Conscious Grieving Retreat
Join me for an in-person retreat and give yourself the opportunity to explore and heal your loss through conscious grieving.
Join Us
Give yourself permission to step away from every-day life for the opportunity to explore and understand your losses, find affirmation for your grief, connect with others, and allow space for self-inquiry, spiritual growth, and lasting healing.
In this four-day, three-night experience you will gather with others in a safe space where you can bring all of yourself and all of your grief. Together we will learn more about how loss and grief affect our lives, relationships, and sense of self. Through gatherings, exercises, activities, and body work we will find solace and self-compassion and also the inspiration to cultivate hope, grace, and spiritual awakenings within the realm of grief.
Allow yourself to open up to the deep power of grieving as a path to true healing and transformation.
“With wisdom and grace, Claire Bidwell Smith navigates the mysteries of grief to show us that there is great meaning and even magic to be found in exploring the unknown.” — Maria Shriver
Who is This Retreat For?
This retreat is for anyone seeking healing and growth following the loss of a loved one.
This intimate group of participants will be a diverse group of men and women from all over the U.S. and Canada (and sometimes from overseas) who have lost someone to death at various ages, and from many different causes.
If you feel ready to examine the impact a death has had on your life and if you feel the calling to explore ways to grow and transform as a result of your loss then this retreat is right for you. You will leave the experience feeling less alone, deeply understood, and profoundly transformed.
Conscious Grieving Retreats do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, or marital status in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.
Historic Ralston White Retreat
Location
The Conscious Grieving Retreat will take place in the beautiful nature-based setting at Ralston White Retreat in Mill Valley, California. There is abundant hiking surrounding the retreat center and the quaint town of Mill Valley with shops and restaurants is just minutes away.
The majority of rooms are semi-private (shared); some private (and suitable for couples, friends, family members). Bathroom and shower facilities are shared on each floor. We will do our best to meet your requests. A private room for one individual is subject to an additional fee. Please reach out directly to Lindsey at support@clairebidwellsmith.com to discuss accessible accommodation options.
Both San Francisco Airport and Oakland Airport are easily accessible.
Source: henryhautau.com
“I thought grief was about time, but it is about space. The Conscious Grieving Retreat offered me that dedicated space where I felt seen, acknowledged, and supported. It also revealed that I could carry that space within me. The whole experience went beyond my expectations.”
Maïté from Alberta
What’s Included?
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All meals and accommodations
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Grief-centered support, gatherings, and activities
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Catered, healthy meals from Thursday evening until Sunday breakfast
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Saturday morning yoga (no experience necessary)
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All retreat grief materials
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Access to a private online group for pre- and post-retreat support
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Follow-up Zoom Gathering two weeks post-retreat
Please Note: At least six months needs to have elapsed since the time of your loss to best meet your bereavement needs. Participants must be 18 years or older at the time of retreat.
General Schedule
Day 1:
5:45 pm – Welcome Gathering
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:00 – 8:30 pm -Story-Sharing Circle
Day 2:
9:00 – 9:30 am – Coffee & Breakfast
9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Morning Gathering*
12:30 – 1:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 – 3:30 pm – Afternoon Gathering
3:30 – 6:00 pm – Free Time
6:00 – 9:00 pm – Dinner and Evening Gathering
Day 3:
9:00 – 9:30 am – Coffee & Breakfast
9:30 – 11:00 am – Yoga & Movement Workshop
11:00 am – 12:30 am – Morning Gathering
12:30 – 1:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 – 3:30 pm – Afternoon Gathering
3:30 – 6:00 pm – Free Time
6:00 – 9:00 pm – Dinner and Evening Gathering
Day 4:
9:00 – 9:30 am – Coffee & Breakfast
9:30 – 11:30 am – Final Gathering
12:00 – Checkout
*Each gathering will include a variety of activities and exercises including story-sharing, journaling, guided meditations, and more.
Meet the Facilitators
Claire Bidwell Smith is a therapist, renowned grief expert, and the author of three books of nonfiction: The Rules of Inheritance, After This: When Life is Over Where Do We Go? and Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief.
Claire offers numerous online programs for grief in addition to working with people one-on-one. Led by her own experiences with grief, and fueled by her work in hospice and private practice, Claire strives to provide support for all kinds of people experiencing all kinds of grief.
Claire’s three books of nonfiction have been published in 19 countries, and received many accolades and critical praise. The Rules of Inheritance is currently optioned for television rights. In addition to having given dozens of talks on grief, Claire has written for and been featured in many publications including The New York Times, Scientific American, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, Today.com, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Oprah Magazine. She is also the host of Lemonada Media’s popular podcast New Day. Learn more about Claire’s work at ClaireBidwellSmith.com.
Angela Schellenberg, LMHC is a psychotherapist who specializes in trauma, attachment, grief, and PTSD. She is a humanistic counselor, writer, speaker, educator, and non-profit executive director. Angela lost her father to gun violence at the age of sixteen and knows firsthand how sudden death leaves a ripple effect through the lives of those left behind. Therefore, she is dedicated to addressing the needs of complex trauma through various treatment modalities such as EMDR, EFT Tapping, and more.
As a certified teacher, Angela incorporates her skills as an educator into her therapy practice by educating her clients in understanding how to change their behavior, increase their happiness, and overcome adversity.
Angela looks forward to providing retreat participants with a deeper understanding of how our attachment styles affect the grief journey. She will also guide us in continuing a meaningful, connected relationship with our loved ones.
Learn more about Angela’s work at www.angelaschellenberg.com
Barri Leiner Grant is a Certified Grief Coach offering 1:1 client support and dedicated grief support groups.
She explores ways to remember and reflect on the lives of loved ones lost and loss of every incarnation, through writing, intuition, dreams, and meditation to navigate the long arc of loss.
Barri specializes in workplace grief support and therapeutic writing workshops. She is the founder and Chief Grief Officer of The Memory Circle.
“My workshops and gatherings are bathed in a variety of exercises and modalities to release and metabolize what we are holding — while always keeping the spirit and celebration of those lost and loved, alive.”
Barri looks forward to helping retreat participants explore ways to remember and reflect on loss and the lives of loved ones through writing and guided meditation. She will also provide guidance on how to continue a writing practice throughout your grief journey.
Learn more about her work at www.thememorycircle.com
Kelsey Sawyer is a Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist and Yoga Teacher who specializes in Grief. Her approach to the grief process emphasizes the mind, body, spirit connection, and incorporates physical movement exploration. Kelsey’s Flowing with Grief practice invites individuals to connect to their bodies and their grief through movement, breath, and sound in order to shift and release any pain or suffering that may be stored in the body. She is the founder of Riverbend Grief and Movement Therapy LLC, a private practice located in Northern Virginia where she supports children, teens, and adults who are grieving.
Kelsey will lead retreat participants in a gentle yoga and movement workshop. She looks forward to providing an intentional space where we can attune to our bodies, our grief, and the season we are in… ultimately connecting us to our hearts, our spirits, and our people who have died.
Learn more about Kelsey’s work at www.riverbendgrief.com
Retreat Cost: $2700
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Includes meals, lodging, programming
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Single occupancy (limited availability) is an additional $300
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Does not include travel
Retreat Day-Rate: $2000
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Includes all of the above except overnight lodging
Reserve Your Spot Now:
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A non-refundable $200 deposit goes toward the full retreat cost
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Private rooms are based on availability.
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Payment plans are available at checkout through the popular buy now, pay later methods Klarna, Affirm, and/or Afterpay. Your options will be shown at checkout and may vary based on region and history.
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Please plan to submit full payment or begin your payment plan within 10 days of receiving your welcome email to guarantee your spot.
Join waitlist to learn about future retreats.
“I cannot imagine a better grief therapist than Claire Bidwell Smith. She has the ability to wrap her deep psychology background and understanding of frameworks for dealing with grief in an intimate and soft discussion that makes the client feel incredibly well supported. Perhaps as a result of her own losses, she becomes a partner in going through the process of grief with the person experiencing deep loss, and not just a medical professional. As a result, she has significantly advanced my ability to brave the storms of grief and even to see some of the beauty that it yields as well. I am forever indebted.” — Jaime, Los Angeles
There’s something to be said about being in a room filled with people who understand what you’re going through. Nobody has it better or worse – you’re all here mourning your person/people while Claire and the other Grief Wizards hold space for you. This retreat made me feel less alone and now I have 29 new friends in grief who “get it” and “get me”. — Jen, Chicago
Cancellation Policy
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Up to 60 days prior to start date: refundable minus $200 deposit
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Up to 30 days prior the start date: 50% refundable minus $200 deposit
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From 21 days to the start date: non-refundable
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We suggest you purchase travel insurance when you book airline tickets to avoid flight cancellation fees
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Organizers reserve the right to cancel the retreat up to 21 days before start date if minimum enrollment has not been achieved. You would then receive a 100% refund of the registration fee.
