Well Beings Retreats

One of my specializations is helping students who feel they are on the verge of dropping a semester because of stress, anxiety, or other difficulties.

If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, in a crisis or at a crossroads, or in any situation in which 50 minutes of counseling isn't “enough”, an Individual Counseling Retreat may be a good fit. This service was created in part to fill a gap in services between the 50-minute session and going into a hospital or rehab. But it's also intended for anyone who simply wants or needs to go deeper than the typical therapy session.

A personal counseling retreat puts therapy into a different context: An inspiring setting with a lot of time outdoors. Time to walk and talk, rather than just sitting, and leverage the healing effect of time in nature. We choose a retreat center or other setting so that the process itself is uplifting and inspiring, both calming and energizing. The impact of getting off the grid and devoting time to re-grouping can't be overstated. The time frame of a multi-day retreat allows a lot of learning and processing in a condensed period of time, with a minimum of distractions.

The counseling addresses your difficulties, but also focuses on positive psychology- the skills of thriving and well-being. It also integrates meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and healthy food. The one-to-one counseling allows for truly personalized attention and coaching. It provides the time and space to explore issues in depth, connecting dots and seeing new ways of responding. It's not a magic cure, because nothing is. But it is a unique and highly impactful experience and a powerful commitment to your future well-being.

A typical retreat is 3-5 days, and includes mindfulness meditation, stress management skills, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), addiction recovery counselings as appropriate, and other evidence-supported therapeutic frameworks. MBCT focuses on empowering you to understand helpful and unhelpful patterns of thinking and reacting, and grow the positive ones. The work focuses primarily on the here and now, less on lengthy excavation of your past. The overall goal is resourcing you with new skills to better manage the stress and challenges you return to post-retreat.

You come away with more than a diagnosis and a medication prescription. The outcome of a retreat is a new understanding of how your mind, nervous system and body interact, and how to ride life's ups and downs with more resilience. You leave with a post-retreat plan of self-care, which includes specific daily practices to support ongoing self-regulation and what you value most: Being your best self.

As appropriate, post-retreat follow up with me is available.

Clients who bring flexibility of mind- an ability to look at problems in a new way- and who have a love of the outdoors tend to resonate with this work the most.

To discuss fees, location options and other logistical matters, email or call. Let's find a plan that works for you!