We curate a long weekend built around the principles of holistic healing & adventures for birth moms
From the food you are served, to the activities planned and everything in between, not a single moment has been added without intention and purpose.
Connection with others who "get it"
Quality, no junk gift bags
In-house chef with yummy and nourishing foods
Snacks and treats
The opportunity to unplug but still capture some memories thanks to an on-staff photographer
Intentional time in nature to explore, self-regulate, wander, play, and stand in awe
No stress arts & crafts
Guaranteed silliness and laughter
Workshops to grow together
A beautiful, comfortable home to rest & connect
data that
tells a story
Many of the birth moms (and even staff!) have felt like there was life “before” and “after” the retreat in the best ways. The ones who struggle to let loose…found themselves being more playful at the retreat and upon returning home to their family. Even feeling better physically, like less headaches, because of the healthy food provided created a shift to make changes in many attendees!
Our holistic approach is based on the belief that we can improve and heal in many areas to feel our best selves.
birth moms report after a retreat…
We’ve seen how this retreat is a ripple effect. When a birth mom takes steps of healing to release shame, it often helps to improve relationships with their family at home, children, and adoptive parents.
What makes this retreat so impactful is from a neuroscience perspective. This retreat increases neuroplasticity!
“Neuroplacitiy is the brain's ability to change and adapt by reorganizing its neural connections in response to learning, experiences, or injuries. This process allows the brain to grow, learn new skills, and recover from damage throughout a person's life.” -Dr. Julie Fratantoni
Environment- A beautiful, comfortable home. Each retreat is held at a new place that we can explore together. We’ve been to the Outer banks, Gatlinburg, and the red rocks of Utah. Where will be next? Each retreat is somewhere new!
Movement - We don’t just sit in a conference room learning for days, we get up and move. We hike. We explore river beds. We dance to Karaoke.
People – Meeting people from around the USA and sharing new experiences together, plus with our common experience of being birth mothers adds
Digital detox – Not having wi-fi disrupts technology use patterns. We encourage attendees to unplug for the retreat as much as possible, and even provide a photographer to capture moments for us!
hear the impact
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“I was able to see, for the first time, just how far I had come and that the healing that occurred at last year’s retreat didn’t end when I stepped off the plane home. It had just begun.”
— two-time attendee
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"This retreat was literally life changing. I was able to integrate my grief more, play in nature, not have to adjust my wording about adoption for fear of hurting someone, gained a pile of new friends who I really love and respect, and felt so heard and held on a deep soul level!"
—first time attendee
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"By far, the best retreat I've ever attended. Thank you again for everything!! I have found my people!
— first time attendee
your questions, answered
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These retreats are for birth moms who have placed their child (or children) into an adoption plan who have done work of healing grief prior to attending. You should be ready for the next step of healing and enjoy fun outdoor adventures. This is an active, outdoor-focused retreat and attendees should plan accordingly to their needs.Perhaps you’ve attended other retreats or gatherings…this retreat is like version 2.0 where we dive deeper into topics for the lifetime journey as a birth mom and build a close-knit community.
Please note: We are not equipped for women who are in active addiction or other mental health needs that would be better supported in a licensed therapeutic environment. Attendees should be able to participant physically and emotionally with the activities planned.
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Thursday: Check in starts at noon! When you arrive, expect to be greeted at the door. We’ll help you grab your bags and show you to your room. You can take a minute to breathe, unpack, and riffle through the no-junk gift bag waiting on your bed. We know those first few hours can feel a bit overwhelming so we try to make it a gentle transition. We let Thursday be soft with no workshops or heavy obligations, just a little art therapy, slow introductions, conversations over a nourishing dinner, an after dinner walk and an ice cream social for good measure.
Friday and Saturday: These days will be a bit more full with a well thought-out balance of workshops, outdoor adventures, chef prepared meals, time to rest, art supplies at the ready and endless conversations. While we want to ensure you get the most out of our time together, we also believe in autonomy and if you feel the need to dip out of a workshop to go for a walk or take a nap while the rest of us adventure, there is no pressure to be present for every moment.
Sunday: We aim for the send off to be slow and gentle as well. Where I’m from we call it a southern goodbye and I (Raquel) am an expert at them! Checkout is at noon so that you can sleep in, pack up un-rushed, and squeeze in all the words you didn’t get out the night before. We’ll provide a simple breakfast and set out leftovers from the weekend with paper bags so that you can graze or pack a lunch to go. For those who want a little extra time and a more challenging adventure, we try to add an additional outing.
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I have a happy personality with a heavy soul. Sometimes, it gets weird." Pretty much sums it up! But seriously, have you read all the incredible studies about the value of play in healing and rewiring neural pathways?! Fascinating stuff! Turns out the age old mantra, "laughter is the best medicine" is actually rooted in truth and we are so excited to help you re-discover the childlike wonder we tend to disconnect from as we experience hardships and trauma. A bit introverted and afraid it might be awkward? No worries, it's always organic and never forced so you can laugh and smile at the shenanigans from a safe distance!
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We don’t plan to host it in the same place! We believe that travel is a part of the fun and scientifically it helps to rewire our brains to get out of where we may be stuck being in a new environments.
Currently we host retreats around the USA every May. However, we have a goal to host two a year (spring/fall)— one on the east coast and one on the west coast.
Past retreats have been:
Outer Banks, NC
Gatlinburg, TN
Hurricane, UT
Where will we go next?! We’d love to hear your thoughts!
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A limited amount of scholarships will be available for those who could benefit from this event but need a little extra help making it a reality. An attendee from 2025 graciously shared her experience of how she made a way even when it seemed unrealistic! You can read it here!
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Yes! We announce early to allow you to set up a 6 month payment plan if needed! We’ve found breaking up the cost makes it a bit easier for most to manage.
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4 days, 3 nights lodging
meals + snacks + drinks
breakfast, lunch, dinner, spring water, and some snacks. (organic, local and ethically sourced when possible).
multiple workshops
intentional sessions with experts of their respective fields.
activities
craft supplies, journals, anything needed for sessions, plus activities such as if we adventure to any parks that have a fee.
photo gallery
professional candid photos documenting our time together.
gift bag
intentionally curated bags (no junk) meant to add depth to your experience.
What's not included
travel
flights, fuel, car rentals etc. are the responsibility of the attendees. We will add everyone to a group chat to help encourage carpooling from the airport!
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Participation is encouraged but not mandatory. You have autonomy over your experiences! While we try to have a variety of activities, we know there are different levels of capacity.
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You likely will be sharing a room with other attendees, but have your own bed. If you would like to have a private suite, we typically have a couple spots available.
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Yes! Please let us know on your registration so our chef can make sure we have meals that everyone can enjoy.
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Price varies depending on the location, housing, the type of room you pick, and that darn inflation. And yes, we know the investment is higher than a majority of other birth mom focused retreats, but the cost reflects the quality.
Quality housing. Quality meals. Quality experiences.
Psst… If you are able to help sponsor to make this retreat attainable for more attendees, visit our support the initiative page!
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We believe that birth moms need to have some investment in this experience to create even more of an ownership towards the healing work and safe community we cultivate at The Resilient. However, we also realize birth moms often have financial needs. We offer $500 scholarships on a needs basis that you can donate to help cover a specific birth mom. You can also help gift her this experience by donating flight miles or contributing towards her travel costs in other ways.
Feel free to contact us for information on how to sponsor a birth mom’s retreat experience once her application has been approved.
You can also donate towards birth mom scholarship funds here.
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You’ll need to plan your travel (which is not included). We will add you to our retreat group to share updates, coordinate a ride from the airport, if needed, and get to know each other before we meet in person at the retreat. About a month before we gather in person, Leah and I will host a Google Meet to answer questions, ease some of those last minute jitters and yap about how much fun we’re going to have!
still have a question?
