The Unbroken Woman: "Mothered" is a clinically grounded women’s retreat designed to explore how early caregiving experiences shape identity, attachment, self-talk, and emotional regulation across the lifespan. Whether nurturing was consistent, inconsistent, or absent, the ways we were mothered often become the blueprint for how we relate to ourselves and others.

This retreat offers a structured, emotionally safe environment to examine those inherited patterns with curiosity rather than judgment. Through evidence-based frameworks, guided reflection, experiential exercises, and intentional rest, participants are supported in understanding their internal narratives and identifying what they wish to carry forward, or release.

Mothered is not a passive or performative experience. It is thoughtful, relational work held within a supportive community of women who are open, reflective, and ready to engage with depth and care. Our screening process is simply a way to ensure that each participant feels ready and supported to engage in the work offered during the retreat, allowing us to create a thoughtful, steady, and emotionally safe experience for everyone involved.

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The application process is designed to mirror the integrity of the retreat itself—deliberate, discerning, and clinically sound. Your responses help us determine readiness, not worthiness, ensuring that each participant enters an environment capable of holding the depth and intensity of the work.

All information disclosed in this screening form and any pre-retreat communication is confidential and used solely to assess safety, readiness, and group alignment. Information will not be shared with others without your written consent, except in cases of imminent risk or as required by law.

The Unbroken Woman is a high-engagement, clinically informed retreat designed for women who are emotionally stable, self-aware, and ready to participate in deep, structured, and transformative work. This is not a recreational or observational experience; it is an immersive process that requires full participation, personal accountability, and psychological readiness.

Beginning this year, attendance is by application only, accompanied by a refundable deposit. Each application is personally reviewed by Emily Swearingen, LCSW-S, to ensure the retreat environment remains safe, balanced, and clinically appropriate for all participants. If accepted, your deposit is applied toward your booking. If the retreat is not an appropriate fit at this time, your deposit will be refunded in full.

Participants are required to disclose any changes in mental health, medication management, or personal stability that occur between the time of application and the retreat start date. Because group safety and integrity are paramount, any participant who provides misleading information or engages in unsafe, disruptive, or deceptive behavior may be dismissed from the retreat without refund.

Individuals with active self-harming behaviors, unmanaged medication needs, untreated psychosis, or recent psychiatric hospitalization will not be accepted. Participants are expected to maintain medication adherence, practice emotional regulation, and contribute authentically to the group process.

While there will be periods of rest, reflection, and lighthearted connection, participants should expect to engage fully in structured workshops, guided exercises, and small-group work throughout the weekend. This is not a passive or recreational experience: it’s an immersive, clinically informed environment designed for meaningful transformation.

The application process is intentionally thorough—it reflects the intensity and ethical standards of the retreat itself. If you find yourself reflecting as you complete it, you’re already engaging in the work this experience was built for.

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Please note: participation in The Unbroken Woman does not constitute psychotherapy or replace individualized mental health treatment.

If, at any point during the retreat, a participant is determined to be in emotional or behavioral crisis, the facilitator will contact the participant’s mental health treatment provider, emergency contact, or local emergency services as clinically appropriate. The participant will then be asked to leave the retreat to ensure their safety and the safety of others. This determination is made at the sole discretion of the facilitator, based on clinical expertise and duty of care.