Still & Strong
A Wellness Retreat for Helping, Healing & Crisis-Response Professionals
Nourishment in nature for those who care deeply.
STILL & STRONG INFORMATION SESSION
Watch this inspiring preview of a retreat designed for helping professionals. If you’re a therapist, social worker, counsellor—or someone who gives deeply—this session offers a glimpse into a restorative experience rooted in nature, nourishing gourmet meals, and intentional self-care. This is your invitation to slow down, reconnect, and prioritize you.
You hold so much for others—now let us hold space for you.
Join us for three restorative days at the serene Brew Creek Centre, where you’ll rest, reflect, and reconnect in community with those who understand the weight you carry.
New dates being announced soon!
Who This Retreat Is For:
You give deeply—through crisis, care, and compassion.
But when your nervous system never has a chance to slow down, exhaustion and disconnection can quietly take root.
This retreat is for you if you are:
A counsellor, social worker, or therapist
A physician, nurse, paramedic, or first responder
A teacher, caregiver, or community support worker
Someone who offers steady support to others—but needs space to breathe again
You’ve been holding the weight for long enough. Let us help you set it down.
Questions? Call Nicole @ 778 651 3295
Over this gentle, restorative weekend, you’ll be guided through practices designed to bring your body and mind back to balance.
This includes:
Grounding and relaxation practices to ease tension and calm the nervous system
Guided journaling and self-reflection to help you process and find clarity
Group circles with optional sharing and peer connection
Fresh, nourishing meals, prepared with local, organic, and sustainably harvested ingredients—many grown on-site at Brew Creek
This retreat isn’t about fixing or striving. It’s about remembering that rest is a form of resilience.
What You’ll Experience:
What you’ll receive:
Rest as a Clinical & Ethical Practice - We’ll explore rest as an act of courage and self-compassion—one that sharpens clarity, deepens connection, and supports sustainable wellbeing in both life and care work. This approach forms the foundation of our retreat experience, helping you step away from burnout culture and into a more grounded, resilient way of being.
Nourishing West Coast Cuisine: Enjoy beautifully prepared, locally sourced meals —celebrating seasonal ingredients, ethical sourcing, and the vibrant culinary traditions of the Sea to Sky region.
Gentle Group Yoga - Join a soothing, accessible group practice mornings and evenings that encourage grounding, soft stretching, and mindful movement.
Breathwork & Meditation Sessions - Settle into guided practices that cultivate inner stillness, emotional balance, and rejuvenation.
20 Acre Nature Sanctuary - Explore the property’s peaceful forest trails—perfect for mindful walks, quiet reflection, or simply reconnecting with nature.
Secluded Comfort - The comfy beds and luscious linens await your dreams, while the picture windows and lush foliage views await your daydreams.
Massage Therapy* - Unwind with a deeply restorative massage designed to ease tension, support relaxation, and nourish the nervous system with Jesse Frizell. *Not included $150 + GST, must be booked in advance.
Self-care Gift Bag - A curated selection of handmade goods from Crow & Ember.
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A retreat designed to help you step out of burnout culture and into sustainable, embodied wellbeing through clinically grounded practices.
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Psychoeducation and experiential sessions inspired by Brené Brown and Compassion-Focused Therapy to support courage, clarity, and deep self-connection.
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Quiet forest paths, mountain air, and serene natural spaces that invite stillness, reflection, and a slower way of being.
Check your regulatory body and/or extended health benefits to see if any portion of this retreat may be eligible for coverage or qualify for professional development.
The Details
Dates: TBD
Location: TBC, Bowen Island
Capacity: Limited to 20 participants
Your West Coast Retreat Experience includes:
Your stay includes two nights of beautifully appointed accommodations at The Brew Creek Centre, nourishing farm-to-table meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, and full access to all retreat programming, materials designed to support your renewal, as well as optional extras like massage.
Questions? Call Nicole @ 778 651 3295
Meet your facilitators
Together, Nicole and Melissa offer a grounded, gentle, and deeply supportive space for renewal.
Nicole Marcia, (she/her) MA, RCC, MC, C-IAYT
Nicole brings over 15 years of experience supporting helping professionals and trauma survivors through embodied, trauma-informed care. She believes in the power of rest and reconnection as essential parts of healing.
Nicole is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Yoga Therapist offering trauma counselling and yoga therapy for helping, healing and crisis response professionals in Vancouver. She supports clients navigating grief, trauma, anxiety, addiction, and other life challenges through her business, Fine Balance Counselling & Yoga Therapy.
She holds a Master’s degree in both Yoga Therapy (2009) and Counselling (2024).
With over 15 years of experience working as a helping professional Nicole has also supported teens living with mental illness, women fleeing human trafficking, and those facing systemic oppression in various social service organizations.
Nicole has worked in psychiatric hospitals and addiction treatment centres, including as Director of Therapeutic Yoga Programming with BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority, and Onsite, North America’s first supervised injection site.
Nicole is a registered provider with the Crime Victim Assistance Program and holds a Silver Seal of Endorsement from the BC Professional Fire Fighters Association for advanced training in first responder trauma. She also teaches in Simon Fraser University’s First Responder Trauma Prevention program. https://www.finebalanceyoga.ca/
Melissa Pickett, MSW, RSW, RYT
Melissa weaves mindfulness, movement, and compassionate inquiry into her work, guiding others to rediscover safety and self-trust in their own bodies.
Melissa Pickett, RSW, is a counsellor and Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) facilitator with over two decades of experience supporting helping professionals and trauma survivors. She brings a grounded, down-to-earth approach that integrates evidence-informed care with warmth, humour, and authenticity.
Melissa’s work is rooted in relationship and collaboration and the belief that rest and self-connection are essential parts of healing. Through her counselling and yoga practice, she helps others reconnect with their bodies, honour their limits, and cultivate sustainable ways of caring for themselves and others.
As a co-facilitator of this retreat, Melissa hopes to create a welcoming space for helping professionals to slow down, restore, and practice the same compassion they offer in their work. She believes that when we make space for stillness, we rediscover strength, clarity, and the capacity to show up more fully. For ourselves and for those we serve.
You’ll leave with:
A calmer, more regulated nervous system
Simple practices to sustain balance in daily life
A renewed connection to your purpose and strength
The reminder that caring for others begins with caring for yourself
You give so much—it’s time to refill your own cup.
Join us for Still & Strong and give yourself the space to rest, reflect, and reconnect.
Space is limited to 20 participants.
Massage with Jesse
Therapeutic relaxation massages with Jesse Fizzell, RMT offering restorative relief and renewal.
Unwind with a deeply restorative massage designed to ease tension, support relaxation, and nourish the nervous system.
Five 1-hour sessions available. $150+gst.
Details on how to book once registration is completed.
Rooted in Nature. Fueled by Resilience.
Holistic health support for women grounded in plant medicine, ritual, and nourishment.
Each participant will receive a thoughtfully crafted Crow & Ember gift bag featuring a soothing nervine tea blend, a relaxing herbal soaking salt, and a calming massage oil.
Rooted in plant medicine and ancestral wisdom, Crow & Ember handcrafts small-batch remedies to support grounding, restoration, and embodied wellbeing—an invitation to continue the retreat’s nourishment long after you return home.