Autumn 2024: Trauma-focused intensive treatment programme, running the 15 to 18 September.

This is a small group experience – where people benefit from both personal attention with therapists and the benefits of being within a safe group.

Led by highly experienced therapists and facilitators, including Charlotte Copeland and Rachel Millsted, those attending the programme will receive 1-1 sessions both in preparation for the programme and afterwards to integrate the experience. The 4 days provides a structured treatment programme for those seeking help with unresolved psychological trauma.

The programme is designed to provide a safe and supportive environment, to facilitate the 3 stages of trauma recovery involving: fostering a foundation psychological safety to aid addressing difficulties, processing of trauma memories, and finally integrating the experience to mobilise improvements in quality of life.  

Who is the retreat for?

• People who have ongoing difficulties from historical traumatic experiences.
• Family or friends of a person who is traumatised, who have been impacted themselves and who want a better understanding of psychological trauma and how to support a traumatised person.
• People seeking trauma-focused therapy, with the option for somatic (body-based) and psychological interventions.

How is the retreat delivered?

• In-person, facilitated by experienced trauma-specialist therapists
• Based out of SafeHaven Trauma Centre, Stockport, Cheshire in the UK.
• Attendance is limited to 6 people

What can I expect from the retreat?

• Days run from 8:30am to approximately 5pm in clinic, with optional evening programme on days 1, 2 and 3.
• Each day has 4 therapeutic session lasting between 90minutes to 2 hours each.
• Both the overall programme and daily, there is a structure to safely introduce and exit each day.
• The programme is based on the 3-phase model of psychological trauma recovery, facilitating stabilisation, processing and integration of trauma memories.
• The therapeutic programme includes:
  • Learning and understanding the basics of psychological trauma – to help identify, normalise and better manage signs and symptoms of psychological trauma and understand how and why we can become traumatised
  • Skills building in specific resilience strategies that actively manage symptoms of psychological trauma
  • Trauma-focused interventions. There are a range of these available over the 4 days, including trauma-focused integrative psychotherapy, dance movement, somatic experiencing, therapeutic art, sand-tray therapy, EMDR, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy. Choice of which interventions to use will be determined with the facilitators to best suit your needs.
  • Recovery plan will be developed for after the programme, to aid building on the changes experienced and to maintain and continue your recovery.
• The programme welcome pack will provide a personal set of tools for you to use throughout the programme and take home with you for use afterwards.
• A light breakfast, lunch and all refreshments are provided throughout the programme.
• The full programme, including the pre and post support provides over 30hours of therapeutic support.

Programme Pack

At the welcome evening you will be given your programme pack. This pack includes a therapeutic journal and other tools for use during the 4 days.

You will also be given a 1year license for the SafeHaven Psychological First Aid App, to use both during the programme and afterwards.

1-1 Therapeutic support before and after the retreat

All those attending will also receive support before and after the programme, having a total of 6 hours, 1-1 trauma-focused therapy with a specialist.

Beforehand you will have three 60minute sessions with one of our therapists. This will prepare you for the programme and help you get the most out of the 4 days.

Once the programme has been completed, the package include for a further three 60minute sessions with your therapist, to complete any processing from the experience and integrate the experience to move forward in your life.

We always ensure continuity of care, and as such you will work with the same therapist throughout – unless you requested an alternative.