Mental Health Retreats
Strengthen Your Mental Health
Mental Health Retreats are suitable for:
Reconnecting with yourself on a deeper level through self-reflection, introspection, a supportive environment & being away from the distractions of daily life
Decompressing, releasing stress and drawing on a peaceful, natural setting to address core challenges
Finding new coping skills, self-care practices and techniques to maintain greater wellbeing going forward
Those looking for a personalised program with professional guidance and therapy
People wanting to dig deep and let go of emotional pain, resentment, grief or stuckness
Those who enjoy a holistic approach to wellness and wish to experience a variety of modalities
Affordable Mental Health Retreats
-
The Surrounds
Work inside or take time outside in the elements to soak in birdsong and nature
-
The Space
A tranquil, restful space with bushland views and access to starry skies
-
Local Walks
Chase waterfalls after dark on a local spectacular floodlit night walk in Katoomba
-
Local Waterfalls
Our retreat centre is within walking distance of healing Mini Ha Ha waterfall
Mental Health Retreat Sydney
Testimonials
I’ve been to many retreats over the years and this one is like no other! I had been noticing a pattern in my relationships and the men I’ve been dating over the last 3 years and felt I had to do something to break the cycle. And that’s how I came the Singles Retreat, which I combined with the Mental Health Retreat program and I got more than what I came for. It was deep personal work and I am so much better for it. You usually go on retreats and learn about other topics, but on this retreat I focused solely on learning about myself, who I am and why I am the way I am. It was confronting but it was an eye opener. Ginny & Marcus have such a great energy and created a safe space for me to unpack all of my childhood trauma, realise my blockages, self abandonment tendencies, attachment styles and the resources provided gave me practical insights to heal. All this time I thought it was about finding the right person and 4 days here made me realise that I had to be the right person. I’m excited about my spiritual journey and growth and can’t thank them enough. A month on and I’ve noticed a huge difference in myself, my friends and family have also made positive comments. I’m a lot more aware and most importantly kinder to myself. I highly recommend this retreat if you are looking at making a radical shift in your life! - Julia C
I will be forever thankful for my time here. I was in a deep and inconsolable grief over my dad passed. They spent the whole day with me performing different techniques. Their empathy and work relieved me a lot. Whenever grief stops me from continuing, I think of this therapy. I have already returned to see them and am planning a new visit.
❤ - Carol W
Totally unique in its approach… you get their one on one attention, time and expertise and you feel nurtured and cared for. It’s far different from anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. They’ve both worked their magic. The yin and the yang have come together and it’s something I’ve never experienced before. This is unique. This is a diamond amongst a load of pebbles.
- Michelle Southan
I had the pleasure to have Marcus and Ginny work with me for a 3 day self-discovery and trauma retreat. I loved the unique retreat that it is. The space was nice. I walked away gaining a lot from them both and they helped me through a super tough time.
- Kristin-lee S
Depression & Anxiety Sydney
Program Outline
Day One
Morning Sessions 9:30am - 12:30pm
These sessions will focus on your self-concept, exploring your beliefs and the behaviours stemming from them. We will also cover mental health struggles that apply to you such as anxiety, depression, grief, shame and self-worth.
Lunch 12:30pm
Afternoon Sessions 1:00pm - 4:00pm
This session is an option between breathwork or theta healing.
Breathwork is a healing modality that works to activate the subconscious mind and bring insights not easily accessed through conventional therapy. It helps to clear away old patterning, conditioning, fight or flight responses, as well as negative emotions and thoughts to assist people to lead more vibrant lives and access greater consciousness.
Theta healing helps to cultivate a balanced theta state, similar to meditation, connecting you with your higher self to explore your beliefs and attitudes.
It involves scanning your body to identify blocks in the mind, emotions and physical body. Upon locating any ill health or negative beliefs, together we will replace these with life-affirming and empowering ones.
Mid Afternoon Session
You will explore imprints from your soul blueprint (numerology), which reveal woundings you've come to heal in this lifetime and the giftings you have come to impart on the world.
Should the weather and your energy levels be accomodating, you can use this time to take in a nearby bushwalk to our local waterfall. Alternatively, you might indulge in some art activities or enjoy one of the more physical activities we host (mountain biking / stand up paddleboarding).
Waterfall Walk (Optional) 4:00 - 6:00pm
Should the weather and your energy levels be accomodating, you can use this time to take in a nearby bushwalk to our local waterfall.
Alternatively, you might indulge in some art activities or enjoy one of the more physical activities we host (mountain biking / stand up paddleboarding).
Dinner 6:30 - 7:30pm
Enjoy a home cooked, organic meal or travel out to try one of Katoomba’s local dining facilities.
Evening (Optional) 7:30pm onwards
There are a range of optional evening activities for you to enjoy, such as listening to or reading poetry, life stories, or enjoying a thought-provoking film or inspiring documentary. Other options include self-guided meditation and yoga.
Day Two
Breakfast 8:30am
Enjoy a homemade breakfast, tea or coffee on the verandah whilst the kookaburras and other local birds sing.
Morning Sessions 9:30am - 12:30pm
These sessions will focus on understanding the psyche and how mental health is part of our human struggle. We also cover family dynamics and the roles of upbringing and family connections in working towards greater mental wellbeing.
Lunch 12:30pm
Afternoon Sessions 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Depending on what has come up for you or what your preference is, the session will incorporate a tarot reading or energy healing.
Mid Afternoon Session
You will explore the second aspect from your soul blueprint (astrology) which provides an alternative understanding of your unique mental health struggles.
Cost: $590 for a 2 day retreat for mental health. $850 for a 3 day mental health retreat. $50 off for a weekday program.
Inclusions: Our retreats include accommodation, meals, workbooks, counselling and activities.
Optional session of bibliotherapy. Learn more about our bibliotherapy service.
Location: Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW. Only 90 minutes from Sydney CBD.
Your Facilitators
-
Ginny’s training in guiding and supporting others began with her hairdressing career where she informally coached, listened and offered support to the thousands of clients she came to know both in Australia and abroad.
After navigating a crisis period where she had to take control of her life and steer it in a healthier direction she found her calling to work with people who were also ready to reclaim their life.
In addition to following Buddhist practices and doing extensive studies in self-development, she complemented her self-education with formal studies in Youth Work, Community Services and a Bachelor of Social Work.
Finding Breathwork to be a transformative form of healing she has done much training in it and continues to deepen her practice. Ginny is also trained in Theta healing.
Taking an intuitive approach, Ginny found a gift for interpreting the messages offered by tarot cards, working as a spiritual healer and being a clear vessel for the collective unconscious to work through.
Counselling is something that Ginny both enjoys and has a natural affinity for. She has extensive experience helping people with deep shadow work.After you undertake our therapy retreats, Ginny is available to offer ongoing counselling if you’d like to build upon the work completed during the retreat.
-
Marcus studied social work and education at university, grounding that knowledge by working in a diverse range of roles as an adult educator and caseworker.
Through his time at Rudolf Steiner College, he realised the importance of holistic education and the need to focus on the whole person in contrast to the compartmentalised approach of institutions.
Deepening his knowledge by studying humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Jung and spending time in the Jungian community, he gained further insights into the value of depth psychology.
After running a variety of workshops in Australia and overseas he launched his initiative known as Writes of Passage Retreats, in the belief that contemplation, nature, carefully curated ideas and guidance is the ideal means for people to look at life with greater possibility and unearth their own dormant potentiality.
Through his retreat programs and individual counselling work, he has worked with a large number of individuals to help them find greater purpose, healing and enthusiasm for their future.
Transmuting Mental Health Struggles
to locate the gifts in one’s woundings
In the natural order of life, we are designed to express an identity and to go after the things we consider to be important. We study or learn a trade, progress in our careers, build our finances, focus on our exercise and health goals etc. With such an outward direction looking at things like purpose and meaning is often only skirted with if it can be another hack to attain success.
Usually, it is only when we hit the midlife reorientation or have faced significant losses or disappointments that we tend to go inwards to ask the deeper questions or to explore our emotional and psychological frailties that keep us from feeling contentment or sustaining satisfying relationships.
It is a positive sign that mental health is becoming an everyday topic and the stigma around struggling and needing support is thankfully lessening. It’s taken 400 years for us to really sink into the truth of John Donne’s assertion that “no one is an island, entire of itself.”
To get help is to acknowledge that we are all interdependent and not designed to be rugged individualists and stoics who can go it alone in life.
One mainstream approach to managing mental health is through psychiatry which focuses on medication and diagnosing complex and serious mental illness.
Another mainstream approach to managing mental health is psychology which takes a scientific approach implementing techniques like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which can change your mindset and behaviours by reassessing distorted thought patterns.
Transpersonal counselling is a holistic approach that holds there is more to our makeup than DNA and our upbringing. This person-centred approach is the one we adopt.
Despite advances in medication and psychological theories, as well as our willingness to look at mental health, our well-being has been declining.
Over the years of working with people we have come to recognise that tending to the inner needs of a person (soul) is the foundation upon which the mind and body can work best.
As Einstein put it, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Rather than tend to the symptoms, our mental health retreats explore the root causes of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, grief and other debilitating emotions.
Counselling, family constellations, soul blueprint readings, theta healing, archetypal psychology and many other holistic therapies are available during your time with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good Things To Know
-
Our mental health retreat, located just 90 minutes from Sydney CBD in the Blue Mountains, NSW, costs $590 for a 2-day program or $850 for a 3-day program, with $50 off for weekday bookings. Accommodation, meals, workbooks, counselling and activities are all included.
-
A mental health retreat is an immersive program that steps outside mainstream psychology to explore the root causes of issues like depression, anxiety and grief. Ours combines counselling, family constellations, theta healing and archetypal psychology in a supportive, natural setting away from daily distractions.
-
Yes — our depression retreat sessions focus specifically on self-concept, grief, shame and self-worth, working through breathwork, theta healing and one-on-one counselling with Ginny and Marcus to help you understand and move through what's underneath the depression, not just manage the symptoms.
-
Our anxiety retreat sessions use breathwork and theta healing to work directly with the nervous system, helping to clear the fight-or-flight patterning that underlies anxious states, alongside counselling to address the beliefs and conditioning driving the anxiety in the first place.
-
We're based in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, NSW — close enough for a Sydney weekend but far enough to properly disconnect. At $590–$850 fully inclusive of accommodation, meals and therapy, it's one of the more affordable mental health retreat options in NSW compared to similar multi-day programs.
Still have questions? Send us a message. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and book in.
Blue Mountains Retreats
“Great things are done when people and mountains meet;
this is not done by jostling in the street.”
- William Blake
Take in a local stargazing tour at night
Rejuvenate in the Blue Mountains natural wonders
Sign Up To Our Newsletter
Get Notified About Upcoming
Events & Happenings
Writing Programs, Self-Development Retreats, Career Counselling, Life Purpose Guidance & More
7 Seventh Avenue,
Katoomba, NSW
0402959946