Living In The Margins Of Love
Relational Integrity Coach & Speaker
It’s not about being selfish — it’s about being self-first.
What if the most painful thing in a person’s relationship isn’t conflict — it’s silence?
Most people don’t leave bad relationships because they stopped loving the other person. They leave when they finally recognize who they used to be and set out to reclaim themselves.
This keynote traces the journey from self-abandonment to self-reclamation — through story, research, and radical honesty. It explores what real intimacy looks like and what becomes possible when people stop living on the fringe of someone else’s life.
It ends on a song Monique wrote in the weeks after she took off her wedding rings.
Canadian Association
of Professional Speakers
Huffington Post — regular Contributor, 2016
Stand Up Speak Out Against Workplace Bullying — Infinity Publishing
The New ROI: Return on Individuals — Limelight Publishing
Count Me In — Ubuntu Press
The Real Cost of People-Pleasing
When we learn to make ourselves invisible in our most intimate relationships, we don’t leave that pattern at the front door. We carry it into every room, every friendship, every workplace, every mirror.
The cost isn’t measured in missed deadlines. It’s measured in missed years. In the version of yourself you stopped believing in. In the life you kept putting off until conditions improved.
They never improve on their own. But you can. And you don’t need those other people’s approval — just your own!
Your Audience Will Walk Away With
Understanding People-Pleasing
A clear understanding of why people-pleasing and fawning are trauma responses — not personality flaws.
Words for the Experience
The 5 S's of Emotional Safety
Direction, Not Just Awareness
Awareness without direction is just pain. They’ll leave knowing exactly where to go from here.
Take Up Space
To ask for what they need, speak up when it matters, and stop shrinking to keep everyone else comfortable.
Permission
The quiet realization that their needs matter too. Because wanting more isn’t selfish. It’s “Self-First.”
The Bigger Picture
This Isn’t Just About One Relationship
The patterns that made you invisible in your most painful relationship didn’t start there. They started much earlier — in the first place you ever needed to belong.
You carried those lessons forward. Into every room where love felt conditional. Into every relationship where keeping the peace felt safer than telling the truth.
The good news? Those patterns aren’t permanent. They’re just strategies you learned before you knew there was a better way. And there absolutely is.
You didn't lose yourself all at once. You disappeared slowly, one compromise at a time. And you can come back the same way — one decision at a time.
Watch the Speaker Reel
What They’re Saying
“Not only was she able to hold the crowd’s attention, but she kept them engaged, had them laughing, and delivered a message that is profound and universal.”
Steve Lowell
Past President, Global Speakers Federation
“Rarely have I seen a presentation that engaged such a large percentage of the audience. She was inspiring, educational, and interactive. Highly recommend.
Diana Lidstone
Author of Shift Into Rich
“I recently called Monique with a last-minute request to moderate a virtual session. Monique was positive, gracious, thoughtful and a consummate professional. I trust her!“
Colleen Stewart
Founder of Perfect Pitch
Ready to bring
“Living In The Margins of Love”
to your next event?
Let’s have a 30-minute conversation to see if we’re a fit.
No pressure. No pitch. Just clarity.
Or call 1-514-661-3470 · mc@moniquecaissie.com
Meeting Planners Rock!
Your complete speaker resource kit —
currently being finalized and will be available here shortly.
Contact Monique directly at mc@moniquecaissie.com for immediate access.
