Retreats

Women’s Retreats

Join Allison Owen and I in Santa Barbara: April 13-15th 2018, for a special women’s only retreat – specifically oriented for those that have endured sexually traumatic experiences in their adult lives. These experiences include, but are not limited to: rape from a stranger, a friend or loved one; sexual abuse or manipulation; and/or the traumatic effects from an intimate experience that you are struggling with. In a safe and nourishing group container, we will be working to practice healthy communication around these stories, and nourish the fragmented pieces of these experiences towards integration and peace of mind. We will have ample time for reflection and resting in nature.

Trauma can be difficult to define when the effects are subtle or pervasive – showing up in ways that sometimes are experienced as general discomfort, other times as isolated shame. The dissociative aspects of these experiences – like intoxication, shock, and many times, the protective strategies that a body rightfully employs when facing a traumatic experience – can sway a person away from acknowledging that they need, or even deserve, some healing and repair around what happened.

When an insult or injury has occurred in relationship, however, it is through healing relationships that we can heal and recover from those lingering wounds. Joining with other women who have gone through similar experiences, or are dealing with the impacts of sexual trauma – though no experience is exactly the same – can offer some reflection and self-forgiveness to places where that hasn’t been possible before.

If you find that you are:

• having confusing feelings show up in your current sexual life
• experience fear around being pursued or pursuing sex
• burdened by something that has occurred in your intimate history,

Call us to see if the nature of this retreat may be right for you.  See http://allio.co/retreat/ for more details.

If the content of this description moves you in any way – even if you may not be able to make the retreat – please feel free to call me to inquire into somatic psychotherapy as a way to work through these experiences in a safe and confidential environment.

Yoga Retreats

Join Sarana Miller and I on retreat to nurture yourself and integrate body-based resources through the practice of yoga. Sarana’s style of yoga is a blend of therapeutic yoga, yin yoga, Ana Forrest, and Iyengar. I find her classes excellent for the aging or over-stimulated body, for beginners with yoga and long time practitioners the same. Her teaching is paced in a way that is digestible and kind, albeit challenging you to meet your body in a unique and presence-filled way.

In the yoga retreat context, I offer hands-on assistance, helping students find and utilize their breathe and move into the yoga poses in a way that is kind and unique to their body. A healing mindset and somatic awareness can be integrated into yoga asana and meditation, and includes the healing waters of Wilber hot springs or the gorgeous vistas of Big Sur. Join us on retreat for some reflective and nourishing time dedicated to you. See www.saranayoga.com for more info, feel free to call me with any questions.

Retreats are a very unique opportunity to be in community together. 

If you are a client of mine, retreats offer a different kind of relationship, so a discussion about how to be in retreat together is a discussion we have before hand. If I have met you on retreat and you are interested in therapy with me, let’s talk about this possibility together and ensure that therapy together feels appropriate.  Meeting in a social context merits discussion. These discussions are always in the service of your therapy, and in order to pay a deep respect to the confidentiality and role that I hold for you.