins, MSc., RP, RMFT

Hanna (she/her) is a Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Marriage and Family Therapist with over 12 years of experience. She holds an MSc in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Guelph and works in private practice in Waterdown, Ontario.

Hanna approaches therapy through a relational, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive lens, drawing primarily from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and IFS/Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO). Her work with individuals and couples is grounded in an understanding that who we are, the relationships that have shaped us, and the broader systems we live within all influence how we experience ourselves and one another.

Increasingly, Hanna's work has extended beyond what happens between therapist and client to curiosity about the therapist themselves. She has a particular interest in how our identities, lived experiences, values, and relational patterns shape how we understand and practice therapy—and in creating spaces where therapists can explore these intersections with curiosity, honesty, and compassion.

Guest Speaker

Michelle Garraway, MSW, RSW

Michelle is a Registered Social Worker and PACT Couples Therapist, as well as the owner of The Relationship Agency. This psychotherapy clinic offers virtual services across Ontario and in-person services at two locations in Oshawa and Ajax. Their vision is to foster healing and growth that ripples outward—transforming individuals, families, and communities through secure, intentional relationships. As a business owner, she is dedicated to cultivating a workplace where skilled, self-aware relationship therapists can thrive, do meaningful work, and reach their fullest potential. An expert in relational intelligence, Michelle advocates for self-compassion, self-love, and interdependence. Her approach is grounded in attachment science, neuroscience, and developmental psychology, complemented by Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness, offering a holistic perspective. In addition, she conducts psychotherapy workshops that emphasize these principles, further enhancing the skills of relationship therapists.

Michelle Garraway from The Relationship Agency in Oshawa and Ajax, ON

Couples Therapy Workshop

Please reach us at hanna@hannawatkinspsychotherapy.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

How experiential is the workshop?

The workshop will include guided reflection, small-group discussion, experiential exercises, and opportunities for dialogue with peers. Participants are invited to engage at a level that feels appropriate and comfortable for them. You will never be pressured to disclose personal experiences, and confidentiality will be emphasized throughout the day.

Why focus on self-of-the-therapist work?

Couples therapy asks a great deal of us. Our reactions, assumptions, attachment histories, and relational experiences can influence how we understand and respond to clients. Developing greater awareness of these influences can strengthen therapeutic presence, increase clinical effectiveness, and help sustain us in this work over time.

Will there be networking opportunities? I want to build my therapist community.

Yes. A central intention of the day is to foster meaningful professional connection and reduce the isolation many couples therapists experience. There will be opportunities for conversation, collaboration, and networking throughout the day.

Will I receive a certificate of attendance?

Yes! After the workshop, you will receive an email with s short survey (optional) and the Certificate of Attendance.

Is this workshop suitable for new couples therapists?

This workshop will not be a Couples Therapy 101. Previous training in any couple/relational therapy model and experience is highly recommended.

Is lunch included? What do I need to bring?

Lunch and refreshments are included! All you need to bring is a willingness to participate and connect.

Is there on-site parking

Yes there is ample free parking on-site.

Is the workshop accessible?

The venue is wheelchair accessible. We recognize that creating a meaningful learning environment involves more than physical accessibility. We are committed to fostering a space that is welcoming, inclusive, and attentive to the diverse identities, experiences, and needs participants bring with them.

If you require any accessibility accommodations related to mobility, sensory needs, dietary restrictions, communication, or participation, please contact us prior to the workshop. We will do our best to work with you to ensure you can participate comfortably and meaningfully in the day.

If you have questions about accessibility or would like to discuss specific accommodations, please reach out to us at hanna@hannawatkinspsychotherapy.com before registering or attending.

Hanna Watkins Psychotherapy