Over the years I have been privileged to go on retreats for my own personal growth. They have brought important breakthroughs which might have taken me several months, perhaps even years with weekly sessions or workshops. I believe the most important ingredient for my and the breakthroughs that lots of other participants experience is, what I would call ‘The Pressure Cooker Effect’. 

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So what do I mean by The Pressure Cooker Effect? Most retreats last 5 to 15 days. These days you are completely focused on bringing your attention to your inner world for lots of hours per day, sometimes for up to 16 hrs. The immense impact of the exercises (physical and psychological), group dynamics, change of scenery, healthy food and of course, going out of your comfort zone, is so exhausting and intense that you feel there is no escaping from your shadows in your inner world that you will have to surrender. That moment you will break through your barriers and dive into your subconsciousness where your answers have been waiting for you all along. 

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Well, that sounds wonderful, right? Yes, it is magical. You can get insights in a short time frame. For lots of people growth will happen during and even after the retreat. However, lots of others feel lost, especially after the retreat, when they get back home. What to do with all this newly found knowledge? How to incorporate all of it into your daily life? Some people make life changing decisions during and shortly after a retreat, like quitting their job or filing for divorce. Unfortunately, lots of them regret these decisions afterwards. Sometimes not per se the decision itself, but the swiftness of it.

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I encourage you to go on a retreat. It might be the best thing you ever do to change habits you wish to let go of or to reach Self-Actualization. 

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Now ask yourself: Am I fully prepared to start my retreat? If yes, great! If in doubt or no, perhaps I can help you to prepare for your life changing event. There are numerous ways in which I might be able to help you. You can start an online course. This gives you lots of information and exercises (defining your intention / goal for the retreat, meditations, writing, dancing, visualizations, breathwork) that you can do when it suits you best. You can also book some (online) sessions in which we together look at where you are right now and what you need to do before you go to your retreat in order to reach your goals (which we can define together if needed).  

The next question I would like you to take some time for is: Will there be enough personal guidance for me during this retreat? During the years I learned that retreats tend to show us our deepest shadows. Shadows, to me, are our beliefs and norms of ourselves which we do not like or memories we have buried so deep we can not consciously remember them. An example of a shadow of my own which I encountered during a retreat last October; I learned that I can be very stubborn and have difficulties forgiving, which makes me stop communicating with the person I hold responsible for hurting me. Thereby, I close the door for meaningful conversations with this person in which we might learn each other's perspectives and it will no longer be needed to forgive, because we can see the true love between each other again. So the takeaway I learned from this shadow is that I alone am completely responsible for the hurt, anger and resentment I have felt over the years caused by one single moment. I can tell you, it took a lot of processing, introspection and tears to be able to shine light on this shadow and transform it into pure light and love. Looking backwards, I could have used some guidance from a professional during those days. The retreat team was exceptional, but it was a big group of participants and therefore not enough time to have private sessions. So, for all of you who wonder whether there will be possibilities for private sessions during their retreat, get in touch with the organizer and ask. If you learn it will not be possible or maybe they might not be able to offer you enough sessions you can consider booking online sessions with me to make sure you have someone by your side helping you to shine light on your shadows.

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The last question I would like to ask you is ‘Do you have a back up plan for when you get home after your retreat?’ If yes, again congratulations. If not, consider the options I can offer you. I have online workshops, group sessions for retreat survivors ;-) and private sessions can be booked as well.

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If you have answered all the questions with maybe or no, consider my ultimate retreat package. It consists of online courses for preparation, during and after the retreat combined with (online) private sessions. This way you get the most out of your retreat.

So, for all of you who are looking for life changing retreats, but wish to have someone  that helps you digest all your epiphany moments in a way they turn out to be positive influencers on your life path, that is what a retreat psychologist can do for you.

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My personal advice is to prepare yourself before you go on your retreat. Invest time and effort in what you want to get out of your retreat. What can be your intention? Is your mindset ready for such a life changer? Do you need some guidance on what to expect and how to deal with the learnings during your retreat? How to digest and incorporate all your learnings when you get home? Look around at my website and find out what would help you to prepare, to get the most out of your retreat during the retreat and how to land safely, renewed and improved back into your daily life.

 

Love, Sascha