Email: contact@souliology.com
GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER - An Intimate Couples Retreat
MAY 17-21, 2026
Rest, Renew, Reflect, Re-vision
About "Getting to the heart of the matter" retreat.
Getting to the heart of the Matter is a relationship retreat open to ANY intimate partners.
Whether in an intimate relationship or not, we have all been hurt in connection with others and we all have healing to do. The more we protect ourselves from further hurt, the less we can receive the love that is available.
In a safe and relaxed environment, this retreat will offer time and space to explore the U-turn question "who am I in relationship?"
There will be presentations, group experiential exercises: done individually or with your partner, and group discussions. Facilitators are present but not intrusive.
The retreat will offer opportunities to explore:
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How to align your mind and heart for deeper connection.
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Techniques to release emotional blocks that prevent you from experiencing the love you desire.
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Insights into the protective habits that limit your emotional intimacy.
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Ways to tap into the universal need for love and safety.
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Practical tools to calm your body and mind, fostering a more peaceful connection.
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Methods to transform your communication and, in turn, your relationship.
Retreat Leader
Toni Herbine Blank
Toni Herbine-Blank MS RN is a senior trainer for The Centre for Self Leadership. Her expertise is in the use of IFS with couples and has developed trainings and retreats presenting these nationally and internationally. She is an experienced group leader with a reputation for being compassionate and empowering.
For more about Toni Herbine-Blank, check out her website at www.toniherbineblank.com
Facilitator
Shelley Hartz
Shelley Hartz, RN, MSN, CS is a psychotherapist in private practice in Littleton, MA. Her practice of IFS over the past 20 years includes assisting with many IFS and IFIO trainings. She also co-facilitated the IFS Women's Retreats. Shelley's passion for healing and self-nourishment draw on the support of the natural world, music, play and the capacity of the human heart to love.
Facilitator
Larry Rosenberg
Larry Rosenberg, PhD, is a psychologist in Cambridge, MA and a Lead Trainer for Intimacy from the Inside Out, teaching IFIO couple therapy in the US and France. He has been using IFS since 2004 and loves this model for personal growth and positive change. He brings a gentle, warm, thoughtful presence to helping people learn about themselves and heal in relationships. He has a particular interest in sexuality. Larry also enjoys travel, dancing, and baking desserts.
Our retreat experience was outstanding! Ciara from Souliology was masterful at taking care of the details so that the group could be fully present with the content. Toni, the retreat leader, was so excellent, I really don't have good enough words to describe. Far above and beyond our expectations, and we came away deeply nourished and enriched. Simply wonderful!
- Eleanor, Seattle, WA, USA
Souliology - You did a great job putting together this retreat and then taking such good care of all of us. You made me in particular feel very comfortable and glad to be part of this experience. A heartfelt thank you!
What a wonderful experience for my spouse and I to be in retreat with Souliology. The space created was lovely and the healing between us was tender, authentic and deeply meaningful. Thank you Toni for offering us your IFIO teachings that supported our journey along the way. This was a wonderful way to bring my spouse into the IFS community :-)
We greatly appreciated all the time, attention and care Souliology put into the retreat and helping us get a taste of Ireland. And the workshop with Toni Herbine-Blank was incredibly rich and moving - we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
This was a wonderful, deepening experience and it helped us tune in to each other and listen in a different way. Slowing down, getting away and investing this time in each other is priceless!!! Highly recommend!
Faye & Nate ~ Hawaii, USA
What a wonderful experience for my spouse and I to be in retreat with Souliology. The space created was lovely and the healing between us was tender, authentic and deeply meaningful. Thank you Toni for offering us your IFIO teachings that supported our journey along the way. This was a wonderful way to bring my spouse into the IFS community :-) LaDonna S. California, USA.
What the participants from our previous retreats had to say about Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Couples Retreat with Toni Herbine-Blank
The Retreat Location
Avon Old Farm Hotel is the perfect place for our 3-day retreat.
Nestled amidst 10 acres of breathtakingly manicured grounds on Connecticut’s scenic Talcott Mountain, Avon Old Farms Hotel is a haven of peace and timeless New England charm.
It provides a true escape from the everyday, with this boutique hotel perfectly blending warmth, elegance, and personalised hospitality with the comforts of a world-class stay.
Just a short drive from downtown Hartford, and a 30-minute Uber drive from Bradley International Airport, the hotel offers a serene sanctuary where nature and luxury harmonise.
Wander through picturesque gardens blooming with vibrant flowers, cross a charming wooden bridge over a gentle stream, or find a moment of quiet reflection in the garden gazebo.
The interiors exude classic sophistication, with beautifully appointed rooms and suites featuring four-poster beds, plush down featherbeds, and modern amenities to ensure a restful and rejuvenating stay.
Avon Old Farms Hotel creates the perfect space to relax, recharge, and fully engage in this retreat with Cece, allowing for deep connection, renewal, self-exploration, and personal growth.
Retreat particulars
Please be advised that this retreat is not a formal training and is not intended as a training on how to guide this work for other intimate partners. This is strictly a retreat for your personal growth and well-being.
The retreat will take place over 5 days starting on Sunday evening, May 17th, 2026 when we meet for Dinner followed by an opening circle and concluding Thursday afternoon, May 21st, 2026.
Retreat cost: $5,250 (USD) PER COUPLE
The retreat cost includes the retreat itself with Toni Herbine Blank, 4 nights private ensuite accommodation and 3 delicious meals a day throughout the retreat schedule. An evening meal is included on Sunday night, the first night of the retreat and a full breakfast and lunch is included on Thursday, the last day of the retreat. The retreat cost assumes couples will be sharing the same room. If separate rooms are required, you will need to pay an additional charge for a separate room. Please advise on the registration form.
This retreat is limited to 18 couples. If you are interested in participating, please register your interest. You will then be seamlessly directed to a registration form for completion. Only applicants who complete a full registration form will be considered for this retreat. Once your registration is approved we will advise you formally and it is only at this point that we will request a $1,000 (USD) non-refundable and non-transferable deposit per couple to secure your place.
Any travel costs to the retreat location at in Avon Connecticut is your sole responsibility. Please find more details on how to book in the "How to get there and more" section below.
IMPORTANT: Please read our FAQS page on this website for further guidelines and information on Covid, the arrangements we have in place in the unlikely event the retreat is cancelled due to Covid or in the unlikely event the retreat leader is not in a position to attend. The FAQS page also provides further general information which you may find useful when planning your trip. If after reading the FAQS page you require any further information, please feel free to email us at contact@souliology.com.
Retreat Schedule:
Five Day Retreat Schedule – This is a broad outline of what the schedule for the week will look like but it is subject to change at Toni’s discretion.
Sunday May 17 - Thursday, May 21, 2026.
Sunday, May 17
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Thursday
6pm
7pm – 9pm
8am – 9.30am
10am – 1.30pm
1.30pm
1.30pm – 3.30pm
3.30pm – 6pm
6pm
Dinner
Opening Session
Breakfast
Morning Session
Lunch
Rest, Relax, Process
Afternoon Session
Dinner
8am – 9.30am – Breakfast
10am – 12.30pm – morning session
12.30pm - Lunch
1.30pm - 3pm - Closing Session
Please note: Room check in time starts from 3pm and room check out is strictly 10am. You can bring your luggage to the retreat room on the final day after you check out and store it there until the retreat close. Complimentary coffee, tea, water are available throughout the day each day.
Your Investment:
Retreat Payment Schedule:
Total Retreat Cost: - $5,250 per Couple (based on Double room occupancy).
The retreat cost includes the 5-day retreat itself with Toni Herbine Blank, 4 nights private ensuite accommodation and 3 delicious meals a day during the retreat period to include breakfast, lunch and a delicious evening meal. Our retreat location can also cater to a variety of dietary requirements such as vegetarian, gluten free and lactose intolerance. You can indicate your dietary requirements and preferences on the registration form.
Retreat Payment Schedule: We are delighted to offer flexibility with our payment options. You have two choices: you can make full payment now of $5,250 (USD) or you can opt for our convenient payment plan. The payment plan breaks down the retreat cost into 3 convenient payments as follows:
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Payment 1: $1,000 (USD) per couple non-refundable deposit – (Due on acceptance onto the retreat).
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Payment 2: $2,000 (USD) per couple due by the 12th, December, 2025. (This amount will be refundable until 20th February 2026 should you decide to cancel.
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Payment 3: $2,250 (USD) Final instalment per couple must be paid by the 20th February, 2026.
Please note: There is no refund of fees paid over and above your non-refundable deposit for withdrawal for any reason after 20th February, 2026.
If you register for the retreat after the specified payment deadlines outlined above, the existing payment schedule will no longer apply. Your payment schedule will either be adjusted to align with the existing payment plan, provided the payment deadlines allow, or you will be required to pay for the retreat in full.
Possible additional charges -:
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An additional $100 (USD) per person late fee for payments received after 12th December, 2025 and 20th February, 2026.
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An additional $50 (USD) administrative fee for room or occupancy category changes.
