Where can I find a grief retreat in Malibu or California?

Angela Schellenberg leads Healing with Horses, an equine-assisted grief retreat at Shakti Ranch in the hills above Malibu, California. National Geographic named it one of the world's best grief retreats, best for equine therapy.

How often is the Malibu grief retreat held?

The Healing with Horses retreat runs as intimate seven-room circles twice a year, in spring and fall. When one circle closes, the next is already taking shape, so you can join the waitlist any time and hear the next dates first.

Is there a grief retreat for women who lost their mothers?

Yes. Angela's retreats are designed for women carrying grief, mother loss, and the mother wound, blending equine-assisted somatic work, grief support with real clinical depth, and a small circle of women who understand.

Is there a travel grief retreat outside California?

Yes. In addition to the Malibu equine retreat, Angela hosts a travel grief retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for women ready to step away and do this work in a restorative setting.

What makes Angela's grief retreat different from other retreats?

It pairs equine-assisted healing with real clinical depth. Angela is a licensed trauma therapist and attachment-focused EMDR practitioner, working with an intimate group of women, which is why National Geographic highlighted the retreat as best for equine therapy.

Do the private rooms at the Malibu retreat have a private bathroom?

The two private rooms, The Ruby Room and The Cloud Room, are in their own wing of the Malibu house. They each have a king bed and full sleeping privacy, and they share one marble spa bathroom with a walk-in glass shower that is kept for those two rooms alone, no one else. The Cloud Room also opens onto its own private balcony over the gardens. Every other room in the house is a shared room with two beds.

Can I see inside the Malibu retreat house before I book?

Yes. The retreats page includes a full walk-through video tour of the entire Malibu estate and its grounds, along with photos of each bedroom and the shared bathrooms, so you can see exactly where you will stay before you reserve a bed.

How much does the Healing with Horses Malibu grief retreat cost?

Every bed includes the full retreat: every session, every chef-prepared meal, and every session with the horses. A private room, The Ruby Room or The Cloud Room, is 7,500 US dollars for one woman. In the shared rooms and the master suite, a king bed is 5,700 dollars and a single bed is 5,000 dollars, with one woman per bed and no bed-sharing. Prices are per person for the retreat held October 22 to 25, 2026 in Malibu, California.

Is there a payment plan for the retreat, and how does it work?

Yes. At checkout you can pay in full or choose a payment plan, and either option reserves the same bed. The plan is a deposit followed by three monthly payments. A private room at 7,500 dollars is 1,050 down, then 2,150 per month for three months. A king bed at 5,700 dollars is 1,050 down, then 1,550 per month for three months. A single bed at 5,000 dollars is 1,100 down, then 1,300 per month for three months. Payments are processed securely through Stripe.

How do I book or reserve a bed at the retreat?

On the retreats page, choose the room that feels like yours and select Reserve to pay in full, or Payment Plan to pay over time. Checkout is handled securely through Stripe. There is one bed per woman, and when a bed is booked it is marked sold and removed from availability, so beds are reserved first come, first served. If your preferred bed is already taken, you can join the waitlist to hear about the next retreat.

What is the difference between a private room and a shared room at the retreat?

The house has seven bedrooms and thirteen beds. The two private rooms, The Ruby Room and The Cloud Room, each sleep one woman in a king bed and share one marble spa bathroom kept for those two rooms alone; The Cloud Room also opens onto its own private balcony. The master suite sleeps three women, each in her own bed. The four shared rooms each sleep two women in two separate beds with no bed-sharing, and The Courtyard Room has its own ensuite bath.

Retreats with Angela Schellenberg

Featured in National Geographic · One of the world’s best grief retreats · best for equine therapy

Come Home
to yourself

Name: Healing with Horses Somatic Grief Retreat
Start: 2026-10-22T16:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-10-25T12:00:00-07:00
Location: Shakti Ranch

Rooted in somatic wisdom, stillness,
and soulful connection.

Next retreat · Healing with Horses · Malibu, California · October 22–25, 2026 →

Some grief cannot be talked away. It lives in the body, and it softens in places where the body finally feels safe. Healing with Horses is a sacred pause in Malibu this October: equine-assisted healing, grief support with real clinical depth, and a small circle of women who understand.

Reserve Your Bed View retreat details →

Angela laughing with a white horse at Shakti Ranch

a sacred space to tend to your grief...

with care, curiosity, and compassion.

Forget pushing through. Forget keeping it together for everyone else. Here, you are invited to soften, exhale, and gently reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been carrying pain for a long time. Through equine-assisted learning, group grief work, somatic practice, and stillness, healing gets room to unfold at its own pace.

Malibu, CaliforniaHealing with HorsesOctober 22–25, 2026 Chiang Mai, ThailandTravel RetreatJuly 18–23, 2027 For Teams & CompaniesCorporate RetreatsCustom dates

if you’ve been wondering...

Is a retreat for you?

Angela has held this work with hundreds of grieving women, so she can say this with a full heart:

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 soften, breathe, and begin again.

If any of these feel familiar, this retreat is for you.

No prior experience with therapy or horses is required.

Flagship Retreat · Malibu, California

Healing with Horses

The Healing with Horses Somatic Grief Retreat at the Malibu Dream Resort is a luxury retreat rooted in somatic wisdom, stillness, and soulful connection. Three nights at the resort, with a floating sound bath, a private high-end chef, and daily healing work at Shakti Ranch.

Featured in National Geographic as one of the world’s best grief retreats · best for equine therapy

A retreat guest greeting a white horse at Shakti Ranch

Fall Circle · October 22–25, 2026

Come home to yourself in Malibu

3 Nights · 4 Days · Thursday–Sunday · Malibu Dream Resort + Shakti Ranch

Heal with horses, grief support, and soul-nourishing connection. These intimate seven-room circles gather twice a year, each spring and fall, so there is always a next one forming. Our next circle gathers Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25, 2026. Arrive by 4:00 PM Thursday, departing by noon Sunday. Every room is open to reserve below, bed by bed, and each bed is one seat in the circle.

5 hours of equine-assisted learning at Shakti Ranch
Daily group grief sessions held with clinical expertise
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, steps from the ocean

Reserve Your Bed

The Stay

A retreat within a retreat

Seven serene rooms with king-sized beds, cozy linens, and tranquil views. Shared rooms host two to three guests with no bed-sharing, and high-end rollaway beds are available on request.

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

Daily grief sessions led by experienced therapists, with somatic practice, EMDR-informed care, and space for whatever rises. This is tender work, held safely.

The Extras

Bodywork & energy healing

Optional massage and reiki sessions are available at an additional cost, so you can deepen the unwinding your body begins in the pasture.

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.

“

The Venue · Malibu, California

Step inside the Malibu Dream House

The same Malibu estate where The Bachelor was filmed, with sweeping views out over the ocean. It is where our very first retreat was held: sunlit rooms, gardens with their own waterfall, and quiet corners made for resting between the deeper work. Press play on the feeling.

The Terrace

The House

The Gardens

The Pool

Reserve Your Bed

The Malibu estate at twilight: a white Italian villa with a bell tower, terraced gardens, palms, a lit pool, and the Santa Monica Mountains behind — Why This Place

A place that can *hold* your grief

Grief needs somewhere safe to land. Not a conference room, not a clinical office, but a place with enough beauty and enough quiet that your body finally believes it is allowed to rest.

This estate is that place. It sits on fifty-one secluded acres in the Malibu hills, a restored Italian villa with the Pacific on one side and the Santa Monica Mountains on the other. Ten thousand square feet of sunlit rooms and stone terraces, gardens with koi ponds and a zen garden, a pool and a jacuzzi, a lighthouse on the grounds, and long green lawns where the horses graze.

There is room here to fall apart, and room to be gathered back together, and no one is watching. For four days it is ours alone. A small circle, a wide sky, and a house quiet enough to hold all of it.

Acres of privacy

10,000

Sq. ft. villa

360°

Ocean & mountain views

Bedrooms

Private

Gated & secluded

Everything on the estate

Pool
Jacuzzi
Spa
Fitness gym
Tennis court
Zen garden
Koi ponds
Pizza oven
Lighthouse
Gardens & grounds
Free parking
Estate-wide WiFi

The story of this place

For a long time this was ranchland, a wild stretch of the Malibu hills once known as Rancho Del Sol Pacifico. In 1997 a family took it on and poured decades of care into it, planting award-winning Cabernet vineyards and raising more than a hundred Andalusian horses in its stables, until the whole hillside was a working estate humming with life.

In November 2018, the Malibu Canyon fires swept through and took much of it. The winery and many of the horses were among the losses. What stands here now is what came after: new stewards who spent years, and more than a million dollars, coaxing the gardens back and rebuilding the villa into the place you see today.

There is something quietly fitting about grieving here, in a place that was lost and lovingly remade. It is the same estate where The Bachelor was once filmed, and it is where our very first retreat was held.

The Rhythm of a Day

One day, held gently

No two days are identical, but every day moves at the same unhurried pace: gather, go to the horses, return to the body, and let the evening hold you.

The group gathered in the living room for a morning circle — Morning

We gather

Coffee, soft chairs, and a circle where whatever you carry is welcome.

Women standing with the horses in the corral at Shakti Ranch — Midday

We meet the horses

Pasture work at Shakti Ranch, where the healing often goes beyond words.

Poolside yoga session under white umbrellas — Afternoon

We return to the body

Yoga, breath, and bodywork that lets the nervous system finally exhale.

Lanterns glowing by the pool at dusk — Evening

We are held

Candlelight, sound baths, and dinners that feel like family.

and when the sun goes down...

Candlelit sound baths, floating rest, and skies that ask nothing of you.

moments from the retreat...

Real women. Real horses. Real healing.

Polaroid collage: horses on the trail, guests at the Malibu Dream Resort, poolside candlelight dinner, and a garden yoga circle

Polaroid collage: two guests above the Malibu coastline and the group sharing a meal together

imagine giving yourself this much room to breathe...

in their words...

What the women experienced

“I’ve done decades of talk therapy… but the change I noticed in my body and nervous system was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Jennie · Therapist

“Even when you say life-changing, that doesn’t quite do justice to what we experienced.”

Jayne

“I’ve never done a retreat like that, ever… I have no words for it, really. It’s still unfolding.”

Jen

“My heart is choked up, in the best possible ways. These are some of the best human beings I’ve ever gotten to know.”

Jessica

“It felt so good… and now I’m starting to get excited about the next one.”

Alexis

When You’re Ready

Come as you are. Leave changed.

Between the equine sessions and the grief circles, this is where you land: a soft bed, a warm kitchen, sunlight in every room. Your only job here is to rest and receive.

Join the Waitlist

From the Circle

Moments we keep

The circle meeting a horse together at the ranch

Guests painting at easels during the creative workshop

Three guests smiling together in the house

The garden firepit glowing in the evening

Poolside cushions and blankets arranged for an evening gathering

Reserve Your Bed · October 22–25, 2026

Choose the bed that is yours

Seven bedrooms. Thirteen beds. One circle of women. Every bed includes the full retreat: every session, every chef-prepared meal, every moment with the horses. Find the room that feels like yours and reserve your bed right here. When a bed is taken, it is taken.

The Ruby Room: a private bedroom with a deep red velvet king bed and a painterly rug

The room

Private Room · Just Two of These

The Ruby Room

A jewel box in deep red velvet with brass details, all your own. One king bed and deep quiet. Across the hall, a marble spa bath kept for these two private rooms alone.

$7,500 · private room

Select & Book →

King bed · private room

One woman · private room · shared spa bath

$7,500

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $2,150/mo × 3

The Cloud Room: a light-filled private bedroom with a king bed and French doors opening to a private balcony

The room

Private Room · Just Two of These

The Cloud Room

Soft light from morning to evening, with French doors that open to your own private balcony above the gardens. One king bed, made for sleeping in. Across the hall, a marble spa bath kept for these two private rooms alone.

$7,500 · private room

Select & Book →

King bed · private room

One woman · private room · shared spa bath

$7,500

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $2,150/mo × 3

The Master Suite · Sleeps Three

The Master Suite

The largest room in the house. A fireplace, a sitting area, the Pacific stretched out past the balcony, and two full ensuite bathrooms in the room. Three women share this one, each in her own bed.

From $5,000 · sleeps three

Select & Book →

King bed

One woman · the suite’s main bed

$5,700

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $1,550/mo × 3

Twin bed

Two available · a twin bed, freshly made up for the retreat

$5,000

Or pay over time: $1,100 deposit, then $1,300/mo × 3

The Terrace Room: a warm, light-filled shared bedroom with a king bed and French doors to a balcony

The room

Shared Room · Sleeps Two

The Terrace Room

Warm and light-filled, with wood floors and French doors to a little balcony over the trees. A private bathroom of your own, right in the room. Two women, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,000 · per bed

Select & Book →

King bed

One woman

$5,700

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $1,550/mo × 3

Twin bed

A twin bed, freshly made up for the retreat

$5,000

Or pay over time: $1,100 deposit, then $1,300/mo × 3

The Blush Room: a shared bedroom with a blush quilted king bed, mirrored gold closets, and soft light

The room

Shared Room · Sleeps Two

The Blush Room

Soft rose and gold, with mirrored closets, gentle light, and a balcony of its own under the villa arches. A private bathroom right in the room. Two women, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,000 · per bed

Select & Book →

King bed

One woman

$5,700

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $1,550/mo × 3

Twin bed

A twin bed, freshly made up for the retreat

$5,000

Or pay over time: $1,100 deposit, then $1,300/mo × 3

Shared room with a king bed, plantation shutters, and soft natural light

Shared Room · Sleeps Two

The Palm Room

Plantation shutters and soft afternoon light, with a powder room and a full bathroom just down the hall, both shared with the circle. Two women, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,000 · per bed

Select & Book →

King bed

One woman

$5,700

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $1,550/mo × 3

Twin bed

A twin bed, freshly made up for the retreat

$5,000

Or pay over time: $1,100 deposit, then $1,300/mo × 3

Shared room with a king bed, plantation shutters, an ensuite bath, and a walk-in closet

Shared Room · Sleeps Two

The Courtyard Room

Plantation shutters, a walk-in closet, and a private bathroom right in the room, all in soft natural light. Two women, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,000 · per bed

Select & Book →

King bed

One woman

$5,700

Or pay over time: $1,050 deposit, then $1,550/mo × 3

Twin bed

A twin bed, freshly made up for the retreat

$5,000

Or pay over time: $1,100 deposit, then $1,300/mo × 3

One bed per woman · every bed includes the full retreat · deposits are non-refundable and the retreat is non-refundable in full · travel insurance is warmly encouraged

Not ready to reserve a bed? Join the waitlist to be first to hear when a bed opens or a new circle forms.

Join the Retreat Waitlist

The Full House Tour

Now find your room inside the whole house.

You have seen your room up close. This is everything around it: a slow walk-through of the entire Malibu estate and its grounds, so you can picture exactly where you will land when you arrive. No narration this time, just the house itself.

“

Who Holds the Space

Your guides

A circle of clinicians, equine facilitators, and somatic practitioners, each chosen for the depth and tenderness they bring to this work.

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 not only possible, but sacred.

Claire Bidwell Smith

Guest Facilitator · Grief Therapist & Author

A renowned grief therapist and author whose work has supported thousands through the landscape of loss. On Friday, Claire leads the circle through a guided writing session, exploring the emotional and spiritual layers of grief with honesty and grace.

clairebidwellsmith.com →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

The Fine Print, Held Gently

Good to know

Reservations

Your bed is yours the moment your reservation goes through. Deposits 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 warmly encouraged.