Rooted Together

3:00–5:00 PM
Arrival & Check-In

Settle into your room, enjoy tea and light refreshments, explore the property, and begin transitioning away from the pace of everyday life.

5:30 PM
Welcome Dinner

A shared meal to nourish both body and community as we begin the weekend together.

7:00 PM
Opening Circle

Meet your fellow participants, establish community agreements, set intentions, and begin arriving in the present moment through gentle grounding practices.

8:30 PM
Cozy Yoga Nidra

Ease into the retreat with a restorative Yoga Nidra practice designed to settle the nervous system and create space for deep rest.

 8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Interpersonal Somatic Experiencing I (Arezou Paksima)

An experiential introduction to nervous system awareness, co-regulation, resourcing, and embodied presence.

12:00 PM
Lunch

1:30 PM
Creative Integration

Art, journaling, collage, watercolor, nature mandalas, or quiet reflection.

3:30 PM
Guided Forest Bathing

Slow, intentional time in nature designed to cultivate presence, curiosity, and connection.

6:00 PM
Dinner

7:30 PM
Campfire & Community

Music, storytelling, conversation, laughter, and spaciousness beneath the stars.

8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00–10:15 AM
Gentle Morning Yoga

Grounding movement and breath to prepare for the day.

10:30 AM–1:00 PM
Interpersonal Somatic Experiencing II (Arezou Paksima)

Building upon Saturday's work, this session offers opportunities for deeper exploration, relational connection, and integration within a supportive group environment.

1:00 PM
Lunch

2:30 PM
Pelvic Health & Nervous System Wellness

Exploring the connection between breath, stress, posture, the pelvic floor, and whole-body wellbeing.

4:00 PM
Free Time & Integration

Enjoy the property at your own pace.

Options may include:

• Hiking 
• Journaling 
• Reading 
• Rest 
• Conversation 
• Creative projects 
• Quiet reflection 

6:00 PM
Dinner

7:30 PM
Closing Campfire

A final evening of community, gratitude, reflection, and celebration.

8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM
Restorative Yoga & Breathwork (Jessy Coleman)

A gentle practice to ground, restore, and prepare for the transition home.

10:30 AM
ACT, Values & Returning Home

Together we'll reflect on what we've learned, identify what we want to carry forward, and explore sustainable ways to remain connected to ourselves long after the retreat ends.

Participants will have opportunities to:

• Reflect on personal growth throughout the weekend. 
• Clarify values and intentions. 
• Identify practices that support long-term wellbeing. 
• Develop realistic plans for integrating retreat experiences into everyday life. 
• Honor endings while embracing new beginnings. 

12:00 PM
Closing Circle

A final opportunity to share reflections, celebrate community, exchange contact information, and acknowledge the journey we've experienced together.

1:00 PM
Farewell Lunch

One last shared meal before departing.

2:00 PM
Departure

Jessy Coleman, LPC, BCBA, LBA, RYT-500

Owner and Clinical Director of Creekside Therapeutics

Jessy integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), restorative yoga, neurodiversity-affirming care, experiential learning, and mindfulness into both clinical practice and community wellness programming. Her work emphasizes psychological flexibility, authenticity, and creating accessible spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and one another.

Arezou Paksima, LCSW, CCEP

Interpersonal Somatic Experiencing Facilitator

Arezou brings extensive experience guiding individuals through embodied practices that foster nervous system regulation, resilience, and authentic interpersonal connection. Her work creates compassionate opportunities for participants to explore their internal experiences with curiosity, safety, and choice.

Nestled in the heart of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, our retreat home was intentionally selected to support the experience we hope to create together.

Surrounded by sweeping mountain views, peaceful forests, and the changing colors of autumn, this private mountain cabin offers the perfect setting to step away from the demands of everyday life and reconnect with yourself, nature, and community. Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and within easy reach of hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic overlooks, the setting invites both adventure and deep rest.

Designed with gathering in mind, the home features spacious common areas, a warm fireplace, expansive outdoor decks, and comfortable shared living spaces that encourage meaningful conversation and connection. Whether we're sharing meals prepared together in the fully equipped kitchen, beginning the day with gentle movement as the sun rises over the mountains, gathering around the fire pit beneath the stars, or finding quiet moments for reflection, every space has been chosen to support restoration.

Participants will enjoy comfortable shared accommodations, thoughtfully prepared meals, and ample opportunities to simply slow down. Throughout the weekend, the mountains themselves become part of the retreat—offering moments of awe, grounding, spaciousness, and perspective that are difficult to find in our day-to-day routines.

While the home offers modern comforts and amenities, our intention is not to fill every moment with activity. Instead, we hope to create an environment where there is room to breathe, to notice, to connect, and to remember what it feels like to simply be.

We believe that where we gather matters. This mountain home is more than a venue—it is an invitation to pause, reconnect, and return home feeling grounded, nourished, and renewed.

 Your Retreat Experience Includes

• Three nights of shared mountain lodging (Friday–Monday) 
• Seven shared meals (Friday dinner through Monday lunch) 
• Coffee, tea, snacks, and refreshments throughout the weekend 
• All facilitated workshops and experiential sessions 
• Two Interpersonal Somatic Experiencing experiences with Arezou Paksima 
• ACT-based workshops and experiential reflection with Jessy Coleman 
• Restorative Yoga & Yoga Nidra 
• Guided Forest Bathing 
• Pelvic Health & Nervous System Wellness session 
• Creative art materials and integration experiences 
• Retreat journal and welcome gift 
• Access to hiking trails, mountain views, fire pit, and shared retreat spaces 
• Spacious time for rest, reflection, and meaningful connection 

Registration

Early Bird Registration
$795

Standard Registration
$895

A $300 non-refundable deposit reserves your space, with the remaining balance due 30 days before the retreat.

Because Rooted Together is intentionally limited to 10 participants, every attendee has the opportunity to engage deeply with facilitators and fellow clinicians in a supportive, relational environment. This intimate group size is central to the retreat experience and allows for meaningful connection, individualized attention, and a pace that honors each participant's unique needs.

We hope participants leave feeling more connected—to themselves, to their colleagues, and to the values that first inspired them to become helping professionals.

By intentionally stepping away from the demands of caring for others, we create space to remember that therapists deserve the same compassion, curiosity, rest, and community that they so generously offer every day.

We look forward to gathering together this October.