The 2014 Summer Bioenergetics Retreat on Prince Edward Island is history now. It was and it will not come again. There may be other retreats and they may be wonderful but this particular one will not be repeated.
I was fortunate to be a participant in the original retreats offered by Bethany Doyle and Rosalind McVicar. I began in 2003 and attended annually through 2012, which was the final year of their program. The retreat in 2003 was my introduction to bioenergetic therapy, and I was hooked, so much so that I applied for the training program that was starting that fall. I was fortunate to be accepted and trained with Rosalind and Bethany, as well as with Michael Maley, Louise Frechette, and Chuck Lustfield, the International Trainers who traveled to PEI for us. And I got to go to the retreat for all those years.
Several members of the initial training group are now Certified Bioenergetic Therapists (CBTs), and we have created a team to continue to offer a summer retreat on PEI. Last month, we had our second retreat with 20 participants, three therapists (see below for contact information), offerings in creativity, spirituality, and grounding movement, West African drumming, opportunities to share responsibility and support our community, plus to have massage and body work available. During the week, I also felt my connection to those who have come before, as Rosalind and Bethany offered their best wishes, and from others in my training group who sent email and phone support.
The heart of the retreat program is bioenergetics: more exercise to increase body awareness and express strong feeling, group process where we all get to know ourselves and each other, individual therapy where people can work out material that comes up in the heightened context of the group. The absolute confidentiality of the group makes it a safe place for people to work with what really matters to them, and the chance to work with deep feeling, whatever it is, opens energy for laughter and spontaneous play. And there was much laughter and much spontaneous play last week!
I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to shape and support the processes of this retreat. I learned a lot about myself and my connections to others, even as a therapist, and I appreciate the openness and willingness of all of our participants to engage in the process and support one another.
Planning for next year is underway! Mark your calendar: July 4-10, 2015, Saturday to Saturday.
Therapists: Laurie Ure, Gloucester, MA, USA http://laurieure.com/
Jessie DeBaie, Nova Scotia, CA http://www.bioenergetictherapy.ca/jessiepage.htm
Leslie Ann Costello, New Brunswick, CA https://frederictonbioenergetics.wordpress.com/
Massage and body work:
Ailsa Keppie, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA http://www.aninspiredheart.com/
A Body Psychotherapist's Journal 