Clark’s Cove Farm, Over 80 Acres
Fall into Co-regulation & Deep Support this October
Could you or your clients benefit from an immersive SE experience in nature?
7-days & 7-nights all-inclusive Trauma Healing Retreat
+ follow-up care
scroll down for a sample daily schedule
WAKING THE TIGER
SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® TRAUMA HEALING RETREAT
Monday, October 4th at noon - Monday, October 11th at noon
Open to the Public - 12 person maximum - waitlist open!
Waking the Tiger is an intensive week-long Somatic Experiencing™ (SE™) trauma healing retreat named after Dr. Levine's seminal book. In the Somatic Experiencing method the tiger personifies our aliveness and instinctual capacity to heal. In Eastern spiritual traditions, the tiger exemplifies the transmutation of anger into wisdom and insight and offers protection from harm. Therefore, Waking the Tiger retreat represents the re-negotiation of our trauma history into a new narrative of transformation, wisdom, and aliveness.
Waking the Tiger is a seven-day integrative Somatic Experiencing retreat lead by students of Dr. Levine’s. The retreat is based on a social model of treatment with demonstrated results in integrating the core components of the SE model with therapeutic disciplines that enhance recovery from PTSD and other traumatic stress-related conditions that include:
chronic physical pain
chronic emotional pain
professional burnout
depression
anxiety
fatigue
migraines
IBS
insomnia
self-destructive behaviors
In a Social Therapy model, the emphasis of recovery is based upon the relationship between the participant and her/his/their environment (including other participants and staff as a whole). Healing is created by everyone’s accumulated knowledge, collective experiences, wisdom, and cohesiveness that make the social model process work.
In light of the global pandemic and widespread social disconnection and isolation, the social model can help re-engage the ventral vagal system, known as the social nervous system, reinforcing inner resources and co-regulation through the human connection that are necessary for trauma healing, stress reduction, and emotional balance.
In order for Waking the Tiger participants to experience consistent stress reduction strategies and resiliency building techniques from a Somatic Experiencing perspective, we’ve developed a toolkit of simple and repeatable SE interventions.
These interventions address basic SE concepts of titration, pendulation, grounding, embodiment, presence, resourcing, and sensing that will be integrated with all aspects of the retreat program including individual and group SE sessions, therapeutic movement practice, Social Presencing Theatre, Somatic Art Therapy, Acupuncture, Cranial Sacral Therapy, hiking, meditation, boating, and during mealtimes.
Intimate Retreat with 12 Participants Maximum
Daily Individual SE Sessions (6 sessions total)
Daily Group SE Sessions
Social Presencing Theatre
Acupuncture (1 session)
Art Therapy
Body Work (1 session)
Daily Movement Practice (yoga, Tai Chi, dance)
Daily Guided Meditation
Organic Farm-to-Table Meals (3 meals a day, including tea/coffee and snacks)
Pre-Retreat Group Zoom Meeting (welcome to the program, meet and greet)
An 8-week Online Post-Retreat SE Support Group: meets once per week for 1.5 hrs. This group helps to integrate what was learned at the retreat for continued healing.
2 follow-up SE Mentoring Sessions: one and two weeks after the retreat
4 Discounted Private SE Sessions with an Approved SE Provider
RETREAT OBJECTIVES
Decrease stress-related symptoms (anxiety, depression, chronic pain, etc)
Increase emotional and physical resiliency (ability to bounce back after upset)
Increase nervous system and emotional wellness
Understand the polyvagal theory and how to apply it to self-care
Understand how the nervous system functions
Understand how trauma and stress-related conditions are stored in the body
Learn and experience how the body can heal after traumatic stress
Understand the core components of the Somatic Experiencing model for self-care
Learn how to use the SE toolkit for self-healing
Post retreat community support group for ongoing healing and transformation
Overall healing and well being
Dining Hall will be converted into our Group Meeting Space
RETREAT LOCATION
Clark’s Cove Farm, Walpole, Maine
ACCOMMODATIONS
Clark’s Cove Farm in Midcoast Maine is an ideal setting to re-connect with self and nature. Surrounded by 80 acres of apple orchards, perennial gardens, walking trails, ponds, and lake this quintessential rustic Maine Farm offers the comforts of home and more. Sleeping accommodations are apartment-style with semi-private rooms, a kitchen, shared bath, and porch overlooking the apple orchard and lake.
Apple Orchards
Perennial Gardens
Rolling Fields
Walking Trails
Woods
Pond
Lake
Organic Vegetables
Chickens
Sheep
Ducks
Barns
Tranquility
MEALS
Our menu is 100% organic and gluten-free using locally sourced vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy. We offer 3 full meals a day plus daily tea snacks, coffee, and non-alcoholic beverages. We have carefully designed a menu that supports healing and reduces inflammation. We are happy to accommodate special dietary needs. All of our meals are shared in the dining room of the carriage house.
RETREAT STAFF
Director and SE Facilitator: Alexandra Whitney, Ph.D., SEP
Somatic Experiencing Practitioners:
- Barbara Collier, BSN, LPC, SEP
- Cynthia Merchant, MFT, SEP
- Keita A Whitten Foster, BSW, MSW, LCSW, SEP
- Marcy Pollitt, LCSW-R, SEP
Social Presencing Theater: Carol Zahner
Licensed Acupuncturist: Lynn Teo, LAc, MSc, MAOM
Manager: Melissa Stager, EMBA, SEP
This retreat protocol was proven to be effective in 2019 when Dr. Peter Levine launched Returning Home, our first SE intensive retreat with military veterans suffering from combat PTSD. The preliminary results of our research study indicated that as an initial intervention this treatment program had a meaningful impact, both clinically and statistically, on clinical symptoms of PTSD, depression anxiety, dissociation, and increased quality of life. This study added to the literature of SE evidence-based trials and served as a “proof of concept” for a multi-day SE integrated trauma treatment program for returning veterans. It is our belief that Waking the Tiger will be of similar benefit to our civilian participants.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND COST
Complete Online Registration Questionnaire
Schedule Interview with Retreat Director
Upon approval, there will be a nonrefundable down payment of $3,250
Program balance is due by September 20th, 2021
RETREAT RATE: $6,500
Refundable $100 deposit required to apply
If you have a referral code, please mention it during your interview.
The all-inclusive cost does not include travel, but we will help advise you on how best to get there.
Payment Plans are Available
Email: info@somaticexperiencing.com
The retreat rate includes:
Semi-private rooms and a shared bath (each apartment has one private room and one screened-off room, kitchen, and bathroom)
3 meals a day
Unlimited tea, coffee, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks
All therapeutic retreat services
Retreat supplies
Follow up retreat support (8-week online support group and 2 SE mentoring sessions)
Limited transportation between town and venue for arrival and departure
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This trauma healing retreat is designed to support those who are suffering from chronic stress, professional burnout, and persistent traumatic stress or PTSD symptoms. These symptoms can include anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, low motivation, chronic emotional and physical pain, migraines, IBS, and insomnia.
*This retreat is not intended to treat active addiction, psychosis, or severely destabilized mental health conditions. We can make referrals so that applicants can be connected with the appropriate care facility.
Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the event itself. They arise when residual energy from the experience is not discharged from the body, This energy remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds.
- Peter A. Levine, PhD
Sample Schedule
7:00am wake up bell - coffee and tea available
* silence in the morning until 9am
7:45am to 8:15am - guided group meditation
8:15am to 9:00am - breakfast
9:00am to 9:30am - free time
9:30am to 11:30am - individual SE sessions
11:30am to 12:00pm - free time
12:00pm to 12:45pm - movement practice (dance, yoga, qi gong)
12:45pm to 1:45pm - lunch
1:45pm to 4:00pm - group session
4:00pm to 4:30pm - tea break & rest
4:30pm to 6:00pm - group session
6:00pm to 6:30pm - sunset break
6:30pm to 7:30pm - dinner
7:30pm to 8:00pm - free time
8:00pm to 9:30pm - fire circle
9:30pm - silence until 9am
REFUND POLICY
After acceptance of approval, the registration deposit is non-refundable.
Waking the Tiger is an intensive seven-day Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) trauma healing retreat protocol presented by Ergos Institute Community Health SE™ & Eightfold Path.
Contact us with inquiries.
Your registration and attendance is confidential
refundable $100 deposit required to apply
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COVID-19 PROTOCOL
Due to COVID-19 and the Delta variant, we are requiring that all participants receive their second dose of the vaccine 2-weeks prior AND be tested 24 hours prior to the start of the retreat. Boosters are recommended to those that received their vaccine in early Spring. We ask that precautionary safety measures be taken 10-days before the retreat and during travel. We also suggest that participants, if possible, drive to the venue location rather than fly on an airplane. Safety first. Your health and wellbeing are our priority.