Our Retreats
Our trauma-informed therapy retreats are designed to help you pause, listen inwardly, and make space for meaningful change using EMDR and therapeutic approaches. Whether you're new to therapy or continuing your journey, this experience meets you exactly where you are.
A retreat focused on healing through EMDR and Creative Psychotherapy
Release & Renew
Step into a weekend of healing, reflection, and reconnection. Our trauma-informed therapy retreat is designed to help you pause, listen inwardly, and make space for meaningful change. Whether you are new to therapy or continuing your journey, this experience meets you exactly where you are.
Secure your place today and take advantage of our Early Bird offer, available until 1 July 2026.
What's Included
Our retreats offers a gentle yet powerful blend of therapeutic and holistic practices to help you explore your internal narrative and set positive intentions for the year ahead. You’ll be guided through:
Whether you're seeking clarity, emotional release, or simply a moment of peace, this is a chance to step away from the noise and nurture your inner resilience.
A 50 minute individual session before the retreat to meet Heather or Susan and spend some time thinking about how the retreat will be most useful to you (online)
EMDR-informed group therapy sessions to help process distressing experiences, anxieties, worries or fears and cultivate self-compassion
Creative workshops to explore and express your inner world through art, writing, and movement
Group sharing circles to foster connection, belonging, and emotional insight
Beach walks and meditation to ground your nervous system and restore calm.
Arrival snacks, breakfast and coffee both mornings, a nutritious lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and an evening meal on Saturday, with refreshments throughout the day.
Post Retreat Support: To help you continue your journey, we offer a complimentary 50-minute individual online session in the month following the retreat- a chance to reflect, reconnect, and integrate what you've discovered.
Retreat Pricing
A comprehensive healing experience including group EMDR, creative psychotherapy, beach walks, and nourishing meals. To offer you maximum flexibility, accommodation is booked separately. The standard full retreat price is £570 (plus booking fee) for bookings made after 1 July 2026.
Deposit
Early-Bird Offer
Your Journey at Retreats by Hampton Therapy
From the moment you arrive, all aspects of our Release & Renew Retreat has been thoughtfully designed to help you disconnect from the everyday and reconnect with yourself. Here is a glimpse into the transformative journey.
Friday
Arrival & Intention Setting
Our journey begins with a warm welcome as you arrive and settle in. You will be guided through a gentle introductory circle with your hosts, Susan and Heather, to ground you in the space and set your intentions for the weekend ahead.
Saturday
Exploration & Expression
Begin the day together with a tea, coffee, and a pastry. The morning is dedicated to profound healing with a professionally guided Group EMDR session, helping you to process distressing experiences and cultivate self-compassion in a safe, supportive environment.
Following a nourishing lunch, the afternoon blends personal time with guided expression. You will have dedicated space for relaxation before tapping into your inner world during an expressive creative group session. After a brief break, we will gather again for a group reflection session to share and integrate the day's discoveries.
After some time for solo relaxation, we will eat together this evening.
Sunday
Integration & Closure
Begin the day together with a tea, coffee, and a pastry. The morning is dedicated to continuing profound healing with a professionally guided Group EMDR session, helping you to process distressing experiences and cultivate self-compassion in a safe, supportive environment.
Following a nourishing lunch, the afternoon blends personal time with guided expression. You will have dedicated space for solo relaxation before tapping into your inner world during an expressive creative group session. After a brief break, we will gather again for a group reflection session to share and integrate the weekend's discoveries and bring the retreat to a close.
Afterwards, you are welcome to take optional time to explore the local area before your journey home.
Hampton Therapy
Clinical Directors
Meet the therapists who will host and support your stay
Susan McQuaker
Susan has worked with children, adolescents and their families for over 25 years, supporting their mental health and well-being, in education and other charitable organisations. Susan's training in both the creative arts and in therapy has enabled her to provide a bespoke therapeutic service that is confidential, respectful, collaborative and non-judgemental.
Heather Williams
Heather has over eighteen years of experience supporting people through trauma, loss and bereavement across the NHS, education and private practice. As Clinical Director of a local Bereavement Service and Co-founder of Hampton Therapy Retreats, she creates restorative spaces for reflection, healing and growth.
Location & Travel
Release and Renew is held in the serene surroundings of The Sunshine Room in Findhorn, Scotland. Nestled in a beautiful coastal setting, our venue is easily accessible even if you are travelling without a car.
If you are arriving by train, Forres Station is just five miles away. From there, you can take a short taxi ride or a local bus directly to Findhorn village. For those flying, both Inverness and Aberdeen airports offer straightforward bus and rail connections to Forres.
Full, step-by-step travel details and public transport options can be found in our FAQs below.
Previous Retreats
For our recent Release & Renew retreat, we welcomed guests to the beautiful Cattleshed in Derbyshire for our therapeutic retreat weekend, and what a weekend it was. We had yoga, nourishing food, time to relax and group therapy sessions throughout using creative and EMDR approaches.
Hear from our clients
Ready to Transform Your Life?
Take the first step towards healing and renewal—register your interest in our upcoming retreats today!
FAQs
Here are some common questions about our retreats and the experiences we offer.
Not at all. This retreat is designed to support anyone interested in exploring their inner emotional landscape. While some participants may be navigating recovery from trauma, burnout, or the overwhelm of everyday life, others may simply feel the need to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves. Whether you are seeking clarity, rest, or personal growth, this retreat offers a nurturing space and thoughtful resources to guide your journey.
You do not need to have experienced therapy previously; this is the perfect opportunity to gently experience therapy and how it may be helpful to you. The beauty of therapy is it meets you where you are at regardless of experience. We just ask for an openness and willingness to explore your internal narrative.
Yes, this would be an opportunity to take stock and reflect on your therapeutic journey and deepen your connection with yourself.
We understand that life can be unpredictable. If you need to cancel your place on the Release and Revive retreat, please review our policy below:
- All Deposits are non-refundable
- Cancellations before the retreat are non-refundable, unless your place can be filled from our waiting list.
- If the retreat is cancelled by the organisers due to unforeseen circumstances, you will receive a full refund.
- You may transfer your booking to another person with prior approval from the organisers.
We recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover any unexpected changes to your plans.
Absolutely! We encourage you to share this transformative experience with someone you trust. Just ensure they also register for the retreat to secure their spot. Together, you can support each other's healing journey.
We recommend bringing the following items to ensure you are comfortable throughout your stay:
- Clothing: Please pack comfortable clothing suitable for, group sessions and relaxation. We will be walking along the beach, so we advise bringing a warm coat and comfortable walking shoes.
- Personal Items: Please bring a journal for reflections. We provide all necessary materials for therapy sessions.
Our retreat takes place at The Sunshine Room, East Wing House, Findhorn, IV36 3TH. We are easily reachable by train, bus, and air.
- By Train: The closest railway station is Forres, which is well served by ScotRail trains from both Inverness and Aberdeen. If you are travelling from further afield, you can take the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Inverness or Aberdeen, and then connect to Forres.
- From Forres Station to Findhorn: Findhorn is approximately five miles from Forres Station. You can complete your journey by:
- Taxi: A short, direct taxi ride from the station is the easiest and most convenient option.
- Bus: You can take the 31 or 32 Stagecoach bus from Forres town centre to Findhorn village, which takes around 20 minutes. Please note that there is limited or no Sunday service for local buses, so we highly recommend booking a taxi for your departure on Sunday afternoon.
- By Air: Inverness Airport (INV) is located 24 miles away. You can take the airport bus directly to Forres. Alternatively, Aberdeen Airport (Dyce): Located 75 miles away. You can take the 727 bus to Aberdeen city centre, and then connect to the number 10 bus or a ScotRail train to Forres.
Partially. We provide arrival snacks, as well as breakfast and a nutritious lunch on both Saturday and Sunday. An evening meal is also provided on Saturday, along with refreshments throughout the weekend. We accommodate dietary restrictions, so please inform us of any specific needs when booking.
We highly recommend attending all therapy sessions as they are designed to build upon one another. However, all yoga and meditation sessions are optional, so please feel free to rest if you need to.
To support the therapeutic process and ensure a clear, safe environment for all guests, this is an alcohol-free retreat. We appreciate your cooperation in not bringing alcohol to the venue.
Still have questions?
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