$200 Early Bird Discount Available Until December 31, 2025

RLT Conference 2026 in Montreal, Canada

  • Friday September 25th → Sunday, September 27th, 2026
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.
Register Now

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 current neuroscience with the IFS model of therapy.

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.

Secure your discounted early bird ticket today & get priority booking on all workshops when they’re announced.

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.
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Panel Discussion

Working With Masculinity

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

Panelists TBC

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.

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.

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 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

The exact schedule will be announced closer to the date. 

Get first choice on all workshops when they’re announced with your discounted early bird ticket

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."

Christina Neri

"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."

Claudia Crawford

"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!"

Heather Webster-Henry

"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."

Lorena Shadwick
$200 early bird discount available until December 31, 2025

Secure Your $200 Early Bird Discount Today

Secure yours today and get first choice on all workshops when they’re announced.

General Admission

$795

Your Early Bird Price

$595

(Only 100 available)

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/

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.

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. 

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

Yes – we will reserve a number of rooms at the DoubleTree Hilton Montreal, but all guests pay for their own accommodation. Once we have rooms finalized, we’ll email you the link to book your room. 

Alternatively, other hotels and accommodation options are available nearby. 

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.

Register Now

Copyright © 2025 Relational Life Institute. All rights reserved.

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CE REQUIREMENTS:

The Relational Life Institute is pleased to offer:

Healing in Connection: 

The Power of Relational Presence in Trauma Recovery

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

ACEP No. 7495

FORMAT: A LIVE Online Webinar facilitated by Desirae Ysasi, LPC-S; RLT Director of Training

Continuing Education credits offered: 1.5 credit hours

Course Description:

This free training introduces clinicians to the Relational Life Therapy (RLT) approach to trauma healing within couples therapy. Participants will learn how trauma-driven behaviors emerge in intimate relationships and how to identify and address these patterns in practice.

The session will demonstrate how conducting inner child work in the presence of a partner allows clients to have corrective emotional experiences, rewire trauma-rooted beliefs, and strengthens their relationships. Through lecture, clinical examples, and Q&A, participants will gain actionable insights on how to integrate relational presence and co-regulation into their clinical work.

Learning Objectives: At the completion of this course, participants can expect to be able to:

 

  • Describe how trauma impacts the nervous system and relational behaviors, and explain how RLT frames these adaptations as “Adaptive Child” strategies.
  • Identify three ways that relational connection and co-regulation contribute to healing trauma.
  • Apply core RLT principles – truth-telling, compassionate confrontation, and skill-building – to facilitate relational healing in couples therapy. 

Target Audience: Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors 

Course Content Level: The course content is appropriate for Beginner level clinicians.

Cost:   This is a free webinar!

Course Date & Hours:   Monday, September 22, 2025 2:30 – 4:00pm ET

TO REGISTER:  https://relationallife.com/trauma-recovery

Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your registration up until September 22, 2025.

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel. 

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Please contact our Support team if you have any questions support@terryreal.com 

Instructor’s Bio:

Desirae Ysasi, LPC-S 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 virtual therapy group practice focused on RLT, providing relationship therapy across Texas.

CONFLICT of Interest: There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support for this event.

Grievance Procedure:

If a student believes they have been discriminated against, they can submit a written complaint that includes their name, address, phone number, location, date, and a detailed description of the issue. If a student with a disability disagrees with the accommodation provided or has any other grievances, they can schedule a meeting to discuss and attempt to find a solution together. If the student is still not satisfied with the accommodation after further discussion, they can contact the Operations Director for

the Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan, via phone, email, or mail. If the grievance cannot be resolved, the complainant will be advised to contact the appropriate Ethics Committee or Licensing Board. The Operations Director will keep all grievances and their resolutions confidential in locked files.

A copy of this Grievance Procedure is available upon request.

Contact information: ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 617-861-3030 lisa@relationallife.com

www.relationallife.com

CE REQUIREMENTS:

The Relational Life Institute is pleased to offer:

Working With Men

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

ACEP No. 7495

FORMAT: A LIVE Online Course facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW; and Julie Rudiger, LCSW

Continuing Education credits offered: 12  credit hours

There is an additional $40 fee to receive a certificate, and you must attend all 8 classes in their entirety. There is no partial credit, attendance will be taken.

Course Description:

Over eight live online classes, learn the skills to engage, motivate, and create breakthrough change with resistant male clients in this live, practice-focused training led by renowned couples therapist and male-psychology expert Terry Real, alongside RLT Faculty Member Julie Rudiger, LCSW. Grounded in Relational Life Therapy (RLT), the course unpacks how patriarchal conditioning and performance-based self-worth fuel disconnection, defensiveness, and shutdown, then shows you how to build trust with even the most challenging men through clear, compassionate confrontation that preserves the therapeutic alliance. You’ll learn to create effective leverage for transformation without triggering collapse, withdrawal, or escalated resistance; tailor interventions for the three common presentations—“boys, bullies, and avoiders”; and reframe masculinity so emotional expression is aligned with strength, honor, and integrity rather than weakness. Through demonstrations and actionable tools from both instructors, you’ll guide men in trauma healing and relational skill development that supports healthier partnerships and parenting. Leave with a concrete RLT roadmap you can use immediately to help clients move from resistance to responsibility and from disconnection to genuine intimacy.

Learning Objectives: At the completion of this course, participants can expect to be able to:

  • Summarize the cultural shaping of masculinity and its consequences.
  • Recognize shame and grandiosity as dual defenses tied to male self-worth.
  • Develop skills to help men shift from defensiveness to compassion.
  • Identify how shame and performance-based esteem show up in male clients.
  • Discuss culturally sensitive ways to challenge entitlement and grandiosity.
  • Identify and work with three major types of difficult men: boys, bullies, and avoiders.
  • Describe how to use leverage as a tool to create change.
  • Identify patterns of resistance in men and learn how to engage them effectively.
  • Utilize leverage to create internal or external motivation for change.
  • Illustrate empowerment to the partner or family system to create pressure that opens the door to transformation.
  • Compare and differentiate between their wounded child, adaptive child, and functional adult selves.
  • Develop an internal caregiving relationship with their inner children rather than expecting partners to repair old wounds.
  • Demonstrate full relational responsibility as an adult, especially in high-conflict, high-defensiveness relationships.

Target Audience: Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors 

Course Content Level: The course content is appropriate for Beginner level clinicians.

Cost:   $497 or three payments of $197 each.

Course Date & Hours:   

90 minutes each class on:

September 10, 17, 24; October 1, 7, 9, 14, 21, 2025 

TO REGISTER: https://relationallife.com/working-with-men

Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your registration up until September 16, 2025

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel.

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com 

Please contact our Support team if you have any questions support@terryreal.com 

Instructor’s Bio:

Terry Real, LICSW: Terry Real is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression, the straight-talking How Can I Get Through to You? Reconnecting Men and Women, The New Rules of Marriage: What You Need to Make Love Work and most recently Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship just debuted in June 2022.  Terry founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians.   Terry’s work, with its rigorous commonsense approach, speaks to both men and women. A proponent of “full-throttle marriage,” Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Julie Rudiger, LCSW has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the last 30 years. In 2002, Julie opened her private practice, where she has helped hundreds of individuals and couples over the last two decades. Her professional journey took a transformative turn in 2008 when she began training with Terry Real, the founder of Relational Life Therapy (RLT). Julie has since used RLT to guide clients in discovering self-esteem, healing early wounds, and fostering deeper, more authentic relationships. A faculty member at the Relational Life Institute since 2022, Julie now trains other therapists and leads community workshops, including Men’s Groups and Relationship Skills Bootcamps. Additionally, she is trained in EMDR, ACT, DBT, Gestalt, and the Enneagram.

CONFLICT of Interest: There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support for this event.

Grievance Procedure:

If a student believes they have been discriminated against, they can submit a written complaint that includes their name, address, phone number, location, date, and a detailed description of the issue. If a student with a disability disagrees with the accommodation provided or has any other grievances, they can schedule a meeting to discuss and attempt to find a solution together. If the student is still not satisfied with the accommodation after further discussion, they can contact the Operations Director for

the Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan, via phone, email, or mail. If the grievance cannot be resolved, the complainant will be advised to contact the appropriate Ethics Committee or Licensing Board. The Operations Director will keep all grievances and their resolutions confidential in locked files.

A copy of this Grievance Procedure is available upon request.

Contact information: ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 617-861-3030 lisa@relationallife.com