A retreat I teach at · with my colleague Claire Bidwell Smith
The Conscious Grieving Retreat. We heal in community.
January 21 to 24, 2027 · Mill Valley, California
Apply for JanuaryOne of my favorite places to be with grief
I join Claire Bidwell Smith’s team as the trauma therapist at her Conscious Grieving Retreat, which we offer twice a year, usually in January and August. It is one of my favorite weeks of the whole year. It is so lovely.
We heal in community. For four days you are with other people who know loss from the inside, and something shifts when you no longer have to explain yourself. This retreat is built for exactly that.
Together we look at your grief and at all of your losses, including the ones nobody named. We help you identify what is missing. We work with continuing bonds, the ways the relationship with the person you love keeps going after their death. It is honestly one of the most thorough grief retreats I have seen, and you are held the whole time by some of the most incredible people I know.
I would love to see you there.
Angela
What the four days hold
Small circles, real grief work, beautiful food, time in the redwoods, rest, and long conversations. Here is what you can expect.
Your story, heard
Story-sharing circles from the first evening, so you are known by the people around you.
Your losses, named
Guided work on your grief and on everything the loss took with it, including what is missing now.
Continuing bonds
Ways to stay connected to the person you lost, through writing, reflection and ritual.
Small groups by loss
Breakouts for people who lost a mother, a father, a child, a partner, or a sibling.
The body, too
Gentle yoga and movement, nervous system and attachment work with me, and guided meditation.
The redwoods
Nature walks and forest bathing on private trails around the retreat house.
Photos courtesy of Claire Bidwell Smith.
The details
Details are from Claire’s retreat page as of October 2026. Her page has the full schedule and cancellation policy: clairebidwellsmith.com/conscious-grieving-retreat.
About Claire
Claire Bidwell Smith is a therapist and one of the most trusted voices in grief today. She is the author of five books, including The Rules of Inheritance, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief, and Conscious Grieving, and she founded Elegy, a grief support app.
Claire has spent two decades sitting with grieving people. After years of teaching at other retreats, she built the one she had been imagining: a skilled team, small groups, thoughtful grief work, beautiful surroundings and incredible food. She co-led the October Healing with Horses circle with me, and I trust her completely.
The team
Claire Bidwell SmithLead facilitator, therapist and author
Angela SchellenbergTrauma and grief therapist, nervous system and attachment work
Barri Leiner GrantGrief specialist and author, writing for grief
Kelsey MoroDance movement therapist and yoga teacher
Natasha SizloAuthor, grief coach and forest therapy guideFrom people who have been
“I thought grief was about time, but it is about space. The Conscious Grieving Retreat offered me that dedicated space where I felt seen, acknowledged, and supported.”Maïté, Alberta, via Claire’s site
“There’s something to be said about being in a room filled with people who understand what you’re going through.”Jen, Chicago, via Claire’s site
Come to January
Registration is open, and it begins with a short application and a Zoom conversation with Claire. If you are wondering whether it is time to step away for a few days and give your grief real room, I think it might be.
Read Claire’s full retreat page · My own retreat with horses
Claire Bidwell Smith runs the Conscious Grieving Retreat and handles registration and payment. Angela Schellenberg is part of the teaching team.