Retreat Overview
From June 25–28, we’ll gather at Mystic Lake Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota for a gentle, three-day retreat for bereaved mothers. This space is designed to help you practice being alive, connected, and even playful while honoring the ongoing reality of your grief.
This retreat includes:
- 3 nights together in community (Thursday evening–Sunday morning)
- 5 online group calls before the retreat
- 1 individual coaching session with me
Travel and accommodation are arranged and paid for directly by each participant.
Before We Meet: Online Coaching Container
To help everyone feel safer and more familiar before arriving in person, we’ll meet online as a small group in the weeks leading up to the retreat.
Five online group sessions
In these circles, we will:
- Get to know one another gently, at a pace that respects your nervous system and story.
- Explore what it means to live and even play in the midst of grief.
- Practice simple grounding and regulation tools you can lean on during the retreat.
- Clarify personal intentions for our time together, without pressure to “fix” or change anything.
You are always free to share as much or as little as feels right. Listening quietly is a valid way to participate.
One individual coaching session
You’ll also receive one 1:1 session before the retreat. This is a private space to:
- Name what feels most tender or important for you right now.
- Talk through any worries about joining the group or traveling.
- Set gentle boundaries or intentions for how you want to care for yourself during the retreat.
This session helps me understand how to best support you and helps you arrive feeling more resourced and seen.
What Coaching Looks Like Here
Coaching in this context is collaborative, compassionate support focused on how you want to live with your grief now, rather than clinical treatment or diagnosis.
During group and individual sessions, I will:
- Ask curious, non-judgmental questions.
- Reflect your strengths, values, and growth in the midst of loss.
- Offer gentle frameworks and experiments for navigating daily life, relationships, and self-care while grieving.
You remain in charge of what you share and what you’d prefer to keep private. You are always welcome to say “no” or “not right now.”
What’s Included In Person
Thursday, June 25 – Arrival & Welcome
- Arrive and check in at Mystic Lake at your own pace.
- Evening welcome dinner together (included), gentle introductions, and grounding into the space.
Friday, June 26 – Community & Play
- Morning group session: reflections, shared grief-safe conversation, and simple practices for being present in your body.
- Afternoon visit to WreckIt rage room for a fun release
- Meals on your own; you choose what works for your body, budget, and energy.
- Spacious downtime to rest, journal, or enjoy the resort.
Saturday, June 27 – Integration & Ease
- Morning group session: exploring how loss has reshaped you, what you’re learning about yourself, and how you want to carry your child’s memory forward.
- Afternoon fun activity together, again with room for laughter, play, or quiet participation.
- Meals on your own.
- Ample unscheduled time to take advantage of the on-site spa, walk, nap, or do whatever feels most supportive.
Sunday, June 28 – Closing & Grounding
- Breakfast together (included)
- Closing circle to gently gather what you’re taking with you and to say goodbye to the group.
- Somatic practice to support nervous system regulation and integration before you travel home.
- Departure.
Free Time, Spa, and Rest
This retreat is intentionally spacious. Between group sessions and shared activities, you will have plenty of unstructured time to:
- Book spa treatments if you choose.
- Take walks, sit outside, or rest in your room.
- Journal, read, or simply be quiet.
There is no expectation that you will attend every optional activity. Your energy, comfort, and nervous system are more important than sticking to a schedule.
Who This Is For
This retreat is for bereaved mothers of complex kids who:
- Want to practice being in community with other women who also carry the loss of a child.
- Are curious about what it feels like to live, laugh, and play while still holding grief.
- Are ready to travel to Minnesota and be in a small group for three days.
- Want gentle support to explore how your loss has reshaped you and how you want to move forward.
This is not for you if:
- You are in acute crisis or need immediate crisis support.
- You want clinical therapy, diagnosis, or deep trauma processing.
- You are not comfortable being in a small group of bereaved mothers.
- You are unable to travel or be away from home for three days.
Pricing & Registration
$325 USD
This covers:
- All group sessions (5 online + 3-day retreat)
- Your individual coaching session
- Welcome dinner Thursday evening
- Breakfast on Sunday
- Afternoon activities Friday & Saturday
Not included: Travel, accommodation, Friday/Saturday meals, spa treatments, or other personal expenses.
To Register:
- Pay your deposit below or email me to arrange a payment plan coach@colleenenglish.com
- I’ll send you a simple intake form and schedule your 1:1 session.
- Join our first online group call (date TBD). A survey will go out to ensure all are able to join.
The group is limited to 9 participants. Register today!
If money is the only barrier, please email me at coach@colleenenglish.com Limited scholarships are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of grief is this retreat for?
This retreat is for women who are bereaved parents who managed complex care for a rare disease, no matter how long it has been since your child died. It is a space where all relationships with your child, all timelines, and all ways of grieving are welcome. You do not need to be at any particular “stage” of grief to belong here.
What do you mean by “grief safety”?
Grief safety means creating a space where your nervous system and your story are treated with care. In practice, that looks like:
- Clear consent around sharing: You choose what, when, and how much you share.
- No pressure to participate: You’re always welcome to step back, take a break, or simply listen.
- No fixing or minimizing: We do not offer advice, silver linings, or spiritual bypassing.
- Respectful listening: We allow each person to be heard without interruption or comparison.
The aim is not to prevent pain from surfacing, but to ensure that what does arise is met with gentleness, dignity, and choice.
Will this be emotionally overwhelming?
Grief is already a lot to carry, and being with other bereaved parents can bring big feelings to the surface. This retreat is intentionally paced and structured so that your emotional load is held, not intensified for the sake of “breakthroughs.”
We balance group sharing with lighter activities, quieter moments, and embodied grounding. You will never be pushed to go deeper than you want to. You can step away, rest, or ask for support at any time. My role is to watch the emotional “weather” of the group and adjust so we stay within a workable window of tolerance.
What if I get triggered or feel too much during the retreat?
Feeling stirred up is a very human response in grief, especially in community. If you feel overwhelmed, you’ll have options such as:
- Pausing and stepping outside or to a quieter space.
- Using simple grounding practices we’ll review together (breath, sensory tools, gentle movement).
- Asking me for 1:1 support in the moment, when possible.
We will talk at the beginning about how each person tends to respond to distress, and what helps you feel steadier, so there is a shared language and plan for when things feel intense.
Is this therapy?
No. This retreat is not therapy, and I am not a therapist.
Therapy typically focuses on diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, often working with past experiences in depth over time. Coaching, as I offer it here, is about support in the present and near future: how you want to live with your grief, the stories you tell yourself, and the gentle experiments you want to try in your daily life.
If you are currently in therapy, this retreat can sit alongside that support, and you’re welcome to talk with your therapist about whether it feels like a good fit for you.
What is coaching in this retreat?
Coaching here is a collaborative, non-clinical, forward-looking support. It includes:
- Asking curious, compassionate questions that help you notice what you are needing and wanting.
- Reflecting your strengths, values, and growth in the midst of loss.
- Helping you explore small, realistic steps toward living with more ease, connection, and self-trust.
Coaching is always consent-based. You are in charge of what you want to explore and what you prefer to keep private.
What will we not be doing?
To help you feel clear and safe:
- We will not analyze or give opinions about your mental health.
- We will not tell you how you “should” grieve, or compare whose loss is “worse.”
- We will not push you into sharing graphic details or intense memories.
- We will not use forced positivity, spiritual bypassing, or “everything happens for a reason” language.
This is a space where your grief, your love, your anger, your numbness, and your joy are all allowed as they are.
Do I have to share my full story to be part of the group?
No. You are welcome whether you want to share a lot, a little, or mostly listen. You will never be required to tell your full story, and you can always say “pass” if a question or activity doesn’t feel right.
Being in the room, breathing the same air as other bereaved parents, and witnessing others is also a valid and valuable way to participate.
Is this right for me if my grief feels very fresh? Or if it has been many years?
Both are welcome, as long as you feel ready to be in a small group of other bereaved parents and to travel to the retreat. Fresh grief can feel raw; long-ago grief can carry its own layers. There is no time limit on love or loss.
If you’re unsure, please email me at coach@colleenenglish.com to schedule a time to discuss.
What kind of emotional support will I have outside the group sessions?
During the retreat you will have:
- Ongoing access to me in the shared space, with some flexibility for brief 1:1 check-ins.
- A dedicated 1:1 session (online) where we can tend to whatever feels most alive for you.
Outside of those times, I encourage you to also lean on your existing supports (friends, therapists, support groups) and to plan gentle aftercare for yourself after we return home.