Angela Schellenberg
California has more grief retreats than anywhere else in the country, and they are very different from each other. Some are four days at a residential center, some are a weekend in a private home, a few are free, and several are built for one kind of loss, like mothers who have lost a child or women who lost their own mother young. Below are the ones I could confirm are running, with their 2027 dates where they are posted.
I lead one of these retreats and teach at another, and I have marked both. Everything else here is a program I do not work with. I checked every entry on the retreat’s own website on October 28, 2026. Dates and prices change, so confirm them before you book.
How to choose a grief retreat
- Your loss. Some retreats welcome any loss. Others are only for bereaved parents, widows, or women who lost their mother. A room of people who share your kind of loss can make it easier to speak.
- Overnight or not. Residential retreats give your body several days away from ordinary life. Weekend and day programs are easier to fit around work and family.
- Size. Groups here run from 6 people to more than 40.
- Approach. Some are led by licensed clinicians, some are meditation or ritual based, and some are faith based. Ask who leads it and what their training is.
- Timing. Several ask that your loss be at least six months old.
Grief retreats in California for adults
Malibu · April 29 to May 2, 2027 · My retreat
Healing with Horses, the Spring Circle
Three nights at the Malibu Dream Resort, with time each day with the horses of Shakti Ranch. No riding and no horse experience needed. Grief education with me and Claire Bidwell Smith, yoga, breathwork, a sound bath, and a private chef. For women. Fifteen beds in eight rooms, from $5,200, with every meal included. National Geographic named it Best for Equine Therapy.
Mill Valley · January 21 to 24, 2027 · I teach here
Conscious Grieving Retreat
Claire Bidwell Smith’s four-day residential retreat at the Ralston White Retreat in Marin, with small groups sorted by type of loss and a faculty that is mostly clinicians. For adults at least six months past a death. $3,100 shared room, $3,600 private room, $2,200 day guest.
Scotts Valley · June 2 to 6, 2027
Love Mama Grief Retreat at 1440 Multiversity
Five days in the Santa Cruz Mountains, curated by Dr. Laura Berman, for mothers who have lost a child of any age or a pregnancy at any stage. About $3,300 plus tax, with partial scholarships.
Carmel · monthly weekends, January to May 2027
Meeting Grief: Workshop and Ritual
A weekend for up to eight people in a private home, led by Kim Birdsong and end-of-life doula Linda Anne Goulet, built on Francis Weller’s work. Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, not overnight. $695 in 2027, with one half scholarship each weekend.
Santa Rosa · February 19 to 21, 2027
Grief and Growing at Camp Newman
A residential weekend in Sonoma for grieving people of every age, so couples and families can come with their children. Jewish-centered, and open to everyone. Adults from $1,500 to $3,350 depending on lodging, children $425, with financial aid.
Mount Hermon · March 12 to 14, 2027
While We’re Waiting: Weekend for Bereaved Parents
A Christian weekend for parents who have lost a child, led by Rex and Mary Jones, limited to nine couples or singles. Free, including lodging and meals.
Santa Cruz · winter 2027, dates to come
Santa Cruz Community Grief Ritual Retreat
Three days of communal grief ritual built around group singing, led by song leader Laurence Cole and Joshua Lowe, LMFT, for up to 20 people. Not overnight; you book your own lodging. Sliding scale $500 to $675, with scholarships.
California · 2027 dates to come · I co-led the 2026 retreat
Motherless Daughters Retreats with Hope Edelman
Retreats for women whose mother died when they were young, run by the author of Motherless Daughters. The West Coast retreat met at Mount Madonna Center in January 2026, and a smaller retreat for women over 50 met in Venice Beach. The 2027 California dates are not posted yet.
Woodacre · 2027 dates to come
Spirit Rock Meditation Center grief retreats
Silent residential meditation retreats on grief, including grief beyond death, with half the places held for BIPOC participants. Sliding scale, recently $980 to $2,440, with scholarships. The most recent ran in October 2026, and the next is not posted yet.
Costa Mesa · next dates to come
The Next Chapter Widow Grief Retreat
Four days for widows at least six months after the loss, capped at six people, with three one-on-one sessions each, led by Anne-Marie Lockmyer and Ron Gray, LMFT. $2,985, lodging not included.
Grief camps in California for children and teens
These are free, and most fill early.
- Experience Camps California, Lake Hughes. A week for grades 4 to 12 after the death of a parent, sibling, or caregiver. August 10 to 15, 2027. experiencecamps.org
- Camp Erin Santa Cruz, Hospice of Santa Cruz County. Ages 7 to 17. July 9 to 11, 2027. hospicesantacruz.org
- Camp Erin Los Angeles, OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center. Ages 6 to 17. Summer 2027, dates to come. ourhouse-grief.org
- Camp Spero, The Elizabeth Hospice, Julian. Ages 7 to 17 in San Diego and Southwest Riverside County. 2027 dates to come. elizabethhospice.org
Not sure which one fits?
I am glad to talk it through, even if the right retreat for you is not mine. Book a free call with me.
Frequently asked questions
What is a grief retreat?
A grief retreat is a few days set apart to grieve with others, usually with a small group, skilled facilitators, and practices that work with the body as well as the mind, such as movement, ritual, time in nature, or time with animals. It is not a replacement for therapy, and many people use one alongside it.
How much does a grief retreat in California cost?
Most residential grief retreats in California cost between about $2,000 and $7,600 for three to five days, including lodging and meals. Weekend and day programs run from about $500 to $700, and a few, like the While We're Waiting weekend for bereaved parents, are free.
Are there free grief retreats in California?
Yes. While We're Waiting runs a free weekend for bereaved parents at Mount Hermon, and children's grief camps such as Experience Camps and Camp Erin are free for families.
Is there a grief retreat with horses in California?
Yes. Healing with Horses, led by Angela Schellenberg in Malibu, includes daily time with the horses of Shakti Ranch. No riding or horse experience is needed. The next one is April 29 to May 2, 2027.
Are there grief retreats for mothers who have lost a child?
Yes. The Love Mama Grief Retreat at 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley is only for mothers who have lost a child or a pregnancy, and While We're Waiting runs a weekend for bereaved parents.
Angela Schellenberg
Angela is a licensed trauma and grief therapist, attachment-focused EMDR specialist, and trained Mother Hunger® Facilitator (a framework created by Kelly McDaniel). She hosts the Grief, Trauma & Your Mama podcast and leads EMDR intensives and equine-assisted retreats at Shakti Ranch in Malibu. Licensed in California, Washington, and Arizona. Work with Angela →