This is a safe, structured retreat led by a staff of licensed and highly experienced therapists and physicians in the beautiful Catskill Mountains at Menla Retreat and Spa.
“Perhaps aging is not a process of becoming less. Perhaps it is a process of remembering more.”
For much of our lives, many of us have worked very hard to be good: a good daughter or son, a good partner, a good parent, a good professional, a good citizen of whatever tribe we happened to belong to. We were so good at it that we forgot we were performing. The role became the self. Then, without asking permission, the cracks appear. A certainty dissolves. A role no longer fits. And we find ourselves asking a question that refuses to go away: what if this is not the whole story?
This retreat is an invitation to meet that question in community and to discover the unexpected joy of aging. The stories crack, the masks loosen, and beneath it all we find something ancient, something tender, and something surprisingly intact. Not a new self. The self that was waiting all along.
The retreat is open to individuals from all walks of life, ages and all levels of experience, whether you arrive with a personal intention, a professional lens, or simple curiosity. It is designed for those ready to deepen their personal growth within a supportive group setting. Together we will slow down, move gently beneath our defenses, and reconnect with the emotions we may have set aside in order to survive. Awakening contains grief: not because something is wrong, but because something is ending. We will honor the identities that carried us here even as we make room for what is emerging.
Ketamine is offered not as a mandatory component across three sessions. When chosen, it can support this process by softening defenses and reducing anxiety, allowing access to stillness, insight, and love. Many participants experience increased clarity, compassion, and a non-defensive perspective that supports meaningful transformation. Alongside the medicine work, we offer many portals for cultivating joy: meditation, breathwork, poetry, art, and time in the gardens and mountains that surround Menla. These practices open space for creativity and wonder and help create the conditions for cultivating joy.
At the heart of this retreat is the circle. Healing rarely happens in isolation. Wisdom is shared, truth ripens in community, and the group itself becomes the medicine. Again and again we watch the moment of sacred recognition arrive: the realization that we are not alone. So come. Pull up a chair. Bring your questions, your grief, and your joy. The circle is forming, and there is room for you.
Safety is our highest priority. Each participant is carefully screened to ensure readiness for the group experience and the safe, appropriate use of ketamine if chosen. This retreat is not a residential treatment program and is not appropriate for individuals experiencing an acute mental health crisis or unmanaged chronic psychiatric conditions. A medical interview is required for attendance.
Application coming soon. To join the waitlist, email david@relationshipresources.info.
Steps to Join:
Step 1: Complete the retreat application form. Once we receive your application, you’ll get an email with instructions for scheduling a screening call with our Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator, Jayne Gumpel, LCSW. This call will be held over Zoom.
Step 2: If both you and our team feel the retreat is a good fit, we’ll ask you to make a 50% deposit of the retreat fee (note: housing costs are not included in this fee).
Step 3: After your deposit secures your spot, you’ll receive a welcome email with important next steps, including:
You’ll also receive access to the RetreatPortal, where you can find all of this information and more to help you prepare for the retreat.
We appreciate your understanding. Many, many steps go into creating this experience for you.
Individual Inquiry Call
Each participant will have a one-on-one call with a faculty member to ensure alignment with the retreat’s goals and readiness for the experience.
Group Zoom Preparation Meetings
Engage in group preparation sessions designed to set the foundation for a meaningful retreat experience.
Post-Retreat Integration and Learning
• Post-retreat cohort meetings on Zoom to support continued integration and application of retreat material.
• Ongoing peer support: We encourage and facilitate a no-fee peer group to continue fostering connection and learning after the retreat.
Tuition & Fees
Relationship Resources retreat fee: $2150 per person
A 50% deposit is due upon enrollment. The remaining 50% balance is due to confirm registration.
*All deposits are non-refundable unless you cancel 60 days prior to the retreat. A $500 fee will be deducted from the deposit if you cancel at any time after the deposit is paid. Please be sure you intend to join this retreat.
Once the balance is paid (due 45 days prior to the retreat), the fees are non-refundable and a partial credit can be applied toward a future retreat.
Partial scholarships are available. Please let us know during screening and we will do our best to make this program accessible.
PLEASE NOTE: This fee does not include the cost of housing or the medical screening, which are paid separately (see details below).
Housing & Meals
Housing is not included in the retreat fee. Individual or shared (on request) accommodations are available.
Rooms range from $250 to $380 per night (final prices may be subject to change) and include delicious vegetarian meals. After acceptance, housing is paid directly to Menla through a link we provide.
Medical Intake
The medical intake fee is $400, paid to your assigned medical provider through a payment link we share. If approved, the cost of medication (approximately $75) is paid directly to the pharmacy.
Jayne Gumpel, LCSW
jayne@relationshipresources.info
914.924.1509 (cell)
www.relationshipresources.info
Woodstock, New York 12498
Front Desk at Menla:
frontdesk@menla.org
Or call 845-688-6897 (Extension 101)