Retreats
Trauma informed Workshops, Residential short and longer stay therapeutic respite retreats, Supporting rest and recovery. With professional therapeutic support through your journey.
Through our retreats, participants receive compassionate, evidence-based care and guidance to support recovery, growth, and self-empowerment.
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Emotional Healing & Trauma Recovery
Respite Support for women navigating sexual or physical abuse, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, Substance recovery and life transitions. Retreats provide safe, trauma-informed spaces to process experiences, build resilience, and reconnect with inner strength.
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Mind-Body Wellbeing
Practical tools and workshops for emotional regulation, stress management and more. Sessions integrate mindfulness, somatic practices, gentle movement, and reflective exercises to nurture the whole person.
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Community Connection & Empowerment
Opportunities to connect with peers, share experiences, and build supportive networks. Retreats emphasise collaboration, peer support, advocacy, and fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment in a compassionate, non-judgemental environment.
What You’ll Experience in a MindfulWell® Workshop or Retreat
MindfulWell® workshops and retreats offer a practical, supportive space to deepen understanding, build regulation skills, and explore emotional wellbeing in a safe, facilitated environment. Whether in a school, workplace, clinic, or community setting — our workshops and retreats are designed for real-life integration.
Each session is shaped by our trauma-informed, whole-person approach, drawing on our integrative ShadowCognition Theory™ to blend evidence-based tools with nervous system care.
What You Can Expect:
Psychoeducation & Emotional Skill-Building
Clinically informed content tailored to the group — covering topics like emotional regulation, boundaries, self-worth, stress, grief, and behaviour patterns. Content is always age-appropriate and accessible.
Somatic & Regulation Practices
Simple, guided nervous system tools including grounding, breathwork, movement, and mindfulness-based techniques that support calm and embodied awareness.
Facilitated Group Process
Workshops are interactive and relational, with opportunities to reflect, ask questions, and connect with others in a safe and supported setting.
Tools That Translate to Everyday Life
Every workshop is designed to offer real, applicable tools that participants can take with them — at home, in the classroom, or in their own healing journey.
These workshops are ideal for individuals, families, teens, educators, or organisations wanting to understand and support mental health in deeper, more embodied ways — without the pressure of therapy, but with the care of therapeutic insight.
Who Are these Retreats and Workshops For?
MindfulWell® retreats and workshops are clinically informed, trauma-aware environments designed to support emotional regulation, nervous system repair, and psychological wellbeing. Grounded in psychotherapy, somatic practice, and sensory modulation principles, our programs offer a structured yet compassionate space for realignment and reconnection.
This space may be suitable for you if:
Respite Support for women navigating sexual or physical abuse, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, Substance recovery and life transitions. Retreats provide safe, trauma-informed spaces to process experiences, build resilience, and reconnect with inner strength
You’re experiencing emotional fatigue, chronic stress, anxiety, or early signs of burnout, and need evidence-based strategies to regulate and restore.
You’re moving through a life transition, such as bereavement, identity shifts, career disruption, or relational change and want a structured, therapeutic space to process and integrate.
You live with persistent difficulties related to self-worth, body image, or stress-related health issues and are seeking support beyond talk therapy.
You’re interested in nervous system regulation and emotional processing through body-based modalities, including somatic therapy, mindfulness, and sensory integration.
You value a whole-person, integrative approach that blends psychological insight with practical tools you can take into daily life.
These retreats and workshops are not about providing quick solutions or pathologising your experience.
They’re about offering a safe, facilitated environment where your nervous system can recalibrate, your experiences are respected, and you’re supported by trained professionals in trauma, mental health, and sensory modulation.
Upcoming Retreats/Workshops
MindfulWell® Day Retreat Fee Structure
We offer a tiered pricing model to support accessibility while maintaining the sustainability of this work.
Each tier reflects the same full retreat experience.
We offer a tiered fee structure based on income to support equitable access while maintaining the sustainability of our services. All tiers provide the same full-day retreat experience.
Participants are invited to select the rate that best reflects their current financial position. This is a self-selected model and does not require application or verification.
Access Rate is intended for those on lower incomes or experiencing financial strain.
Standard Rate is suited to those on a stable or moderate income and reflects the true cost of the retreat.
Supporter Rate is for those on higher incomes or with greater financial flexibility, and helps subsidise access for others.
This model is grounded in transparency, fairness, and shared responsibility.
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You don’t need to be “healed” to be here. You just need to be human. This retreat is designed to meet you exactly where you are—whether you're feeling tender, overwhelmed, shut down, or unsure. You’ll be held with compassion and without judgment. All of you is welcome.
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It’s a deeply supportive blend of both. While it’s restful and beautiful like a vacation, our retreat is grounded in evidence-informed practices that support emotional healing, trauma recovery, and nervous system care. It’s not a clinical treatment space, but we are led by trained professionals in mental and women’s health.
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We honor your nervous system. This retreat includes plenty of spaciousness and quiet moments for journaling, solo reflection, or simply resting. There’s no pressure to engage in everything. You’ll be guided to choose what feels nourishing for you.description
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Yes. Every part of our retreat is rooted in our trauma-informed framework, The ShadowCognition Theory™. That means our facilitators are trained to prioritise emotional safety, choice, and regulation throughout every session.
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We host our retreats in peaceful, grounding locations in New Zealand surrounded by nature. Each retreat includes accommodations, nourishing meals, all workshops and movement sessions, and optional pre/post-retreat support.
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Yes. We believe healing should be accessible. Flexible payment options and limited scholarship spaces are available please reach out if finances are a concern. We’ll do our best to support you.
We offer a tiered fee structure based on income to support equitable access while maintaining the sustainability of our services. All tiers provide the same full-day retreat /longer stay retreat experience.
Participants are invited to select the rate that best reflects their current financial position. This is a self-selected model and does not require application or verification.
fee policy**
Retreat FAQ
The ShadowCognition Theory
The ShadowCognition Theory by MindfulWell presents a clinically-informed, integrative therapeutic framework designed to address unconscious cognitive patterns and emotional responses, often referred to as the "shadow," and their influence on mental health. Rooted in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic principles, and evidence-based psychological practices, the theory aims to facilitate the identification, processing, and integration of unconscious emotional material in a manner that promotes psychological well-being and emotional regulation.
The theory asserts that the shadow consisting of repressed thoughts, unresolved trauma, and unacknowledged emotions can contribute significantly to cognitive distortions, maladaptive behaviours, and emotional dysregulation. By leveraging mindfulness and cognitive restructuring techniques, the ShadowCognition Theory provides a structured approach for individuals to gain insight into these unconscious processes, thereby improving cognitive functioning, emotional resilience, and interpersonal relationships.
This theory is designed to support individuals in identifying shadow aspects through a clinical lens, promoting cognitive reframing, and integrating these elements into a more adaptive and coherent sense of self. By focusing on both cognitive and emotional aspects, the ShadowCognition Theory facilitates long-term personal growth, emotional healing, and the reduction of psychological distress.
Effectiveness and Clinical Benefits:
The ShadowCognition Theory is grounded in established cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic principles, making it a clinically viable approach for addressing psychological distress. Its integration of mindfulness techniques further enhances its ability to support emotional regulation and resilience. By addressing the root causes of cognitive and emotional patterns through shadowwork, individuals can experience:
Reduced emotional reactivity and distress.
Improved cognitive flexibility and the ability to reframe negative thought patterns.
Enhanced emotional resilience and regulation.
A more integrated sense of self, leading to increased self-acceptance and psychological well-being.
Long-term personal growth and improved interpersonal relationships.