Healing Grief, Loss & Difficult Emotions Retreats

Led By Jon Terrell, M.A.

Florida Winter Retreat in Orlando
February 5-8, 2026-click here for information

Western Massachusetts
April 16-19, 2026 - $895 
May 28-31, 2026 - $935 
July 15-19, 2026 - Extended Summer Retreat - $1095
September 17-20, 2026 - $935
December 3-6, 2026 - $935

Attend Our Grief And Loss Retreat When You Are Stuck

Big losses change us forever. It's not that we are broken, although it can feel that way. It's because our love penetrates us to the core, and when we lose someone, a huge part of us can be trapped in emotional pain.

If you’ve been carrying grief, anger, fear, or sadness that won’t resolve—
If time has passed, and you still feel stuck—this retreat was created for you.

If you have a recent major loss of someone close to you, this retreat was created for you.

Our Grief and Loss Retreat is a small, intensive, in-person experience for people who are emotionally healthy, yet unable to move forward after a major loss or life disruption.

This is not talk therapy.
It’s not about fixing or bypassing grief.

It’s about creating the safety, connection, and support that allows grief—and the other emotions that travel with it—to finally move.

What Many Participants Experience

People often arrive feeling isolated, lost, and stuck in emotional pain.

They leave feeling:

• Deeply connected to others who truly understand
• Reconnected to love, aliveness, and meaning
• Lighter—not because their grief was erased, but because it no longer lives alone inside them
• More energized, grounded, and capable of engaging with life again

Again and again, participants say the same thing with surprise:

"I feel so loved and connected to everyone. What a relief!"

About Your Grief And Loss Retreat Guide

This work is led by Jon Terrell, who has spent over 25 years helping people move through grief and other painful emotions using deep process work, somatic awareness, and the healing power of intentional community.

Jon’s role is not to analyze or push—but to create a steady, compassionate container where each person can move at their own pace, guided by their own inner wisdom.

For Jon's full bio, go to Jon Terrell, M.A.

Who This Retreat Is For

Our grief and loss retreat is for you if you have been stuck, even though time has passed.

You may recognize yourself in one or more of these experiences:

• You are grieving the loss or death of someone you loved deeply—and can't move forward
• You’re carrying sadness, anger, guilt, fear, or numbness that hasn’t resolved
• You’ve gone through a major loss or transition (death, divorce, illness, burnout, life upheaval) and don’t feel like yourself anymore
• You function on the outside, but inside feel heavy, disconnected, or low-energy
• You’ve tried talking, thinking, or “coping,” but it hasn’t reached what’s really going on
• You long to feel alive, connected, and purposeful again—but don’t know how to get there

This retreat is especially helpful for people who are emotionally healthy, yet unable to move forward because grief or another powerful emotion has become frozen or overwhelming.

You do not need to have the right words.
You do not need to know what you’re feeling exactly.
You only need a willingness to be present with what is true for you.

What This Retreat Is Not

Our grief and loss retreat is not group psychotherapy, diagnosis, or clinical treatment.

It is not appropriate for those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness, personality disorder or someone requiring clinical care.

Instead, this is deep, experiential work for people who are ready to move through grief and other difficult emotions—with skilled facilitation and the support of a compassionate community.

What Happens at the Retreat

The retreat unfolds in three intentional phases. Each phase builds on the one before it, creating safety first, then depth, and finally integration—so the work you do is meaningful, embodied, and lasting.

You are always in choice.
Nothing is forced.
You move at your own pace.

Phase One: Coming Together

Safety, Grounding, and Connection

We begin by slowing down.

Participants arrive and gently settle into their bodies, the space, and the group. Grief and other difficult emotions require safety in order to move, and this first phase is entirely focused on creating that foundation.

Star Dance Ranch is a homey old farmhouse, warm and inviting. The activities of arrival through the first evening are a gentle transition to our work of creating a compassionate healing community.

We spend time:

• Eating together
• Breathing and moving gently to music
• Sharing in simple, structured ways
• Allowing our nervous systems to settle
• Learning skills that support healing and relating
• Making agreements with each other to stay, to respect confidentiality, and for mutual support 

The emphasis is on feeling welcomed, supported, and at ease. 

People are often surprised by how quickly a sense of trust and connection forms. Many say it’s the first time in a long while they’ve felt understood without having to justify or defend their experience.

This sense of connection is not incidental—it is essential. A loving, intentional community creates the container that enables deeper healing.

Phase Two: Depth Work

Moving Through What Has Been Stuck

In the second phase, participants are invited—if they choose—to go into the emotions that have been frozen, avoided, or overwhelming.

Grief rarely travels alone. It often includes anger, fear, guilt, shame, anxiety, or numbness. These emotions don’t resolve through insight or thinking alone, and they often live in the body long after we believe we “should be over it.”

With skilled facilitation and the steady support of the group, participants are guided to reconnect with the wisdom of their own bodies—where both the pain and the capacity for healing reside.

This work is not about reliving the past or analyzing what went wrong.

It is about allowing what has been held inside to finally move, complete, and reorganize—often with far more gentleness and clarity than people expect.

Doing this work in a group setting reduces isolation and self-blame. What can feel impossible alone often becomes accessible when held in a safe, compassionate community.

Phase Three: Integration

Grounding and Returning to Life

Deep emotional work can open powerful experiences of clarity, peace, and aliveness. For these shifts to last, they need to be integrated—rather than rushed or bypassed.

In the final phase, we gently orient toward return.

We:

• Engage in simple grounding and physical activities
• Reflect and journal to make meaning of what has emerged
• Identify practical next steps for life after the retreat
• Celebrate 

The energy naturally settles. Insight becomes embodied.
Participants leave feeling more rooted, present, and able to carry what they’ve discovered back into their daily lives.

This phase helps ensure that the retreat is not just a meaningful experience—but a foundation for continued healing, resilience, and connection.

Retreat Information
How To Register-First Step

The First Step is to set up a phone call with me, Jon Terrell, M,A., where we will:

• Discuss your situation and how the retreat can help you
• Go over the details of what happens at the retreat
• Talk about your needs 
• Discuss housing at Star Dance Ranch or at a motel

Retreat Information–How To Register

Click here for Breaking Free To Emotional Wellness Retreat

Our Grief and Loss and Other Difficult Emotions Retreat is limited to 8-11 participants. The cost includes food and basic (semi-private) housing. We have room for 7-10 participants at Star Dance Ranch. When full, new participants would need to stay at a local motel or Airbnb, which would be an additional expense.

Some people prefer or need additional private space. If you snore or just prefer more privacy, please arrange to stay at a local motel at your own cost, as we do not have private spaces at Star Dance. Please discuss this option with Jon. 

Go here to see photos of Star Dance Ranch and the bedroom spaces.

You are encouraged to register early, as many retreats fill up in advance. A deposit of $325 ($350 for the extended summer retreat) reserves your space, and the date we receive your deposit determines your enrollment. The remainder is due the day before the retreat.

We often say that the retreat starts when you commit to it, i.e., when you register. What we mean by this is that your commitment to attend sets in motion a healing process in your life.

(If a retreat is full and you would like to be on the waiting list, a deposit may be required so that you can be immediately registered if a space opens. If there is no space, you will receive a full refund of your deposit.)

A limited amount of tuition assistance is available. Please register early if you want to apply for financial aid.

A short phone interview (~20-30 minutes) is required to help you and the facilitator decide if this retreat is appropriate for you. You can book a free phone conversation with Jon by sending him a message (see the bottom of the page) with your email address, phone number, and the best times to call. He tries to reply within 24 hours, except when leading retreats. Jon will select a specific appointment time for the call. You can also set up a Skype/FaceTime/Zoom call with him, especially if you are outside the U.S.

You are asked to sign a retreat liability release form at the retreat. A copy of that form is here.

All retreats are alcohol and drug-free. We support folks who are involved in the recovery movement.

All retreats are LGBTQ friendly.

Participants are asked to bring a potluck item for Thursday dinner unless they are traveling using public transportation. 

The Thursday-to-Sunday retreat starts at 5 pm (arrivals 3:45-4:45 to register) on Thursday and ends on Sunday by 2 pm.  Massachusetts retreats are held in a semi-rural, country setting. See Star Dance Ranch.

Refund policy for Massachusetts retreats: 

100% of your deposit will be refunded for cancellations at least 60 days before the retreat start date. 50% of your deposit will be refunded for cancellations at least 30 days before the start date. After that, your deposit will be forfeited. If you are on the waiting list and do not get in, you will receive a full refund of your deposit.

To register for the Grief, Loss, and Difficult Emotions retreat, or if you have questions, contact Jon via the contact form below.

Massachusetts Grief & Loss Retreat Deposit - $325Powered by 
Click Here For Florida Retreat Details and Payment

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you feel drawn to this work, the next step is a simple conversation.

Because this retreat is deep and personal, a free 20–30 minute phone or video conversation with Jon is required before registration. This is not a sales call. It’s a chance to slow down, ask questions, and sense whether this retreat is right for you at this point in your life.

There is no pressure to decide during the call.

Many people say that even reaching out—naming what they’re carrying—is a meaningful first step in itself.

👉 Request a conversation with Jon by filling out the Contact Jon Terrell form below.

What Happens After You Reach Out

• Jon will respond within 24 hours (except when leading retreats)
• Together, you’ll explore whether this retreat is a good fit
• If it feels aligned, you’ll receive registration details and next steps
• If it’s not the right time or format, you’ll leave with clarity—not obligation

This retreat is intentionally small, with limited spaces.

If you feel a quiet yes, trust that—and reach out.

Go to our home page

Go to Florida Grief and Loss Retreat

Go to Deep Emotional Healing Retreats 

Go to Jon's bio

Comments From Participants

"Best thing I ever did!" 

 - Patti Cliff, Oklahoma

"It’s now two months since that very memorable retreat and since returning home to England. I didn’t know what to expect but felt that I needed to make the long journey to try to make some sense of what had happened to me in my childhood and my marriage.

The retreat was such an emotional and powerful experience, and I left feeling more connected to my children, I just wanted to shout and tell them that I love them. I felt lighter within me, a real sense of happiness which I had not felt for a long time, calm and relief.

My flight back home was really surreal because it felt as if a weight had been lifted from me and a feeling of happiness within me. Now two months on I can honestly say that I am a lot calmer in myself and I don’t feel as troubled as I did before the retreat. I have more inner peace. A most incredible journey."

- Rose B, Birmingham, UK

"What a blessing to have found this retreat.  My life was in a tailspin after the death of my only child, my son, almost six years ago.  I was lost, had no purpose because my purpose was my son, no joy or happiness, and only wanted to be with my son.  I just wanted to bury the half of me that was not buried with my son because I was spiritually & emotionally dead…I had no hope and just existed.

As I went through the retreat, I began to feel a peace that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Little by little my despair turned into feeling the presence of my son, joy and happiness, and finally hope & excitement for my future.  Now back home I am at the beginning of my new life.

If you’re suffering or feel hopeless, you have a place to go that is safe, non-judgmental, loving, and will transform you." 

-Elaine G, Brandon, Florida

"The grief and loss weekend was amazing and well worth it. A heavy load of grief and anger was miraculously lifted, and still weeks later, I do not feel it and am having a much easier time, living my life without the past weighing me down. I am able to be with myself and be alone without those negative feelings that were causing me such pain. The sense of love and community is amazing and wonderful. I still feel like those who took the weekend with me are still right beside me. Thanks Jon for your gift of healing."

- Joey LaValle-Mackay, Massachusetts

"It was life changing! My focus has now completely shifted because of the retreat…people now, relationships are now most important, while before it was things. All that matters are people. Before, relating was scary, and ugly,  now,  relationships are life-affirming. That’s a pretty big deal for me.

It was a spiritual experience for me too. I opened the door and went into the Light. It was God. I heard the words, “We have been waiting for you.” I felt love and light around me, all over me and above me, I felt my body go upward. It just went there.

I have purpose now. I found it, I found my passion!"

-Barbara Scholten, Melbourne, Florida

"I have been to a lot of workshops, but this has been the most transformative. The attention to every little detail creates an atmosphere of complete trust and safety that allowed all of us to go deep and release our fears, guilt, depression, loss, shame, sadness and complicated grief.

I released so much of what I was carrying around with me, in my body, that was holding me back. We all left feeling filled with Love and with a determination to go home and start again, a new beginning" 

-Kathleen Wood, Provincetown, MA

"I feel a new joy welling up inside of me. I've been searching for this joy for the past 5 and a half years, since my husband’s diagnosis with and then death from, cancer. The retreat helped me to rediscover it, and I've been waking up each day since, experiencing it anew. My chronic underlying anxiety and feeling that the 'other shoe is going to drop' have lifted completely. I am lighter and happier and really truly enjoying life again. Jon is a fantastic facilitator. "

- Ellen Kittredge, Maryland

"I was so unsure as to what to expect. But I am on a search for answers, and direction. I didn't know for sure what my work would involve. 

I appreciate the respect and space and attention you gave me through that process. Thank you for the work that you do, and for the grace that you handle life and people with.

I came home with new friendships, and a new beginning and a new focus. 

On Sunday, at the end of the retreat, I experienced what communion is truly all about for the first time.

Very Sincerely,"  

- Melinda Ash, Center,Texas

"Thank you for being there for me and helping all of us go deeper within. Jon was fully present and very in touch with the all the different energies in the room. He is very intuitive and has a deep understanding of what drives our emotional behavior. Jon has a gift and I highly recommend his work. Thank you so much.  Many blessings to you, I know we will see each other again."

- Ziad Azzi, Union, N.J.

"If you found Jon and Star Dance there is probably a reason. I was very apprehensive and untrusting but in my heart I knew that I had to go. I had nothing to lose and only my life to gain and that is exactly what happened. Trust the process, you will not regret it. I left the retreat full of love and much more than I could ever put into words. I hated to leave and I can not wait to go back."

 -Larissa, Marietta, Georgia

"There is a quote that I love,  “everything you want  is on the other side of fear,” by Jack Canfield. During this retreat,  I realized that everything that I want is on the other side of healing. I learned to  acknowledge that the  pain, grief and fear I experience are  an important step in the healing process. It was inspiring to find solace and support in such nurturing environment. . I will embrace the light that ‘s beginning to shine through my broken spirit and I know that brighter days are ahead. By the end of the retreat, I gained  the strength within me to overcome the challenges I  will face. I will trust myself and in the process of healing."

-With Love,

Lenira Dosreis, Boston 

"It was a weekend of miracles. Thank you for creating a safe and authentic space for me to find my voice, for your wisdom and healing hands, and for sharing your home!"

-Jennifer Jacobs, Santa Cruz, CA

"I came to the retreat because I lost my mother, who was my best friend, and then shortly after, my partner and I broke up. I moved to a new city, and I felt so lost and alone. The grief consumed me, and I felt depressed. I experienced such a connection with all the people at the retreat. I felt loved, seen, and heard. The retreat was incredibly healing and gave me the tools to work through my grief. It was a wonderful experience!"

-Alexis Dippel, North Carolina

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