Join us, for a healing and empowering grief retreat presented by author and therapist Claire Bidwell Smith and grief and trauma therapist Angela Schellenberg.
July 15 - 21, 2025
Chiang Mai, Thailand
This 5-night retreat will take place in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Participants will experience a collective community with the opportunity for immense healing and processing of grief. This event is a perfect balance of learning workshops along with planning events and free time to enjoy in this historic Asian city.
Chiang Mai is celebrated for its healing ambiance nestled in lush, Northern Thailand mountains. The city offers a sanctuary for traditional Thai practices like massages, herbal therapies, and meditation. The serene landscapes and aromatic surroundings create a tranquil haven, promoting both physical and spiritual rejuvenation. Chiang Mai’s rich cultural tapestry, embodied in temples and sacred sites, adds a profound dimension to the healing experience, making it a destination where body, mind, and spirit find harmonious balance.
This retreat allows you to remove yourself from the demands of daily life and will provide an opportunity for exploration and understanding of your profound losses. Join others in a safe space during this six-day, five-night experience where you can bring your complete self and all aspects of your grief. Together, we will delve into the impact of loss and grief on our lives, relationships, and sense of self through gatherings, exercises, activities, and body work. Find solace, support, and inspiration to nurture hope, grace, and spiritual awakenings within the realm of grief. Open yourself to the profound power of grieving as a pathway to genuine healing and transformation.
Discover peace amidst grief.
Find solace in Chiang Mai. Reserve your spot at the healing retreat today
Meet your Facilitators
Claire Bidwell Smith is a therapist, renowned grief expert, and the author of five books of nonfiction: The Rules of Inheritance, After This: When Life is Over Where Do We Go? and Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief. Her forthcoming books Conscious Grieving(Workman) and Anxious Grief(PESI) are currently available for pre-order.
Claire offers numerous online programs for grief in addition to working with people one-on-one. Led by her own experiences with grief, and fueled by her work in hospice and private practice, Claire strives to provide support for all kinds of people experiencing all kinds of grief.
Claire’s three books of nonfiction have been published in 19 countries, and received many accolades and critical praise. The Rules of Inheritance is currently optioned for television rights.
In addition to having given dozens of talks on grief, Claire has written for and been featured in many publications including The New York Times, Scientific American, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, Today.com, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Oprah Magazine. She is also the host of Lemonada Media’s popular podcast New Day.
Angela Schellenberg, LMHC is a psychotherapist who specializes in trauma, attachment, grief, and PTSD. She is a humanistic counselor, writer, speaker, educator, and non-profit executive director. Angela lost her father to gun violence at the age of sixteen and knows firsthand how sudden death leaves a ripple effect through the lives of those left behind. Therefore, she is dedicated to addressing the needs of complex trauma through various treatment modalities such as EMDR, EFT Tapping, and more.
As a certified teacher, Angela incorporates her skills as an educator into her therapy practice by educating her clients in understanding how to change their behavior, increase their happiness, and overcome adversity.
Angela looks forward to providing retreat participants with a deeper understanding of how our attachment styles affect the grief journey. She will also guide us in continuing a meaningful, connected relationship with our loved ones.
Additionally, Angela lived in Chiang Mai from 2013 to 2016. The distinctiveness of this retreat is shaped by her affection for Thailand and her firsthand experience in the city.
The Destination Grief Retreat will unfold at the luxurious Shangri-La Chiang Mai, a distinguished 5-star luxury hotel resort. A mere 5-minute stroll from Chiang Mai’s renowned Night Bazaar, this vibrant marketplace offers an endless, sensory-rich experience every night. With diverse stalls vending street food, carvings, antiques, clothing, and furniture, the market caters to avid bargain hunters with its negotiable prices. This locale is also a culinary haven, allowing participants to savor spicy street food and other Northern Thai specialties such as pad thai, mango sticky rice, and crispy spring rolls. The retreat agenda allows participants free time to explore the market independently, enjoy a Thai massage, or sample local delights in nearby restaurants or street food stalls.
Itinerary
While the retreat is situated in an ideal location to explore this culturally rich city, there is more. On the fourth day, attendees will journey beyond the city to visit Elephant Nature Park for a half-day excursion. Operational since the 1990s, the “No Ride” park serves as a sanctuary and rescue center for elephants to live out their lives in peace. Having participated in numerous rescues, it maintains a natural habitat for this endangered species. Participants have the opportunity to up-close intimately engage with these magnificent creatures and learn about the elephant’s own unique grief journey.
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This grief retreat is designed for individuals seeking healing and personal growth following the loss of a loved one. Our intimate group consists of men and women from across the globe. Participants have experienced loss at various ages and due to different causes. If you’re ready to explore the impact of death on your life and are drawn to ways of growing and transforming through your grief, this retreat is tailored for you. By the end of the experience, you’ll feel less alone, deeply understood, and profoundly transformed. Destination Grief Retreats uphold a commitment to inclusivity, welcoming participants without discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, or marital status in all activities and operations.
