RLT Conference 2026 in Montreal, Canada

Come together with a worldwide community of therapists and coaches to expand your learning, deepen your skills, and connect to the heart of relational work.

About the Conference | Intro RLT Training | How to Book | FAQs

What is the RLT Conference?

Learn

From thought leaders through inspiring keynotes

Grow

Your skills through interactive workshops

Connect

With our community through networking & socials

The RLT Conference is a multi-day, live, in-person experience featuring Terry Real and leading minds in relational therapy.

You’ll explore groundbreaking relational topics, learn from visionary therapists, and build a supportive network within our thriving community of wholehearted practitioners.

Keynote Speakers

We have 5 incredible keynote speakers confirmed who will bring new perspectives to your work.

Terry Real

the Creator of Relational Life Therapy

Internationally recognized family therapist Terry Real, LICSW, is the New York Times bestselling author of Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He is the creator of Relational Life Therapy

(RLT), the progressive approach to couples therapy that equips people with the powerful relational skills they need to cultivate meaningful connections – to themselves and each other.

Carol & Jim Gilligan,

Prominent Academics & Authors

Carol Gilligan is a developmental psychologist known for her groundbreaking work on women’s moral and psychological development. Her work inspired & informed a feminist-oriented movement in philosophical ethics known as the ethics of care.
Jim Gilligan is a psychiatrist who specializes in the psychology of violent behavior, best known for his series of books on the subject, which draw on his 25 years of work in the American prison system.

Martha Kauppi,

LMFT and Sex Therapist

Martha Kauppi is a marriage and family therapist, educator, and AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor.
She has a lifelong career in sexual health, counseling, and creative education. Her aim is to debunk myths and prominent cultural beliefs that disrupt intimate connections and create a world where finding a therapist who can work effectively with relational intimacy challenges is easy.

Frank Anderson,

Psychiatrist & Trauma Specialist

Frank Anderson, MD, is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist and the author of several books. He has spent the past three decades studying neuroscience and trauma treatment.
He completed his residency, served as a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and is passionate about integrating various models of therapy for trauma.

Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy

professor of family therapy

Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy is a professor of family therapy at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is also director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships in New York. His work with at-risk children and families has earned him public acclaim, including appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show, 20/20, and PBS. He regularly speaks on the topics of at-risk youth, trauma, and oppression.

Experiential Workshops

Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy

Communities of Color Under Siege: Tactics for Treating Racial Trauma

Deran Young

TBA

Cathy Hill

The Therapist’s Use of Self in Relationship Therapy

Anna Sterk

Living the Relational Grid: Application Across RLT Phases

Damian White

Is Terry Real? Existential Dimensions of RLT

Risa Ganel

From Silence to Agency: Empowering Latent Clients

Dr. Priscilla Short

Turning Reactivity Into Leverage Using the TIMBBBBER Framework

Solange Dufourq

Tapping Through Triggers: Helping Couples Return to Their Wise Adult

Dolma Beresford

Spontaneous, Responsive, Relational: Working Effectively With Desire Discrepancy in Couples

Zach Brittle

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes: Relational Recovery in Principle & Practice

Jane Bliss Birk

Relational Life Leadership: Translating RLT Into the World of Work

Rilla Clark & Clare Mezes

Know Your Stance. Shift the Dance: Bringing the Relationship Grid to Life

Ya'Ron Brown & Stacee Brown

When the Therapist Is the Third

Kate Harris

Walking the Talk: An Experiential Workshop on Cultivating Detachment

Shelly MacDonald

Relational Parenting: Changing the Thumbprint Before the Ink Is Dr

Dr. Lori Davis

Sexual Grandiosity: How Both Partners Can Get One Up (And What To Do About It)

Experiential Workshops

You’ll join 4 immersive workshops throughout the conference to deepen your skills on specialist topics. The exact workshop topics are yet to be announced – some of last year’s topics included neurodiversity, somatics, and couples therapy intensives.

Panel Discussion

Working With Masculinity

Explore the specific challenges of working with men and patriarchal conditioning in the therapy room.

Panelists: TBC

Moderated by Julie Rudiger, LCSW and Senior RLT Faculty

Socials & Networking

This event is all about coming together as a community. Whether you’re attending solo or with colleagues, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to connect and belong.

Networking:
We will facilitate more structured networking early in the conference to help you get to know others in the community and begin building relationships. This event will be beneficial for anyone attending solo.

Social Evening:
We will host a more relaxed get-together where you can mingle with the community and newfound friends.

What You’ll Experience

3 days of in-person learning and community
Keynotes from 5 defining voices in relational therapy
4 experiential workshops on specialist topics
1 panel discussion on the pressing topic of working with masculinity
Dedicated networking and social events
CE credit hours included
Lifetime access to session recordings

RLT Conference Schedule

3-Day Event 📍 DoubleTree Hilton, Montreal, Canada.

Takes place on 🗓 Friday, September 25th – Sunday, September 27th

Thursday September, 24th

⌚ 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Registration

Friday, September 25th

⌚ 8:00 – 9:00 am

Registration

⌚ 9:00 – 5:45 pm

Conference

⌚ 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Structured Networking

Saturday, September 26th

⌚ 8:00 – 9:00 am

Breathwork/meditation

⌚ 9:00 – 5:00 pm

Conference

⌚ 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Social

Sunday, September 27th

⌚ 8:00 – 9:00 am

Coffee & networking

⌚ 9:00 – 2:30 pm

Conference

New to RLT?

Join the Pre-Day Training:

An Introduction to Relational Life Therapy

With Desirae Ysasi, LPC-S, RLI Director of Training

🗓 Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 9am – 4pm

Discover the Powerful Principles Behind the RLT Method

If you’re new to the model or want to revisit the foundations ahead of the RLT Conference, we invite you to join our Director of Training, Desirae Ysasi, for a pre-day introductory training event.

You’ll explore the theory behind RLT, along with some of the effective tools and strategies that move couples toward meaningful change.

You’ll learn how to:

Identify the 5 guiding principles of RLT in clinical practice.

Interpret the 3 parts of the self in RLT and their roles in relationship dynamics.

Explain the key differences between RLT and traditional couples therapy.

Summarize the 3 Phases of RLT and the goals and therapeutic intentions of each.

About Your Teacher

Desirae Ysasi, LPC-S

Desirae Ysasi is a Licensed Professional Counselor
– Supervisor with nearly two decades of experience, specializing in relationship counseling.

Serving the San Antonio community since 2006, she works exclusively with couples in romantic relationships, folks in non-traditional romantic relationship structures (ethical nonmonogamy), and adults seeking to improve family dynamics.

Desirae became a Certified Relational Life Therapist in 2018 trained directly by Terry Real, the founder of Relational Life Therapy (RLT). She joined the faculty of the Relational Life Institute in 2022 and now serves as Director of Training & Certification, overseeing the global certification program. She has been the owner of Ysasi Counseling since 2014 and in the fall of 2024, Desirae opened Relational Life Texas, a group practice focused on RLT, providing relationship therapy across Texas.

“I really enjoyed the introduction to RLT delivered by Desirae yesterday. She gave a very informative and comprehensive overview and delivered it in an engaging way”

— Sharon Patel

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“Desirae is an extraordinary teacher and faculty advisor whose insight and support have deeply shaped my growth. She lives and breathes the RLT model and relationality—her ability to consistently apply the RLT lens gently course-corrects my own. She listens with intention, challenges with compassion, and offers guidance that is both practical and profound. I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned from her.”

— Nancy Pickard

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“Training with Desirae constantly leaves me with a sensation of clarity and direction. Her active and engaged style of instructing has assisted me in discovering my personal growth edges and meeting those with compassion. She has a great ability to sense into the group she is working with, being attuned to their needs and inviting participation to ensure all are receiving and integrating the instruction.”

— Jessica Johnson

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An Introduction to RLT Schedule

Pre-Day Training

Wednesday, September 23rd

⌚ 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Registration

Thursday, September 24th

⌚ 8:00 – 9:00 am

Registration

⌚ 9:00 am – 4 pm

An Introduction to RLT

About The Venue

Explore the DoubleTree Hilton, Montreal, Canada

Located in downtown’s Quartier des spectacles, DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal is linked to Complexe Desjardins mall and Montreal Convention Centre, and just 20km from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Intl Airport. It has two restaurants and bars, five terraces, an indoor pool, and a fitness center. Both the conference and our pre-day intro training are held at the DoubleTree.

For your convenience, we have reserved a number of rooms at the hotel. You will receive the booking link to secure your room at a discounted rate in the confirmation email once you register.

Please note: Participants are responsible for making their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Room Sharing

If you’re interested in sharing with another conference attendee, we’ll facilitate connections via a WhatsApp group to make room-sharing easier. We’ll create the WhatsApp group six months ahead of the conference and invite you to join via email.

Alternative Accommodation

While we encourage you to stay at the DoubleTree Hilton for easy access to the conference, you are also welcome to make other accommodation arrangements at another nearby hotel.

What Your Peers Said About Last Year’s RLT Conference

"This was THE BEST conference I have EVER attended.
I have been going to conferences since 2011 for CEs and different work experiences and this was BY FAR the absolute most relevant, engaging, and inspiring conference I have ever been to."

"Each and every presenter was magical in their presentation
Honestly, it was an amazing conference. It was well paced… I learned, was challenged, and felt so deeply enlivened by the entire experience."

"I was refreshed, inspired, and invigorated
It was so refreshing and encouraging to be with a group of people oriented towards being relational and actively in relational recovery! I came away feeling as if I'd been on a retreat; I was refreshed, inspired, and invigorated to deepen my personal relational recovery practice and my professional activities. The speakers were outstanding!"

"To be around and meet so many like minded people was by far the best part.
I loved the breakout sessions, and the social gatherings and seeing so many amazing presenters in person. I also loved that lunch was included, it made that part easy and did not add more financial strain to the day. I also loved the general sense of helpfulness and openness/warmth among attendees and also the RLT staff."

Join the Waitlist

Tickets for the 2026 RLT Conference are currently closed. Add your details below to join the waitlist, and we’ll email you as soon as a place becomes available.

Money-Back Guarantee

We appreciate plans may change therefore we offer a full refund if you cancel before Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Please email support@terryreal.com if you need to cancel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to the conference?

The DoubleTree Hilton Montreal is located just a 30-minute drive from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Intl Airport and a 10-minute drive from Montreal Central Train Station. Parking is available on-site for an additional charge, please visit the hotel website directly for more information: https://doubletreemontreal.com/en/

I’m new to RLT – can I still join?

Absolutely! This event is a fantastic opportunity to meet our community and immerse yourself in our work. We’ve added a special pre-day introductory training for anyone new to the model on Thursday, September 24 with our Director of Training Desirae Ysasi. This will give you the foundational knowledge you need to make the most of the full event.

How can I get the alumni discount?

All alumni members have received an email with a special discount code. Please check your inbox, and if you can’t find it, contact us at support@terryreal.com for assistance.

Not joined the Alumni Membership yet? Sign up here to become a member, then email support@terryreal.com to receive your 30% discount code for the conference.

Are Continuing Ed Credit Hours available?

Yes – we will have Continuing Ed Credit Hours available for those who attend all three days in full. We will confirm the exact number available soon.

Will the event be livestreamed?

To maximize the benefits of being together in person, there will not be a livestream ticket option available.

Do I need to arrange my own accommodation?

Our allocated rooms at the DoubleTree Hilton in Montreal have now sold out. If you wish to stay at the hotel, remaining rooms can be booked directly through the hotel at their standard published rates.

Alternative hotels within walking distance:

Hôtel Monville — Modern downtown hotel just a few minutes’ walk from the venue.
Holiday Inn Montreal Centreville Downtown — Close to the venue and Old Montreal.
Hilton Garden Inn Montreal Centre-Ville — Easy access to restaurants, shops, and the conference hotel.
AC Hotel Montréal Centre-Ville — Contemporary hotel within easy walking distance.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Montreal — Spacious suites near Old Montreal, 15–20 min walk.
Hampton Inn by Hilton Montreal Downtown — Comfortable option close to restaurants and Chinatown

Join us in Montreal in September 2026 to learn, grow, and connect with fellow practitioners who share your passion for creating a deeper, more connected world.