Unhurried
No agenda packed to the minute. Time to arrive, time to talk, time to sit and look at something growing. The pace is the point.
Restore
Retreats & Gatherings
Small, in-person days outdoors in North Carolina, for therapists and coaches who give a lot and need filling back up. Not therapy. Still therapeutic. Exploration, curiosity, friendship, and a little awe.
- In personChapel Hill and around North Carolina
- Small groupsFor therapists and coaches
- Gently outdoorsNot outdoorsy? Perfect.
- Not therapyStill therapeutic
Who this is for
The work we do is hard. We need to be nurtured, too.
You hold everyone else’s pain for a living. You give a lot, and it is easy to forget that you need what you give. These gatherings are for the people who take care of people.
You’ll be at home here if:
- You’re a therapist, counselor or coach, and you’re a little worn down.
- You’d like a day that isn’t a training, isn’t therapy, and isn’t a conference.
- You want to turn to other people who do this work, and to the woods, and feel like you matter.
- You’re willing to be a wee bit uncomfortable: outside, creative, talking to people you just met.
You do not need to be an EMDR therapist, or any particular kind of therapist. You just need to be tired and curious.
What a gathering feels like
Slow people down. Turn to each other, and to the Earth.
Kathleen’s hope for you is simple: that you leave with a friend and a favorite tree.
Outside, gently
A garden, a porch, a level trail through North Carolina woods. Everyday nature, so it feels accessible. No gear, no fitness required, always an indoor option.
Not therapy, still therapeutic
Nobody processes anybody. You explore, make something, walk, eat together, and get to know a corner of the state and a few new colleagues. Some of it will settle you anyway.
A day might look like
Trainings with a retreat energy, minus the training.
Every gathering is a little different, and the details come with each date. But here’s the shape of a day, so you know what you’re saying yes to.
- Arrive and land
Coffee, tea, a look around the garden. Nobody has to say anything clever.
- Get curious
Something gentle and creative to do with your hands or your feet: a walk, a wander, a small project. Talking to others is encouraged, not required.
- Eat together
A shared meal, outside if the weather agrees. The conversations at the table are half the point.
- Turn to each other
Time in a small circle, for the people who want it, to say how the work is actually going.
- Go home a little different
With a friend, a favorite tree, and something from the garden that smells like lavender.
Gatherings happen at Kathleen’s home and garden in Chapel Hill, and at gentle outdoor spots around North Carolina. Directions come with your confirmation.
Questions
The things people wonder
Is this therapy? Will I have to share?
It isn’t therapy, and nobody will process you. There is time in a small circle for people who want to talk about how the work is going. You can also just listen. Kathleen runs a room so that nobody gets steamrolled and nobody gets put on the spot.
I’m not outdoorsy. Should I still come?
Perfect. Nature is for everyone, including people who don’t hike. The ground is level, the pace is slow, there’s always an indoor option, and the only stretching is a wee bit past your comfort zone. If you have mobility or accessibility needs, tell Kathleen and she’ll plan for them.
Do I get continuing education credits?
Gatherings are about restoring you, not credentialing you, so most don’t carry credits. If a particular day does, it will say so with the date. For credits, see advanced courses.
Who comes, and how many?
Therapists, counselors and coaches, in a group small enough that everyone gets to know everyone. Details for each gathering, including size, cost and what to bring, are announced with the date.
Hear about retreats first
Be the first to hear about gatherings.
Gatherings are small and fill quietly. Leave your name and Kathleen will tell you about the next one before she tells anyone else, along with the occasional note from the garden.
Thank you! You’ll hear from Kathleen when the next gathering is set.
Come be taken care of for a change.
Questions about a gathering, or an idea for one? Kathleen answers her own email.