Retreat with (m)otherway

A nourishing weekend for the therapists, doulas and practitioners who hold women through motherhood

9–11 October 2026 • The Quaives, Kent

Because you deserve to be held too.

BOOK YOUR PLACE

WHY THIS RETREAT EXISTS

I originally designed this retreat for mothers. The kind you and I work with every day — drowning in the impossible reality of modern motherhood, looking for a weekend that might let them put it down for once.

And then I realised who else was drowning. Us. The mothers who hold other mothers.

The therapists, doulas, perinatal workers, midwives, coaches and counsellors who spend our weeks sitting with women through the hardest work of their lives — and then come home to our own children, our own families, our own quiet exhaustion. Most of us doing this work alone. Holding stories we can never repeat. No real escape from the work, because at work we sit with women going through what we're going through, and at home we live the same issues we help our clients hold.

We love this work. And it takes more out of us than we like to admit.

So I changed direction. This retreat is for us first.

You spend your weeks holding other women through the hardest work of their lives. You're a therapist, a doula, a perinatal practitioner, a coach, a midwife, a counsellor. You're a mother too. You're almost certainly the person other people lean on — professionally, personally, often both.
You give a lot. You give to the women you work with. You give to the children at home. You give to your own family. And somewhere along the way, you've forgotten how to be the one who's held.
This weekend is for that.
The Quaives, a Grade II listed country estate near Canterbury, set in sixteen acres of gardens, paddocks and meadow. The kind of place that does most of the work just by existing — old beams, fireplaces, a wood-fired hot tub at the bottom of the garden, slow mornings drinking coffee in the sun.
The whole estate, for two nights, just for us. A small group, no more than twelve women.
We don't get much of this in our working lives.
We have conversations all day, but they're held in confidence, sat in our own bodies long after the session ends, shaped by what we can't repeat. We come home to families who can't quite know what we've carried. We talk to friends who don't quite understand the texture of the work.
This weekend offers something rare: the chance to talk and be heard, properly, by women who don't need an explanation. A held conversation circle where each woman shares the story of why she came to this work. Slow meals where conversation goes where it goes. Time by the fire, in the garden, in the hot tub, where what comes up between you isn't networking and isn't workshop content — it's just the real, unguarded exchange you almost never get with people who get it.
Across the weekend you'll have two days of somatic practice, held conversation circles, a one-on-one treatment, beautiful meals, and the use of the whole estate. Around all of it, time and space to choose what you actually need in the moment.
Some of these you might do alone. Some alongside other women. Some not at all.
A massage with our visiting therapist. An optional somatic session on Saturday afternoon for more body-based work. The wood-fired hot tub. A run through the Kent countryside. A wild swim in the river, bracing in October. A walk through the sixteen acres. A book by the fire. A nap. A long bath. Sleep until you remember what unbroken sleep feels like.
You can do all of it. You can do none of it.
Maybe you arrive craving deep connection with women who get it. Maybe you arrive craving solitude. You can have either. You can have both, in different moments.
For once, the choice is yours, and the answer doesn't have to make sense to anyone but you.
- Two nights at The Quaives in private accommodation
- All meals, prepared by the venue using locally-sourced food
- Two days of somatic practice and gentle yoga with our visiting practitioner
- Held conversational circles with me
- A one-on-one therapeutic treatment with our visiting massage therapist
- Use of the grounds, gardens, wood-fired hot tub and sauna
- Simple take-home practices for nervous system regulation, if you want them
And — importantly — permission to sleep.
£950 single occupancy £725 each if booking with a colleague or friend to share a room
A 50% deposit secures your place. The balance is then due on the 1st of August.
For many of us, investing this much in our own restoration is unfamiliar. We spend without question on our children, our clients, our businesses. Spending on ourselves can feel extravagant, even when it isn't. If that's coming up for you as you read this — that's worth noticing. It might be the work, not a side effect of it.

THE SHAPE OF THE WEEKEND

FRIDAY

Arrival from late afternoon. Settle into your room. A simple opening together. A welcome dinner with no agenda. Early to bed if you want.

SATURDAY MORNING

Wake when you wake. Breakfast when you're ready. Somatic practice with our visiting practitioner. A held conversation circle where each woman shares the story of why she came to this work.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON & EVENING

Long, unstructured. Walks, the hot tub, treatments, rest, conversation — whatever the moment calls for. A slow shared dinner of locally-sourced food.

SUNDAY

A final somatic session, with simple body-based practices you can take home. A closing circle to name what we're taking with us. Then home.

time to lie down

A dedicated treatment space, separate from where you'll sleep and gather. Low light, warmth, the smell of oil and wood. Your one-on-one massage with our visiting therapist happens here.

For some of you, this room will be where the weekend lands most deeply in your body.

YOUR OWN DOOR TO CLOSE

A row of beautiful cottages and a Grade II listed manor house — each with its own quiet, each with rooms that feel like yours for the weekend. Some of you will sleep in a cottage. Some in a room in the main house where Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac lived for twenty-five years. Whichever you're in, your room is yours alone.

Bring a book. Bring your own pillow if you want. Let the door close behind you whenever you need it to.

OUTSIDE, IN THE WARMTH

A wood-fired hot tub at the bottom of the garden. Open whenever you want it. Steam rising into the October air, your feet in the leaves, conversation with another woman or no one at all.

Some of you will spend hours here over the weekend. Some of you will use it once, late at night, alone. Both are right.

wild swimming

A wild swim right here on the estate, for those who fancy it. The kind of cold that catches your breath, then settles you. The kind that makes everything afterwards — the hot tub, a warm towel, a cup of tea by the fire — feel deeply earned.

Bring a costume and a thick towel if this is your thing.

your turn to be cooked for

Beautiful, locally-sourced food made with real care — proper breakfasts, long lunches, slow dinners with candles in the evening. Everything thought of, everything prepared. The kind of cooking that takes time and tastes like it.

You spend your weeks feeding everyone else. This weekend, someone else cooks for you.

a house with history

A Grade II listed manor at the heart of the estate. Old beams, log fires, the soft creak of wood. Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac lived here for twenty-five years — and the bones of the house still feel like somewhere a person has properly lived in.

Your Questions, Answered

Women who work with mothers in any capacity — therapists, doulas, midwives, perinatal practitioners, postnatal workers, coaches, counsellors, body workers, mental health professionals. You're almost certainly a mother yourself. You might come from a clinical background, a holistic one, or somewhere between. The thread that connects everyone here is the work of holding women through vulnerable parts of their lives.
If you're not sure whether you'd fit, get in touch and we can talk it through.
A small group of no more than twelve women, plus me and our visiting practitioners. Small enough that we'll all know each other by Sunday morning. Large enough that you can have moments of solitude without feeling on show.
No. Most women come on their own. If you'd like to come with a colleague or friend, the shared accommodation option is available — but coming alone is the norm, not the exception.
Not unless you choose to. The standard booking is single occupancy in private accommodation. The shared rate is only for women booking together by choice.
You'll have your own private room across a mix of beautiful cottages and rooms in the main country house. Some rooms have en-suite bathrooms; some share a bathroom with one other room. All bedding and towels are provided. Once we know who's coming, I'll match women to rooms thoughtfully.
The venue caters for all dietary needs — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, allergies. Once you've booked, you'll be sent a form to let us know what you need.
Comfortable, warm clothes for inside and outside (the wood-fired hot tub will tempt you regardless of weather). Walking shoes. A swimming costume if you want to use the hot tub or attempt the river. A book if you'd like one. Anything else that makes you feel at home — a candle, a journal, a favourite tea, slippers. You don't need to bring anything specific for the held sessions.
There will be held conversation circles on Saturday where you're welcome to share as much or as little as feels right. No one is required to speak at length, and no one will be asked to share more than they want to. The space is held, not extracted.
The somatic sessions are designed for nervous system regulation — gentle, body-based practices that help your system come down from holding. Not intense, not retraumatising, not advanced practice. Suitable for any body, any level of experience. The aim is restoration, not performance.
No. Our visiting practitioner will introduce everything as we go. If you've never done somatic work before, you're in the right place. If you have — you might find new layers in it.
This weekend is genuinely yours. You're encouraged to leave your phone in your room most of the time. Wi-Fi is available if you genuinely need it. There's no group expectation that you check in or check out — though many women find a real release in being unreachable for a weekend.
The retreat opens on Friday from late afternoon. If you genuinely can't arrive until Saturday morning, that's workable — let me know in advance and you won't miss anything essential. Sunday's closing finishes by mid afternoon so you can travel home in good time.
The Quaives is a Grade II listed country property, which means some rooms have low beams, steps and uneven floors. There are ground-floor rooms available. If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch before booking and I'll help you understand what's possible.
In a tiny hamlet called Seaton, just outside Canterbury in Kent. About 90 minutes from central London by car, and reachable by train via Canterbury East or Canterbury West (about a 15-minute taxi from the station). Full travel details and directions will be sent once you've booked.
Yes. Free on-site parking for everyone attending.
Deposits are non-refundable as they secure the venue. If you need to cancel after paying further instalments, I'll do my best to offer your place to someone on the waiting list — if successful, I can refund the balance you've paid above the deposit. Once at the venue, the balance is non-refundable. I'd recommend personal event insurance if you're concerned about unforeseen circumstances.
That depends on your tax situation. Many practitioners in our field do treat retreats like this as professional development or wellbeing expenses related to sustaining their practice. You'd need to check with your accountant. I can provide a receipt and invoice as needed.
Get in touch. I'd rather have a real conversation about whether this is the right fit for you than have you book unsure or hesitate too long and miss out. Email me at [your email] or message me on Instagram.