A steadier place to land when loss has turned
your world upside down.

IN PERSON ON PENDER ISLAND • ONLINE THROUGHOUT BRITISH COLUMBIA

Grief does not move in a straight line. It moves more like a thread in a tangled knot, with you at the centre.

And it does not always fit neatly into a weekly fifty-minute hour, because sometimes it takes that long just to begin to soften and breathe.

Grief & Loss Personal Retreats offer longer, more spacious therapy for people grieving the death of a parent, friend, pet, spouse, child or infant; pregnancy loss; anticipatory grief; estrangement; divorce; identity shifts; caregiving; or another life-changing loss.

This is not about “getting over it.”

And it’s definitely not about “stages.”

It is a place to be with what is true: the ache, the anger, the numbness, the love, the joyful memories — and sometimes the guilt of having them — the fear, the relief, the unfinished conversations, and the parts of you that do not know who you are now.

Learn more with a free consult

Sometimes One Hour a Week Is Not Enough

Sometimes grief needs more room than a standard therapy session can offer.

Longer sessions create space to arrive slowly, stay with what is emerging without constantly watching the clock, take breaks when your nervous system needs them, and leave with enough time to feel grounded again.

Together, we might make room for:

  • the story of what happened and what it changed

  • emotions that do not feel acceptable or easy to say out loud

  • the physical and nervous-system impact of grief

  • complicated relationships, unfinished business, anger, guilt, or relief

  • rituals, meaning-making, memory, and continuing bonds

  • the practical and emotional reality of returning to daily life while carrying something enormous

You do not need to package your grief into tidy tissue wads and put it away after an acceptable amount of time.

You can come as you are.

What happens before we begin

1. We start with a free consultation.

We’ll talk about what you’re carrying, what kind of space and support you’re looking for, and whether a Personal Therapy Retreat seems like a good fit.

2. We choose the retreat format.

If we decide to work together, we’ll choose a Half-Day, Extended Half-Day, or Two-Day Personal Retreat based on what you’re bringing and how much time seems appropriate.

3. You complete the necessary paperwork.

You’ll receive your intake forms through my client portal.

I know paperwork may be approximately the last thing your grieving brain wants to deal with.

I’m sorry.

I’ll make it as painless as possible.

4. We talk about what will help you feel comfortable.

If you’re coming to Pender, wear something comfortable and bring anything you might want nearby during our time together.

If we’re meeting online, choose somewhere private where you can settle in, move around, have something to drink or eat, and ideally give yourself some space before and after our session.

You don’t need to prepare yourself emotionally.

You just need to arrive.

Grief & Loss Retreat Options

  • Half-Day Grief Retreat

    3 hours · $975 CAD

    A spacious block of time to be with one part of your grief without having to rush it.

    We might make room for the story of what happened, a difficult anniversary, unfinished conversations, anger, guilt, relief, longing, or simply the exhaustion of carrying so much.

    There is time to pause, move, cry, sit quietly, step outside, and let your nervous system set some of the pace.

    Includes: advance preparation, materials used during our work, breaks as needed, and a small take-home care package.

    [SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION]

  • Extended Half-Day Grief Retreat

    4.5 hours · $1,350 CAD

    For grief that feels layered, complicated, or difficult to contain inside a shorter session.

    The extended format gives us more room to move between story, emotion, body, memory, meaning-making, and rest without having to force the work into a particular shape.

    This can be especially helpful when there are multiple losses, complicated relationships, unfinished business, traumatic circumstances, or a lot that has never had enough space.

    Includes: advance preparation, materials used during our work, generous breaks, and a small take-home care package.

  • Two-Day Grief Retreat

    Two 3-hour sessions on consecutive days · $1,900 CAD

    For grief that benefits from depth and from time between sessions.

    We meet for three hours on Day 1, then you have the rest of the day and overnight* to let things settle in whatever way they need to.

    You might walk, write, eat, sleep, stare at the water, remember something you had forgotten, feel unexpectedly lighter, feel absolutely nothing, or simply be done with therapy for the day.

    We meet again the following day with room to notice what surfaced, what shifted, what still feels unfinished, and what needs attention next.

    This format can be particularly meaningful after a profound or complicated loss, when there is a lot of story to hold, or when grief has changed the way you understand yourself and your life.

    Includes: advance preparation, materials used during our work, breaks as needed, and a small take-home care package.

    *Travel, accommodation, and meals are arranged separately and are not included.

You do not have to do grief neatly.

You do not have to make it make sense.

In fact, it likely doesn’t, and won’t.

You do not have to be inspirational or strong.

It’s okay if you want to throat punch people who say, “Everything happens for a reason.”

It’s not okay to actually do it.

You do not have to be “doing better” by a certain date.

You deserve care that makes room for the whole truth of what you have lost — and for the life that is still asking to be lived.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes.

    These are not several hours of uninterrupted emotional processing.

    We can pause whenever you need to use the washroom, eat something, step outside, move your body, stare at a tree, cry privately, sit quietly, or simply not have to talk for a while.

    Longer sessions give us more flexibility around pacing. You do not need to push through in order to make the time worthwhile.

  • Mostly, yourself.

    For an in-person retreat, I’ll have basic therapeutic and creative materials available, along with water and a comfortable place to work. You’re also welcome to bring a journal, meaningful object, photograph, letter, music, favourite art materials, crystals, or anything else you think you may want with you.

    For an online retreat, have water nearby and consider having a snack, blanket, tissues, journal, art materials, or something grounding within reach.

    None of this is required.

    Please do not turn preparing for therapy into another job.

  • No.

    You can talk for the entire time if that is what works for you.

    I may offer drawing, writing, imagery, movement, mindfulness, ritual, metaphor, meditation, oracle cards, or another way of approaching something when words seem to have reached their limit.

    Everything is an invitation.

    You can always say no.

  • No.

    Personal Therapy Retreats are outpatient counselling, not emergency or crisis care.

    If you are in immediate danger or concerned that you may harm yourself or someone else, call 911, go to the nearest emergency department, or call or text 988 for suicide crisis support in Canada.

  • All of that belongs.

    Grief can look like tears, numbness, anger, distraction, exhaustion, laughter, relief, confusion, or long stretches of not knowing what you feel.

    You do not need to perform grief correctly or arrive ready to tell your story in a particular order.

    We’ll work at a pace that respects both your heart and your nervous system.

    We will go at a pace that respects both your heart and your nervous system.

  • No.

    Death is one of the losses we grieve.

    These retreats can also make room for anticipatory grief, pregnancy or infant loss, estrangement, divorce, serious illness, caregiving changes, infertility, family rupture, relocation, identity loss, or the loss of the life you thought you were going to have.

    Grief is not limited to bereavement.

    Loss changes shape, but it still deserves care.

  • You do not need to decide before we talk.

    A Half-Day Personal Retreat may make sense when you want focused space around a particular loss, anniversary, difficult decision, acute wave of grief, or story you have not had enough room to tell.

    An Extended Half-Day gives us more room when the work feels layered or you want greater space for breaks, movement, reflection, and integration.

    A Two-Day Personal Retreat can be useful when you want depth without trying to do everything in one sitting. We work together on the first day, you have the rest of the day and overnight for things to settle, and we meet again the following day.

    We’ll decide together what seems appropriate during your consultation.

  • Many extended health plans in British Columbia include counselling with a Registered Clinical Counsellor, but coverage varies significantly by plan.

    I’ll provide you with a receipt that you may submit to your extended health benefits provider for reimbursement.

    Because longer therapy sessions may exceed a plan’s usual per-session reimbursement limit, please check directly with your provider before booking if coverage is important to you.

  • A Personal Retreat can stand on its own.

    You may decide that the time we spent together was enough for now.

    You may want to return for another retreat later.

    Or we may decide that weekly counselling or a short-term Focused Therapy Series would offer useful continuity afterward.

    There is no pressure to “graduate” from grief.

    The goal is not to finish grieving.

Schedule your free consult now