The spring circle begins in -- days · -- hrs · -- min
A somatic grief retreat for women
Healing with Horses
with Angela Schellenberg & Claire Bidwell Smith
April 29 to May 2, 2027·Malibu, California
Some grief cannot be talked away. It lives in the body, and it eases where the body finally feels safe. Three nights at the Malibu Dream Resort, mornings with the horses at Shakti Ranch, a floating sound bath, a private chef, and a small circle of women who understand.
Named best for equine therapy
a place to tend to your grief...
with care, curiosity, and compassion.
Forget pushing through. Forget keeping it together for everyone else. Here, you can set it down, breathe, and come back to the parts of yourself that have been carrying pain for a long time. Through equine-assisted learning, psychotherapy-informed grief education, group grief work, somatic practice, and stillness, healing gets room to unfold at its own pace.
if you’ve been wondering...
Is a retreat for you?
Angela has sat with hundreds of grieving women. If you see yourself below, you are in the right place.
This retreat is for you.
You have lost your mother, father, partner, or someone who shaped your world, and it feels like life kept moving while you stayed behind.
You identify as a motherless daughter, whether through death, estrangement, or emotional absence.
You feel stuck in your grief: numb, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward.
Talk therapy has helped, but you sense your body is still holding what words cannot reach.
You carry childhood wounds that shaped your nervous system and your relationships.
You are craving real connection, with others, with nature, and with yourself.
You are curious about healing with horses, even if you have never stood beside one.
You simply need a supported pause: a place to set it down, breathe, and begin again.
No prior experience with therapy or horses is required.
Payment plans available: reserve with a reservation fee, then three automatic monthly payments.
Who Holds the Space
Your guides
A circle of clinicians, equine facilitators, and somatic practitioners, each chosen for the depth and care they bring to this work.
Facilitators
Angela Schellenberg
Therapist & Lead Facilitator
Trauma and grief therapist, Mother Hunger® facilitator, and equine therapy practitioner. With a background shaped by personal loss and deep clinical training, Angela creates spaces where healing feels possible.
Claire Bidwell Smith
Co-Facilitator · Bestselling Grief Author & Therapist
A bestselling grief author and therapist whose work has supported thousands through the landscape of loss. Claire co-facilitates the grief education and integration portions of the retreat, helping the circle explore the emotional and spiritual layers of grief with honesty and grace.
clairebidwellsmith.com →
Alexis Kimball
Adoption Grief Loss & EMDR Therapist
Drawing from her own journey as a Black adoptee raised in predominantly white spaces, Alexis offers a holistic, attachment-based approach that honors the complexities of identity, belonging, and healing.
alexiskimball.com →Equine Facilitators
Rose Mary Riggs
Equine Facilitator · Shakti Ranch
Founder of Shakti Ranch and a gifted equine facilitator. Her connection with the horses, and her deep understanding of their intuitive power, creates an environment where healing unfolds in ways words often cannot reach.
shaktiranch.com →
Emma Barnosky
Equine Facilitator & Somatic Practitioner
A certified Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator and somatic practitioner whose work bridges science, spirituality, and the healing power of the horse-human bond.
emmabarnosky.com →
Lara Plutte
Equine Facilitator & Grief Therapist
Associate Clinical Social Worker (MA, MSW, ACSW) and Certified Mindfulness Teacher who helps hold the equine work at the ranch. Lara blends grief therapy, mindfulness, and somatic practice with the healing presence of the horses.
larapluttetherapy.com →Somatic Practitioners
Ace Yoga LA
Yoga & Sound Bath Facilitator
Healing through breath, movement, and vibration. Ace’s yoga and sound bath sessions are trauma-informed and deeply restorative, an invitation to settle the nervous system and return to the present moment.
aceyogala.com →
Angel Rae Okino
Certified Somatic Facilitator & Coach
Certified Somatic Coach & Facilitator, Reiki and Qi Gong Master, Sound Healer, and Laughter Therapist. Rae promotes balance, healing, and self-discovery for those seeking embodied living and nervous system regulation.
raeokino.com →
Dori Lancaster
Massage & Somatic Bodywork
A master-level, deeply intuitive bodyworker with 30 years of experience in Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point, and pre and postnatal massage. Dori weaves in somatic bodywork to guide a profound nervous system reset, leaving you restored and reconnected to yourself.
dorilancaster.com →
Healing with Horses Somatic Grief Retreat
3 Nights · 4 Days · Thursday–Sunday · Malibu Dream Resort + Shakti Ranch
Four days of equine-assisted learning, grief education and rest in a small circle of women. The retreat gathers twice a year, in spring and fall. The next circle is Thursday, April 29 to Sunday, May 2, 2027. Check-in is 4:00 PM Thursday; check-out is noon Sunday.
- 5 hours of equine-assisted learning at Shakti Ranch
- Psychotherapy-informed grief education with Angela Schellenberg and Claire Bidwell Smith
- Yoga and a floating sound bath to settle the nervous system
- A private, high-end chef preparing seasonal meals, with dietary accommodations
- 3 nights at the Malibu Dream Resort, with views of the Pacific
The Stay
A retreat within a retreat
Eight bedrooms, private or shared. Every guest has her own bed, made up with fresh linens. No bed-sharing.
The Horses
Healing words cannot reach
Horses read the nervous system with startling honesty. Guided equine-assisted learning at Shakti Ranch invites a kind of healing that often unfolds beyond language.
The Support
Held with clinical depth
After the horse work, the circle returns to grief education and integration with Angela Schellenberg and co-facilitator Claire Bidwell Smith, blending somatic practice, EMDR-informed care, and space for whatever rises. This is delicate work, held safely.
The Extras
Bodywork & energy healing
Optional massage and reiki sessions can be booked during free time, at an additional cost.
Reservations
The Spring Circle
Every bed includes the full retreat: all sessions, every chef-prepared meal and your time with the horses.
I
The Suite
The largest room, shared by four.
II
Private Rooms
A room of your own, for one guest.
III
Shared Rooms
Two guests, each in her own bed. No bed-sharing.
Shared
The Terrace RoomWarm and light-filled, opening onto a balcony.From $5,900View room
Shared
The Courtyard RoomBright and calm, with its own small entrance foyer.From $5,600View room
Shared
The Cloud RoomSpacious and calm, above the gardens.From $5,200View room
Shared
The Koi RoomOne of a kind, on the lower level.From $5,500View room
One bed per guest · every bed includes the full retreat · reservation fees are non-refundable and the retreat is non-refundable in full · travel insurance is recommended
Not ready to choose a bed?
A Retreat Conversation
A free 30-minute call with Angela. No pressure, no intake forms, no decision required on the call.
Talk through what the four days hold, whether it fits where you are in your grief, or which room makes sense.
Book a Retreat ConversationOr stay close by email: when a bed opens, what the days look like, and the next circle as it takes shape.
You can unsubscribe anytime. Or join the waitlist for the next circle.
The Venue · Malibu, California
Step inside the Malibu Dream House
A private hilltop estate in Malibu with views over the ocean: sunlit rooms, gardens with their own waterfall, and quiet corners to rest between sessions.
Watch the Info Session
Come sit with me for a few minutes and let me walk you through what these days in Malibu really feel like.
A short introduction to the Healing with Horses retreat: who it is for, what we do together, and the kind of care that holds you at Shakti Ranch.
Our fall circle October 22 to 25, 2026
Four days together. Mornings with the herd at Shakti Ranch, yoga above the Pacific, long lunches under the oaks, a candlelit sound bath by the pool and movie night on the terrace.
Daily Schedule
A day at the retreat
Each day follows the same gentle rhythm: a morning circle, time with the horses, movement in the afternoon, and quiet evenings at the house.
Morning
We gather
Coffee, soft chairs, and a circle where whatever you carry is welcome.
Midday
We meet the horses
Pasture work at Shakti Ranch, where the healing often goes beyond words.
Afternoon
We return to the body
Yoga, breath, and bodywork that lets the nervous system finally exhale.
Evening
We are held
Candlelight, sound baths, and dinners that feel like family.
and when the sun goes down...
Candlelit sound baths by the pool and quiet nights under the stars.
in their words...
What guests say
The Malibu Dream Resort
Amenities
After you choose your bed, this is the world around it: the pool, gardens, quiet corners, and gathering spaces that make the estate feel generous without ever feeling crowded.
Also on the estate: spa · gym · zen garden · pizza oven · lighthouse · WiFi · free parking
The Full House Tour
Take the full house tour.
A slow walk-through of the whole estate and its grounds, so you can picture where you will stay. No narration, just the house.
Full walk-through tour of the Malibu retreat house
imagine giving yourself this much room to breathe...
When You’re Ready
Come as you are.
Between sessions, the house is yours: a soft bed, a warm kitchen, sunlight in every room. Your only job here is to rest.
Reserve Your PlaceFrom the Circle
Moments we keep
Before You Book
Good to know
Reservations
Your bed is yours the moment your reservation goes through. Reservation fees are non-refundable, and the retreat itself is non-refundable in full. Because each circle is intimate by design, reservations are final and refunds cannot be offered for any reason. Travel insurance is recommended.
Rooming
Private and shared rooms are available. Shared rooms hold two to four guests, each in her own bed. No bed-sharing.
Photography
Moments from the retreat may be photographed, always with care for the privacy and comfort of the group. If you prefer not to be photographed, just let us know before or during the retreat; we are happy to honor that and help you feel at ease.
Questions
Reach out anytime at the contact page or by phone at (425) 628-3354, Monday through Saturday, 9am to 3pm, by appointment.
