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 RTZ HOPE RETREATS

NURTURE YOURSELF · FIND COMMUNITY · FIND CONNECTION

Our women’s holistic retreats create a safe place for bereaved mothers who have experienced any type of pregnancy and infant loss, including termination for medical reasons, to nurture yourself, connect with your loss experience, and discover a community of people who have walked the same steps you have—those with whom you can begin your healing journey.

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Honoring your loss Journey: A healing retreat for Bereaved mothers
Northern California
May 9-12, 2024

 

Funding is available for our upcoming Bereaved Mother’s Retreat. Please apply for partial scholarship below or email betsy@rtzhope.org for questions.

Save the date:
Finding Yourself After Loss Retreat
October 24-27, 2024, Northern California

 

 “This has been a turning point in my healing journey.”

– JENNIFER, RTZ HOPE RETREAT ALUM

 
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Retreat Vision

Part of your heart goes with the child that dies. After the deepest sorrow, we keep walking—we try to find meaning and live wholeheartedly despite our loss. The intention of this holistic retreat is to create a safe place to nurture yourself, connect with the child you have lost, and discover a community of people who have walked the same steps you have and with whom you can find meaning, growth, and transformation.

 
 
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Nurture Yourself

Our lives are always busy. When we have experienced losses on the journey to parenthood, it is hard to find time and space to tend to ourselves. Therefore, we imagined this retreat as a break from all of that—a chance to practice unconditional love for yourself. This is a gift you are giving yourself, to honor you, your loss experience, and your journey. Come and be taken care of. Let yourself rest. Nurture your body and spirit.

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Find Connection

Many people connect with their loss experience through grief and pain, however there are other ways to find this connection. No matter your beliefs, finding ways to connect with your love, loss, and your baby are supportive to the grieving process. Everyone has their own unique ways to connect with their loss experience and babies. This retreat is a place to explore this connection.

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Find Community

It is an essential part of the grieving process that you do not feel alone or isolated. You will have the opportunity to make connections in a brave and sacred environment with others who have been through a similar experience—whether it be infertility and recurrent loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons, infant death, or toddler death. This is a time for you to take off the mask you wear every day and be your true self. You will form friendships that will support you and your journey long after the retreat is over.

FAQ

Our goal is to offer unconditional support for all parents who have experience losses on the journey to parenthood, no matter what their age, situation, or stage of their grief journey.

If you have other questions that have not been answered here please email us.

 

Can I be pregnant and still attend?

Yes. We have had women who are pregnant attend the previous retreats. Pregnancy after loss can be filled with anxiety, and we hope that you can connect with others at the retreat who have walked this part of the journey and can share their experiences with you.

 

If I am a parent of a toddler who passed away, can I attend?

Yes. Although the majority of the people attending the retreat have experienced the death of a child during or shortly after pregnancy, we know that grief of a young child is similarly heartbreaking.

 

If I am a parent who terminated a pregnancy for a medical reasons, can I attend?

Yes. We know that if you have terminated a pregnancy, it was the hardest, most painful decision of your life. You are grieving the death of your baby.

 

Does my loss experience need to be recent to attend?

No. We have had people attend the retreat whose loss was as recent as 3 weeks and as long ago as 35 years.

 

Is there an age limit?

No. The pain from the pregnancy and infant loss never goes away. If it has been a long time since your loss but you feel like it's the right moment to dedicate special time to your healing, please join us.

 

Are the retreats based in a specific religion?

Our goal is to create a space for people of all faiths to process their grief. We do not bring a specific religion into the retreat curriculum, however all participates are free to include their belief system in their own experience. There will be elements of spirituality available in connecting with your self and your loss experience, but it is up to each participant on how they do this.

 

Are infants and children allowed?

Unfortunately, this is an adults-only retreat.

 

Can men or couples attend this retreat?

Unfortunately, at this time the retreats are currently for women-only.

 

Are my roommates assigned?

If you have any special requests, please write them in the "Additional Comments" section of the registration page. We will try our hardest to meet your expectations but cannot make any guarantees.

 

 Watch the Retreat Video

 
 

RTZ Healing Retreat - January 2017

RTZ HOPE Retreats Alumni

Below you will find links to articles written specifically for you. Those that have attended previous retreats want to pass along information that will hopefully help support you in your transition back to life after the retreat.

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Virtual Support Groups For Parents

The loss of a baby is unlike any other, and each loss is unique. No matter what you have experienced, there is an virtual support group waiting to come alongside you during this time.