Retreats with Angela Schellenberg
Come Home
to yourself
Rooted in somatic wisdom, stillness,
and soulful connection.
Some grief cannot be talked away. It lives in the body, and it softens in places where the body finally feels safe. These retreats are a sacred pause: equine-assisted healing, grief support with real clinical depth, and a small circle of women who understand.
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.
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
A grief retreat rooted in somatic wisdom, stillness, and soulful connection. Three nights at the Malibu Beach Resort, with daily healing work at Shakti Ranch.
Come home to yourself in Malibu
3 Nights · 4 Days · Malibu Beach Resort + Shakti Ranch
Heal with horses, grief support, and soul-nourishing connection. Our spring 2026 circle is complete, and the next gathering is taking shape now. Waitlist members hear dates first and receive first right to the seven rooms.
- 5 hours of equine-assisted learning at Shakti Ranch
- Daily group grief sessions held with clinical expertise
- Yoga and sound bath sessions to settle the nervous system
- Chef-prepared, seasonal meals with dietary accommodations
- 3 nights at the Malibu Beach Resort, steps from the ocean
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
Sunlit rooms, gardens with their own waterfall, and quiet corners made for resting between the deeper work. Press play on the feeling.
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.
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, floating rest, and skies that ask nothing of you.
moments from the retreat...
Real women. Real horses. Real healing.
imagine giving yourself this much room to breathe...
in their words...
What the women experienced
and next, we travel...
Thailand is calling.
Travel Retreat · Northern Thailand
Healing in Chiang Mai
A transformative journey of self-discovery and healing, in a city where the air carries the scent of blooming flowers and the streets hum with history.
Chiang Mai Thailand Travel Retreat
Six Days · Chiang Mai, Thailand
Step away from the demands of daily life and into a sacred space where healing, reflection, and growth can unfold naturally, surrounded by the lush landscapes of northern Thailand.
- Guided workshops to explore your grief and build tools to carry forward
- Time to simply be: wander winding streets, visit ancient temples, sip tea in peaceful cafes
- A community of women who walk this path and truly understand
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 WaitlistFrom the Circle
Moments we keep
The Investment · Healing with Horses
Reserve your place
Choose the room that fits the way you rest. Either way, a $500 deposit holds your place and the balance can be spread across five gentle monthly payments. Just seven rooms per retreat.
Shared Room
$5,500
Two to three guests per room, no bed-sharing
Reserve with a $500 deposit, then pay in full or in five monthly payments of $1,000. Cozy linens, tranquil views, and a built-in companion who understands.
Join the WaitlistYour Own Sanctuary
Private Room
$7,500
A king bed and a room all your own
Reserve with a $500 deposit, then pay in full or in five monthly payments of $1,400. Full privacy to rest, process, and unwind between the deeper work.
Join the Waitlist$500 deposit reserves your room · deposits are non-refundable and reservations are final · travel insurance is warmly encouraged
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. Claire helps participants explore 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 →The Fine Print, Held Gently
Good to know
Reservations
A non-refundable $500 deposit reserves your place. Because each circle is intimate by design, reservations are final and refunds cannot be offered for any reason. Travel insurance is warmly encouraged.
Rooming
Private and shared rooms are available. Shared rooms host two to three guests with no bed-sharing, and high-end rollaway beds can be requested.
Photography
Moments from the retreat may be photographed. If being photographed would keep you from settling in fully, a future retreat may be a better fit.
Questions
Reach out anytime at the contact page or by phone at (425) 628-3354, Monday through Saturday, 9am to 3pm, by appointment.
An Initial Conversation
A free 15-minute conversation. No pressure, no intake forms. Just a chance to get a sense of each other.
If you’ve been sitting with something and want to understand whether working together makes sense, this is where to start.
Book an Initial ConversationFor Companies & Teams
Corporate Retreats
When a team is carrying something heavy, or simply needs to come back to itself, Angela designs private retreats at Shakti Ranch and the Malibu Dream Resort. Grounded, somatic, and built around your people.
Leadership loss. Steady, compassionate support for a company or team after someone important dies.
Team wellbeing days. A day to slow down, reconnect, and tend the nervous system, together.
Burnout & nervous-system care. Practical, body-based tools for teams running on empty.
Fully custom. Most retreats are shaped to the team. Tell us what you need and we’ll build it.
Plan a corporate retreat
Tell me a little about your team and what’s prompting this. The more context you share, the more tailored the proposal.
Thank you, this is on its way.
Your email should be ready to send in your mail app. Once it lands, Angela will be in touch personally to talk through what your team needs.
Hi, I’m here to help.
Angela’s website assistant
This is a simple guide, not a person. For anything personal, Angela would love to hear from you directly.