HELD: For the one everyone else leans on.
A 3-day, small-group therapy intensive for women who have always been the strong one — and have never once been held themselves.
If you recognize yourself here,
You've spent a lifetime being the capable one.
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Responsibility arrived early, and it never really left.
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You learned that needing things was risky, so you stopped asking.
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Someone else always took up all the space, and your own losses had to wait. They're still waiting.
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You've done the work. You understand it completely. And you still can't put the weight down.
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Even in the safe moments, you're waiting for the thing that needs managing.
The room.
Three days. A small group of women who get it. This is not a room where you hold space for everyone else — it's a room that finally holds you.
Why understanding wasn't enough
Insight was supposed to be the finish line. It wasn't.
You can name where this comes from. You know the family role you were handed, the moment you learned to hold it all together. That understanding is real — and it lives in the part of you that thinks.
The bracing doesn't. Staying on, staying ready, scanning the room — that runs from somewhere older and faster, the part of you that learned long ago it wasn't safe to set the weight down.
That part doesn't change through more explaining. It changes through depth, and safety, and being met — concentrated days of it, in a room with women who carry the same thing. That's what an intensive makes possible that a weekly hour never could.
And it shows up in your relationships
The one who over-gives is often the one who was never held first.
For a lot of women who carry this, the pattern doesn't stay in childhood. It follows you into love — you give until you resent them, you choose the person who needs saving, you feel safest when you're the one holding it together, and least safe when someone tries to hold you.
It's the same root.
If being needed was the only way you learned to be safe, then rest, receiving, and being cared for can feel more threatening than exhaustion ever did. HELD works with that root — so the way you love stops costing you yourself.
THE NAME
HELD
For three days, the holding isn't yours to do. The part of you that never learned it was safe to lean on others finally gets to — by a therapist trained in this exact wound, and by a small circle of women who already understand.
What to Expect
Three sections, one arc. From telling the story to reclaiming your Self.
1
Telling the Story
We map your history out loud, together — the whole arc in front of you, marked at the moments that shaped who you had to become. We trace the developmental turns of childhood and adolescence: when responsibility arrived early, when you learned it wasn't safe to need things, when you became the one everyone leaned on. And we name how your family of origin — the people who raised you, and the roles they handed you — taught you who you had to be to stay safe and loved.
2
Reparenting Her
From your timeline, we choose two memories from childhood that still shape who you are today. Then we go back to the younger version of you inside them — and this time, she isn't alone. We give her exactly what she needed from a loving caregiver back then: the words, the protection, the reassurance, the permission to be a child. This is where the belief that you were too much, or not enough, or responsible for everyone begins to loosen — because she finally gets what she was owed. This is the heart of the work. Reparenting your inner child is the work you will come back to long after the intensive is over and is what I’ve seen creates the most meaningful change.
3
Handing it Back
So much of what you carry was never yours to hold — shame that belonged to someone else, responsibility no child should have been handed. Using experiential, empty-chair work, you give it back: to whoever placed it on you. You name what was theirs, what the younger version of you needed instead, and what your adult Self is taking over now. The entire time, we’re tracking the body — noticing where that old weight has lived in you, and what begins to shift when you finally set it down.
What you get
neurobiologically-informed treatment
Moving beyond traditional talk therapy to work directly with how your brain and body store trauma, utilizing somatic practices and experiential work.
Intensive prep guide & tailored treatment plan
You won't go in blind. We co-create a clear roadmap before we begin so you feel completely prepared and grounded.
Comfortable, inviting space (there are even snacks!)
A curated, private environment designed to keep your nervous system settled—complete with grounding tools, tea, and nourishing snacks. If virtual, a list of suggestions.
A guide on your journey to healing
You are never alone in the heavy lifting. I provide compassionate, steady, and regulated support every step of the way.
Your Options
Upcoming Intensive Dates
Reserve the dates as an individual intensive, or claim one of three spots for a group intensive.
Intensives aren't the right fit for every situation — sometimes other supports need to be in place first. We'll discuss this together in your consultation call.
SEATTLE, WA
SEPTEMBER 17-19
OCTOBER 15-18 (Retreat Style)
DECEMBER 3-5
NASHVILLE, TN
NOVEMBER 8-10
The Investment:
Group Intensive: $2000-$2400, depending on location of intensive
Individual Intensive: $2750
PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE
CRISTINE STEELE
LMFT & DEVELOPMENTAL AND RELATIONAL TRAUMA THERAPIST
Cristine helps women process and move forward from developmental and relational trauma — the kind that teaches you to be capable, contained, and endlessly available for everyone but yourself. She built HELD for the women she kept meeting in her practice: the strong ones, the eldest ones, the ones who understood their story perfectly and still couldn't set it down. Her belief is simple — being in a small, intimate group is far more healing than intimidating. It's time you let others truly witness all the parts of you, to know you aren't too much, and to be held.
Imagine finally getting to…
Resolve deep wounds for lasting change
You don’t have to minimize your pain or silence your story anymore. You’re allowed to bring your full self to this space. Together, we gently work with your nervous system so old patterns soften, allowing you to relate to yourself and others from a calm, centered, compassionate place.
Change the way you show up in relationships
We’ll rewire the relational patterns that keep you withdrawing or people-pleasing. By providing the space to truly listen to your body, you can shift from the inside out. You’ll notice an newfound ability to speak honestly, take up space, and experience more ease with your partners.
Reclaim your time and emotional energy
In a 3+ day intensive, we compress months of traditional therapy into one intentional container. You finish the experience genuinely feeling different—more grounded, more present, and finally aligned with who you want to be.
faqs
Other intensive questions? I’ve got answers.
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Traditional weekly therapy is like sprinkling water on a plant once a week. Intensives are like giving your nervous system a deep, sustained drink so it can actually change.
In 3+ days, you stay inside the work long enough for patterns to surface, process, and release—so you’re not restarting your story every week.
This is especially powerful if you’re a busy professional, parent, or therapist who doesn’t have the bandwidth for years of weekly sessions.
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An intensive is a great fit if:
You’re frustrated with how slow weekly therapy feels.
You’re ready to be honest about what’s actually stuck, not just “how you’re doing.”
You’re willing to invest your time and energy into a focused, deep container.
It is not a good fit if:
You’re in an acute crisis and need immediate stabilization.
You’re not ready to sit with discomfort or vulnerability.
If you’re unsure, we can explore this in a consultation before you commit.
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Here are a few gentle ways to prepare:
Complete the Intensive Assessment to clarify your priorities.
Block the time on your calendar so you can arrive without guilt or distraction.
Complete a short written reflection (optional) about what you’re carrying and what you’d like to release.
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The next step is simple:
Schedule a 30 minute consultation to see if an intensive is the right container for you.
During that call, we’ll talk about what you’re hoping to shift, clarify if you’re in the right season for an intensive, and give you a clear sense of structure.
If it's a good fit, you’ll book your intensive dates and receive your prep workbook to get the most out of our time together.
You’ve held everyone else for long enough.
Let this hold you.
Start with a consultation call. There is no pressure and no pitch. This is a conversation to see whether HELD is right for you and which cohort fits.