Email: contact@souliology.com
RELATIONSICK
A 5-day In-Person Residential Retreat for Healing Relational Trauma with Dr Lissa Rankin
October 26-30, 2026
RELATIONSICK
A 5-day in-person residential retreat for healing relational trauma with Dr. Lissa Rankin at the gorgeous Avon Old Farm Hotel in Avon, Connecticut from
October 26 to 30, 2026.
Some relationship patterns do not just break your heart.
They wear down your body.
They drain your energy.
They distort your boundaries.
They leave you anxious, confused, self-doubting, and stuck in cycles you thought you had already outgrown.
You may understand your patterns intellectually and still find yourself repeating them when it matters most. You may know better and still not be able to do better in the moment.
This five-day residential retreat is for people who are ready to go deeper.
Not just to talk about their relational patterns.
Not just to understand them.
But to work with them directly in a setting designed for real insight, real practice, and real change.
Over five days, you will explore the roots of the patterns that keep hurting you, understand how those patterns live in the body and nervous system, and begin building a more grounded, self-trusting way of relating.
Is this for you?
This retreat is for you if you keep finding yourself in relationships that leave you depleted, anxious, overextended, confused, or emotionally small.
It is for you if you overgive, overfunction, rescue, accommodate, or stay too long hoping things will finally feel safe, mutual, or clear.
It is for you if you struggle to tell the difference between love and self-abandonment. If you set boundaries and then feel guilty. If you know a relationship is costing you too much and still feel pulled back into it.
It is for you if the impact is no longer just emotional. Your body feels it too. Maybe through exhaustion, sleep problems, digestive issues, chronic stress, anxiety, pain, or a nervous system that rarely feels fully settled.
You do not need to be in a current romantic crisis for this work to matter. These patterns often show up in family relationships, friendships, work relationships, and your relationship with yourself.
If you are tired of repeating the same cycle in different forms, this retreat was made for that moment.
Why this retreat. Why now.
A book can help you recognize a pattern.
Therapy can be deeply valuable.
A workshop can give you language and insight.
But this retreat offers something different.
It gives you uninterrupted time away from the noise, speed, and emotional habits of everyday life. It gives you a setting where you can slow down enough to notice what is really happening inside you. It gives you guided support as you work not only with the story of your patterns, but with how those patterns live in your body, your reactions, your beliefs, and your choices.
That matters, because relational trauma is rarely changed by insight alone.
You may already understand why you do what you do. The deeper question is why that understanding has not yet led to lasting change.
This retreat is designed to help bridge that gap.
It is for the person who has read the books, done some healing work, and still knows there is another layer. It is for the person who is ready to stop managing the symptoms of painful relationship patterns and begin changing the conditions that keep recreating them.
And it matters now because these patterns do not stay contained. They shape who you choose, what you tolerate, how you parent, how you work, how you rest, and what your body has to carry over time.
At a certain point, waiting is its own decision.
About Dr. Lissa Rankin
Lissa Rankin, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine and seven other books, is a former OB/GYN physician, an Internal Family Systems educator and practitioner, a creative writing teacher, the founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute training program for doctors and therapists, radical remission researcher, the founder of the health equity, trauma healing based non-profit Heal At Last, and a professional artist.
After leaving her job in conventional medicine in 2007, Lissa began experimenting in her integrative medicine practice with what really helps resolve symptoms in people with chronic illness who have failed to improve with either conventional medicine or alternative medicine. All roads led to the same conclusion: People who are not responding to other treatments often have untreated, unhealed relational trauma, and treating that trauma can sometimes lead to seemingly miraculous radical remissions.
Upon realizing this epiphany, Lissa became a passionate ambassador for raising awareness about the importance of treating trauma as both preventive medicine and medical treatment for hard-to-treat mental and physical illnesses. Because old school psychoanalysis (talk therapy) and therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) do not effectively treat trauma on their own, and because medication, surgeries, and even most alternative medicine or spiritual healing techniques, such as acupuncture, meditation, or energy healing, only treat the symptoms of trauma, not the nervous system dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and immune system impairment trauma leads to.
Lissa became a devoted student of many forms of trauma therapy, including Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.’s Internal Family Systems (IFS), Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing, Lawrence Heller’s NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), and Asha Clinton, Ph.D.’s Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT.) She also teaches about spiritual bypassing recovery for those who have used spirituality as a way to avoid healing their trauma.
Her new book Relationsick co-authored with her partner, Harvard psychiatrist Jeffrey Rediger, MD, is about the link between relational trauma and medical illness and how healthy boundaries and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy can help reverse diseases related to nervous system dysregulation caused by relational trauma will be available on October 6, 2026 in time for the retreat and you can pre-order it now.
What you will do in this retreat....
Over the course of our time together, you’ll learn how trauma-based behaviors show up in both yourself and the people you date, love, parent, or attach with.
You’ll discover the nervous system science behind “relationsickness”—why chemistry can be misleading, why healthy connection can feel unfamiliar, and why old attachment wounds get activated even in relationships that have the potential to be secure.
We’ll map the internal protectors that leap in to manage fear, vulnerability, shame, and longing, and you’ll practice turning toward those parts with curiosity rather than judgment.
This is a retreat for anyone who wants to stop repeating old cycles and begin relating from Self: grounded, spacious, clear, and compassionate- as medicine for the body, mind, and soul.
Because insight alone doesn’t shift a lifetime of conditioning, Relationsick blends teaching with experiential practice. You’ll be guided through IFS meditation, parts-mapping exercises, somatic grounding, gentle partnered explorations, facilitated dialogues, role playing, creative writing, dance and movement exercises, and art practices that help you try on new relational skills in real time.
You’ll practice taking a pause when something is being requested, setting boundaries from Self, navigating conflict without collapsing or attacking, recognizing when you’ve left your body, and repairing ruptures before resentment calcifies.
Whether you arrive single, partnered, or somewhere in between, you’ll gain practical tools you can apply the moment you return home.
By the end of the retreat, you’ll leave with a clearer understanding of your inner system, a deeper sense of relational self-trust, and an embodied experience of what it feels like to connect without fawning, people-pleasing, or abandoning yourself. Most of all, you’ll walk away with grounded hope—because once you see your relational patterns through the eyes of compassion, you finally have the power to transform them, and that just might make your body ripe for miracles.
Eligibility Requirements
You do not have to be trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS) or be a therapist to participate.
But we will expect you to know the basics of IFS as we will not cover the basics during the retreat.
IMPORTANT: If you're new to IFS and you secure your spot by May 1st, you'll receive as a free bonus Lissa's online program IFS For Self-Healing, which will get you up to speed on what you need to know in order to participate fully in this retreat.
Please ensure you complete it before attending so you can get the very most from this in-person experiential retreat.
Where you will be staying....
This retreat will be held at Avon Old Farm Hotel in Avon, Connecticut, a setting chosen to support deep work without feeling clinical, crowded, or rushed.
The environment matters.
When people are doing relational healing work, the nervous system needs more than good teaching. It needs quiet. Comfort. Beauty. Space. Time to rest between sessions. Time to walk, reflect, journal, breathe, and let what is unfolding settle more deeply.
Because this is a residential retreat, you will remain on site with the group throughout the experience. That helps create continuity, safety, and a stronger field for the work.
You are not dropping into healing work for a few hours and then jumping back into ordinary life at the end of the day. You are giving yourself the rare chance to stay with the process.
Each participant will enjoy their own private en-suite accommodation including 3 meals a day through-out the retreat period including refreshments breaks during the morning and afternoon sessions.
The goal is to make the practical side of your stay feel supportive, simple, and nourishing, so your attention can stay on the work that brought you here.
Retreat Questions
Do I need prior experience with this kind of work?
No. You do not need prior experience with IFS or any specific healing modality. This retreat is designed to support both people who are newer to this work and people who have already done meaningful therapy or personal growth work.
Is this only about romantic relationships?
No. Romantic relationships may be a major part of the work, but relational trauma often shapes family relationships, friendships, professional relationships, and your relationship with yourself. The patterns may have one face, but the roots often go deeper.
Will I be forced to share personal details?
No. You will be encouraged into honest engagement, but not coerced into performative vulnerability. This is a guided retreat, not an emotional proving ground. You will be respected in your process.
Is this therapy?
This retreat is therapeutic and experiential, but it is not a substitute for individual psychotherapy or crisis care. It is a structured retreat experience for people who are ready to explore and shift relational patterns in a supported setting.
How do I know if this retreat is right for me?
If this page feels uncomfortably familiar in a way that also feels hopeful, pay attention to that. If you know your relationship patterns are costing you too much and you are ready for more than insight alone, this retreat may be a strong fit.
What happens after I apply?
After you apply, you will receive the next steps, including confirmation details, logistics, and payment information if accepted.
Retreat Schedule.
Below is the current structure of the retreat. Final timing may shift slightly, but the overall rhythm is intentional.
This retreat is designed to balance depth and spaciousness. You will have dedicated time for teaching, guided process, personal reflection, rest, meals, and integration.
The goal is not to fill every hour. The goal is to create the right conditions for meaningful work to happen and land.
Some parts of the retreat will be structured and focused. Some will be quieter and more reflective. Both matter.
Insight needs room. Emotional work needs recovery. Transformation needs integration.
The schedule below gives you a sense of how the days will flow.
Monday October 26th – Friday October 30th, 2026
Monday
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
Friday
2pm – 3pm
3pm – 6pm
6.30pm
8am – 9am
9am – 12pm
12.30pm
3pm – 6pm
6.30pm
8am – 9am
9am – 12.30pm
1pm
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Dinner
Breakfast
Morning Session
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Dinner
Breakfast
Morning Session & Goodbyes
Lunch
Please note we will serve teas/coffees and refreshments during our morning and afternoon breaks which will usually be at 10.30am and 4.30pm daily.
Your Investment:
This retreat is intentionally limited in size so the experience can remain personal, carefully held, and impactful.
Your registration includes retreat tuition, on-site ensuite accommodation, and 3 meals a day throughout the retreat schedule to include breakfast, lunch and dinner plus refreshments breaks during the morning and afternoon sessions.
Travel to and from Avon Old Farm Hotel is not included.
Accommodation Options:
Option 1 – Private Sanctuary (Single Occupancy)
Indulge in your own private room for the duration of the retreat, offering space, privacy, and full immersion: $2,700
Option 2 – Shared Stay with Your Chosen Companion (Non-Participant)
Share your room with a companion of your choice who will enjoy the accommodation and meals, while you attend the retreat sessions. Please note, your companion will not participate in the retreat experience: $3,500
Option 3 – Shared Retreat Experience (Two Participants Booking Together)
Share a room with a person you are registering with, with full access for both of you to all retreat sessions and meals: $5,000
Please note:
We do not pair participants for shared rooms on this retreat. All shared bookings must be made with someone you know and are registering alongside.
Any companion accompanying you must be an adult over 18 years of age.
Children are not allowed to join you in shared accommodation during the retreat.
Your deposit to reserve a place is $500.
A payment plan is available as follows:
-
Payment 1: $500 (USD) non-refundable deposit – (Due on acceptance onto the retreat).
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Payment 2. $1,000 (USD) per person due by the 5th June, 2026 - Strictly Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable
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Payment 3: The remaining balance depending on your room type must be paid by the 4th September, 2026.
Please note: 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.
This is a meaningful investment, and it is meant to be.
Not because healing should be exclusive, but because the quality of this experience depends on the level of care, time, presence, and containment it requires.
If this work speaks directly to something you already know is true in your life, do not wait too long to act. The people who benefit most from experiences like this are often the ones who have waited long enough already.
The Location
Avon Old Farm Hotel is located in Avon, Connecticut, and is accessible by car and by nearby airport access. The nearest airport is Bradley International Airport. The approximate drive time from the airport is 30-minutes.
We recommend arriving with enough margin that you do not begin the retreat in a rushed or depleted state. Give yourself time to land. The work begins before the first session. How you arrive matters.
Avon Old Farm Hotel is the perfect place for our 5-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. 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 Lissa, allowing for deep connection, renewal, self-exploration, and personal growth.
If you are here...
Chances are some part of you already knows this work is relevant.
You may be tired of second-guessing yourself.
Tired of making excuses for what hurts.
Tired of calling survival strategies love.
Tired of carrying the relational burden in your body.
You do not need more self-blame.
You do not need more theory without change.
You do not need to keep proving you can endure what is not healthy for you.
You may need space.
You may need support.
You may need the kind of honest, immersive work that helps something finally shift.
That is what this retreat is for.
