Grief hits at the strangest times. You're fine in the grocery store, and then a song comes on and you're crying in the cereal aisle. You wake up okay, and by noon, you can't remember why any of this matters. You thought you'd be further along by now. That's what everyone else seems to think, too. But grief doesn't care about time lines or other people's expectations of how you should be healing. The truth is, you're barely holding it together. You smile and say you're fine because it's easier than explaining that some days you can't even remember what you were doing five minutes ago. Your brain feels foggy. Everything takes twice the energy it used to. And you're so tired of carrying this alone. This four-day retreat in McMinnville, Oregon gives you space to actually feel what you're feeling without anyone trying to fix you or rush you through it. Susan and Sandy have spent years working with women through all kinds of loss. Death, divorce, estrangement, miscarriage, the end of a dream you had for your life. Whatever you're grieving, there's room for it here. Through private sessions, practical tools for working with intense emotion, and the simple relief of being heard without judgment, you'll find ways to carry this grief so that it doesn't crush you. This isn't about moving on. It's about learning to carry what you've lost without losing yourself in the process.

Retreat Date(s)

All year, on demand. Weekends or weekdays. Reach out to us and we'll find a date that works for you.

Itinerary

People keep asking how you're doing, and you've run out of ways to say "not great" without making them uncomfortable. They mean well, but they don't get it. They think that if enough time passes, you'll just be fine again. But you're not fine. And you're exhausted from pretending. McMinnville is quiet. It's wine country, a small town, the kind of place where you can actually breathe. You'll stay at a nearby hotel and spend your days working with Susan and Sandy at their place. It's comfortable, cozy and safe... the kind of space where you can fall apart if you need to. Susan and Sandy start by just listening. What happened. What it's been like. The complicated feelings nobody else wants to hear about. The guilt, mixed with relief, mixed with rage. They've worked with enough grieving women to know all of it is normal, even the parts that feel shameful. Then they start giving you actual tools. How to notice when you're spiraling before you're in the middle of it. What to do with your body when the panic hits. Ways to ground yourself that work at 2 am when you can't sleep or in the middle of the workday when it all comes crashing back. These aren't abstract ideas. They're specific techniques you'll use next week. They work with what you need each day. If talking helps, you talk. If you're too exhausted, you don't. There will be time to walk the town, sit in a café, explore the vineyards, get a massage, or go back to your hotel and sleep. Whatever your body needs. By day two, your chest doesn't feel quite as tight. You're sleeping a bit better. One of the tools they taught you actually worked when the panic started creeping in. Small things, but when you've been drowning, small things matter a lot. By day three, you're starting to see a path forward. Not that the grief is gone, but that you can carry it without it crushing you. You laugh at something and don't immediately feel guilty. You make a plan for next month. You start to believe that maybe you can honour what you lost and still have a life. You'll leave knowing that healing doesn't mean forgetting. It means learning to live again. This is a private retreat designed around your needs. All your sessions are adjusted based on what emerges and what you're ready for. Day 1 - Arrival and Beginning 4:00 PM - Arrival and settling in. Your hotel is ready. Take time to unpack, breathe, and let the travel day release. 5:00 PM - Welcome session with Susan and Sandy at their place. This is an easy conversation, not an interrogation. We'll learn what you lost, what you're carrying, and what you're hoping these four days might offer. We'll share how the retreat will unfold and set the intention for our time together. Just the beginning of feeling held. Evening - Rest. Walk the town if you'd like. Let the quiet settle in. Day 2 - Speaking What Hasn't Been Said 9:00 AM - Morning session. We'll begin with your story. Not to analyze it, but for you to let it out. You'll have space to say everything, including the parts you've been too ashamed to speak aloud. The relief, the anger, the guilt. All of it. 12:00 PM - Lunch and rest. 2:00 PM - Afternoon session. We'll start giving you actual tools. How to notice when you're spiraling. What to do with your body when the panic hits. Ways to ground yourself that work in real life, not just in theory. 5:00 PM - Free time. Walk the vineyards, visit a café, or simply rest and integrate. Evening - Journaling prompts if you want them. Otherwise, rest. Day 3 - The Deeper Work 9:00 AM - Morning session. We'll explore what's underneath. The fear of forgetting. The terror of moving forward. The part of you that's stuck and the part that's ready to live again. We work with whatever's actually there, not what should be there. 12:00 PM - Lunch and rest. 2:00 PM - Afternoon session. Working with whatever emerged in the morning. This might be grief, rage, relief, or something you didn't expect. We follow what's alive. 5:00 PM - Free time or optional walk with one of us. Often, this is when unexpected conversations happen, the ones that shift something without trying. Evening - Rest, reflect, and integrate. Day 4 - Integration and Moving Forward 9:00 AM - Integration session. What has shifted? What you're taking home. What support you need for the road ahead. We'll help you build a tangible plan for the triggers, anniversaries, and hard moments waiting for you. 12:00 PM - Lunch. 1:30 PM - Closing session. A marking of what you've done and where you're going. You'll leave with practical skills that work. You'll leave having spent four days with people who didn't minimise your pain or rush you through it, but who also showed you that you're stronger than you thought. 3:00 PM - 4.30 PM - Departure

What's Included

Pre-retreat Zoom meeting to get to know each other and answer all your questions Welcome drink during our check-in meeting Daily schedule is personalised to your needs Approximately 20 hours of personalised life-coaching with two experienced coaches in a private coaching setting Water, tea, coffee, and healthy snacks served throughout the day Daily meditation and Breath Work Course Manual - personal notes, inspiration, personalised exercises Post retreat support session on Zoom Post retreat coaching support package at a reduced rate Transportation during the retreat related to the coaching work sessions Luggage storage Free parking available onsite Wifi connection, although we recommend to enjoy some digital detox time during your retreat

What's Not Included

Flights costs Travel insurance Accommodation Meals Additional activities not included in the itinerary

Food (if applicable)

We invite you to our table as friends & family. Water, tea, and coffee, as well as healthy snacks like fruit and nuts, are included in your booking. We know and love the best health food places in town and during your retreat days we invite you to explore fresh, regional, mostly organic food. We will adapt to your dietary wants and needs, whether you are vegetarian, vegan, GF or you have other wishes.

How to get there (if applicable)

Book your flight to Portland International Airport (PDX). Uber transportation to McMinnville appr. $100​/​one way. Unless you prefer to rent a car, we can arrange tol pick you up at Portland International Airport (PDX) for 100$ (one-way) and for 200$ (two-way). Nestled in the heart of Willamette Valley, McMinnville was just nominated as the friendliest small town in Oregon! With an inviting climate that's temperate year-round, McMinnville is a great place to visit in any season. Hospitable, welcoming, and very friendly, the town is an ideal destination and our Coaching to Connection workspace is right downtown on 3rd Street!

Past Reviews (optional)

Anonymous I was stuck in a place where I felt depleted and unable to pull out and restart my life. I had been experiencing several years of very stressful and life-changing events and had lost my center and direction. I wanted to reboot and start a new beginning in my life. I like the coaching approach. The coaches were offering guidance and a deeper process that could uncover the true experiences of my life events. It helped me discover the importance of my life history and how I am much more than I imagined. I am moving forward with more confidence and strength, I can do this. I like the one-on-one coaching. I realise now how much I needed that, as I feel most people deserve as well. It was affirming of all the things I have overcome and conquered throughout my life. It was important for me to recognise and take credit for successfully overcoming obstacles. Never giving up! We all have challenges in life. It was never going to be a cakewalk. But when the going gets tough, the tough keep on. If you do reach a point of being stuck or stuck and need direction and strength to find a new way to dig your way out, this is a good place to discover what you have and how you can make a new beginning. Only you can do it for yourself.