Coming Home: Dignity, Presence, and Embodied Leadership
A contemplative leadership retreat for people in helping and leadership roles who are longing to reconnect with themselves, their work, and what matters most.
September 20-24, 2026
An Invitation
Many people in helping and leadership roles spend years holding space for others—listening, responding, leading, absorbing.
Over time, something subtle can happen: parts of ourselves grow quiet. Our bodies speak more softly. Our inner knowing becomes harder to hear.
Coming Home is an invitation to pause and return.
To dignity. To presence. To the embodied wisdom that sustains humane leadership over time.
This retreat is not about becoming someone new. It is about remembering who you already are.
Why Coming Home Matters
Leadership today is often shaped by urgency, productivity, and performance.
For those who work in care-centered, relational, or justice-oriented roles, this can create a painful tension between how we are asked to lead and how we long to live and serve.
Coming Home exists because leadership cannot be sustained on effort alone.
We need places that:
honor our full humanity
restore relationship with body and breath
make room for silence, reflection, and meaning
center dignity, not as an ideal, but as a lived practice
This retreat offers such a place.
What Makes This Retreat Different
This is not a conference.
It is not a training or certification.
It is not therapy.
Coming Home is a contemplative leadership retreat grounded in:
dignity-centered and trauma-aware leadership
relational accountability
reflective and narrative practices
embodied and land-based ways of knowing
The emphasis is on integration rather than information and on presence rather than performance.
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is for people in helping and leadership roles who:
have spent years caring for others
carry responsibility for people, systems, or culture
sense that parts of themselves have gone quiet along the way
want to lead with dignity, mutuality, and humanity
are longing to reconnect with their voice, body, and inner knowing
Participants often come from healthcare, education, social services, community leadership, advocacy, spiritual care, nonprofit work, and related fields—but no single profession defines this circle.
What matters most is a shared orientation toward care, reflection, and ethical leadership.
The Rhythm of the Retreat
Over several days, we will gather in a gentle rhythm of land, body, mind, and soul.
Rather than a tightly packed agenda, the retreat offers spaciousness—allowing insight, clarity, and renewal to emerge organically.
Across our time together, the retreat unfolds through four guiding themes:
Remember
We begin by slowing down and listening—remembering what has been carried, what has been set aside, and what still longs to be heard. Through reflection, story, and shared presence, we reconnect with the deeper threads of our lives and leadership.
Root
As we settle into the land and into our bodies, we focus on grounding and regulation. Rooting invites steadiness, safety, and a renewed sense of belonging—within ourselves, with one another, and with the place that holds us.
Rise
From this grounded place, new clarity and ethical direction can emerge. Rising is not about striving or fixing, but about allowing voice, insight, and leadership shaped by dignity and mutuality to take form.
Return
On our final day, we turn toward integration—considering how what has been remembered, rooted, and clarified can be carried back into our lives and work with greater presence and intention.
Throughout the retreat, we will explore practices such as:
radical listening
narrative medicine and reflective writing
storytelling, myth, and meaning
embodied and somatic awareness
dignity-centered, trauma-aware leadership
relational accountability rooted in care rather than control
There will be time for guided exploration, shared dialogue, solitude, rest, and informal connection.
A Trauma-Aware, Dignity-Centered Approach
The retreat is informed by trauma-aware and healing-centered perspectives, recognizing how care, responsibility, and relationship shape our nervous systems over time.
Dignity is treated not as a concept, but as a condition — something created through safety, mutuality, voice, and respect.
You will not be asked to perform vulnerability or disclose personal history.
You will be invited to listen - to yourself, to others, and to what the moment calls forth.
Facilitation & Holding
Coming Home is guided by a small, intentional team, each bringing a distinct form of presence and expertise to the circle.
The retreat is co-facilitated by Mary Coughlin, MS, NNP-NCC-E, Trauma-informed Professional, Caritas Coach® and Jennifer Griggs, MD, MPH, FASCO whose work centers on dignity, presence, and leadership grounded in humanity.
Mary’s work integrates trauma-aware, relational, and contemplative approaches to leadership, with a long-standing focus on care, presence, and ethical responsibility within human systems.
Jennifer brings deep expertise in dignity-centered leadership, helping individuals and groups explore how dignity is embodied, protected, and lived in everyday leadership practice.
Jessica Brown, PhD, serves as Artist-in-Residence, weaving creative, narrative, and reflective practices throughout the retreat. Her presence invites participants into meaning-making through story, creativity, and embodied reflection offering additional pathways for insight beyond words alone.
Together, the facilitation team holds a space that is thoughtful, grounded, and relational allowing participants to arrive as they are and engage at their own pace.
The Setting: The Deerstone, County Wicklow Ireland
The retreat is held at The Deerstone, a quiet, land-rooted retreat center in County Wicklow.
The landscape itself becomes a companion in the work—offering steadiness, beauty, and a sense of belonging that cannot be manufactured.
Nature is not an accessory here; it is a co-facilitator.
The Investment & Commitment
Coming Home is intentionally small and relational.
To hold the retreat with care, clarity, and integrity, we ask participants to make a clear commitment by late spring.
Investment
Total retreat investment: $3,495 USD
This investment includes lodging, meals, facilitation, and all retreat materials.
Travel to and from Ireland is not included.
Commitment Timeline
To reserve your place in the retreat:
$500 non-refundable deposit due by May 1, 2026
Remaining balance of $2995 is due by September 1, 2026
Participants may choose to:
pay the remaining balance in full, or
pay 4-monthly installments between May and September of $748.75 USD
There is no additional fee for paying in installments.
A Note on Deposits & Group Size
The $500 deposit is non-refundable, as it allows us to responsibly secure the retreat space and plan with care.
In the event that we do not reach the minimum number of participants required to move forward, all deposits will be fully refunded.
This threshold helps ensure the retreat can be held with the depth, presence, and containment it is designed to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is for you if:
- you work in a helping or care-centered role (including healthcare, public health, education, counseling, social work, community organizing, advocacy, spiritual
care, nonprofit leadership, law, restorative justice, humanitarian or NGO work, and related fields)
- you sense that parts of yourself have gone quiet in the process of caring for others and want to reconnect with your own voice, body, joy, and inner guidance
- you are curious about leading with dignity, practicing radical listening, and working in ways that honor your humanity and the humanity of those you serve
- you long for community where you don’t have to prove your worth, where authenticity and confidentiality are respected
Over several days in a contemplative setting in Ireland, you’ll be invited into a rhythm of land, body, mind, and soul, with spaciousness, silence, and gentle structure alongside guided sessions.
What can I expect?
You can expect:
- a quiet, beautiful setting with forest, fields, and paths for walking and land immersion
- a small group of peers who share longings for wholeness, dignity, and more sustainable ways of caring and leading
- daily embodied practices (breath, grounding, gentle movement, sound) to support arrival and regulation
- sessions exploring:
* radical listening
* narrative medicine and reflective writing
* storytelling, myth, and meaning
* nonviolent communication
* dignity and leading with dignity
* relational (not punitive) accountability
* playful intelligence
* embodied leadership
* trauma-aware leadership
* leading from home
There will also be time in silence (including at least one shared silent meal, with consent-based options), small-group circles, 1:1 conversations with facilitators, and private time for rest, walking, or journaling.
Can you tell me more about the Artist-in-Residence?
Jessica Brown, PhD, serves as Artist-in-Residence and acts as a companion in imagination and making. She offers gentle, accessible creative practices (such as simple drawing, collage, sound, or movement) that support meaning-making through myth, symbol, and story.
Creative offerings are optional and integrated thoughtfully with the facilitation team so that art supports trauma-aware pacing, nervous-system regulation, and dignity, rather than performance or product.
Where is the retreat held, and how do I get there?
The retreat will be held at The Deerstone in County Wicklow, Ireland, a quiet rural setting with forest, fields, and walking paths.
Most participants will fly into Dublin Airport, followed by a 60–90 minute drive. Closer to the retreat, we’ll share detailed travel guidance and help coordinate taxis, shared shuttles, or ride-shares where possible.
What are the arrival and departure times?
Participants will arrive in the late afternoon on the first day, with an opening circle in the early evening. We’ll close by late morning or early afternoon on the final day to support return travel. Recommended flight windows will be shared once the schedule is finalized.
What should I bring?
You’ll want comfortable clothing suitable for time outdoors, layers for changing weather, and shoes for walking on uneven ground. Many participants also bring a favorite notebook or writing instrument.
All materials needed for the retreat will be provided. You’re not expected to bring anything special or to prepare in advance.
What’s included in the cost?
Your registration includes a private room, all meals during the retreat, and all facilitated sessions and materials. Travel to and from Ireland, travel insurance, and any additional nights outside the retreat dates are not included.
What are supported places?
Supported places are a small number of partially supported registrations built into the structure of the retreat once the circle is fully resourced.
Rather than treating access as an afterthought, we’ve designed the retreat so that reaching a full group allows us to offer two supported places, reflecting our commitment to dignity, equity, and mutual care.
Details about supported places will be shared once enrollment is confirmed. We approach this process with care and discretion, and no participant is asked to carry responsibility for another’s access.
Why this works:
- No “financial hardship” framing
- No moral pressure on participants
- No transactional explanation
- Emphasizes design, not charity
This is one way we practice the values the retreat is grounded in.
When do payment plans begin?
Payment options (pay-in-full or installments) will be offered once we reach a confirmed group of 16 participants. All remaining balances are due by September 1, 2026, with no additional fees for installment plans.
This pacing allows us to hold the retreat responsibly and make supported places possible.
Can you provide an invoice or documentation for my employer?
Yes. We’re happy to provide an invoice or receipt for reimbursement, and we can tailor language to meet your organization’s requirements (e.g., leadership development, professional well-being).
Are continuing education credits available?
We are exploring continuing education options and will update participants once confirmed. Regardless, we can provide a certificate of completion outlining themes and hours for professional portfolios.
Is this retreat accessible?
We are designing the retreat with a trauma-informed lens, attending to physical and emotional safety, consent, and choice. Within the limits of the site, we’ll share concrete details about layout, mobility considerations, sensory environments, and meals in advance, and we’ll work with you individually to navigate specific access needs.
I’m an introvert — is this retreat for me?
Yes. The retreat includes silence, unstructured time, and options for small-group or one-to-one engagement. You won’t be asked to be “on” or to share more than you wish. Many of the practices support depth, reflection, and internal processing.
What about whiteness and power?
We take seriously the risk of centering whiteness, particularly in a retreat held in Ireland with white facilitators. We will name identities, commitments, and limits directly; include wisdom from global majority traditions (with attribution and consent); and address structural racism, colonialism, and misogyny explicitly.
We are committed to feedback, accountability, and real-time repair, and we hold this work as ongoing and imperfect.
What do you mean by dignity, trauma-informed leadership, and narrative medicine?
Dignity is the inherent worth of every person, independent of role, status, performance, or identity, and extends to the more-than-human world.
Trauma-informed leadership recognizes the prevalence and impact of trauma and intentionally creates conditions of safety, choice, and empowerment.
Narrative medicine values storytelling and attentive listening as pathways to understanding, empathy, and connection.
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, you’re welcome to reach out.
We’re holding this retreat with care — including how we communicate.
A Commitment Rooted in Care
We recognize that committing to a retreat of this nature is both a financial and personal decision. Our aim is to be transparent and humane in the process, reflecting the very values of dignity, mutuality, and care that shape the retreat itself.
If you have questions about timing or payment options, you are welcome to reach out.
Invitation to Begin
If Coming Home resonates, we invite you to join us in Ireland September 20-24, 2026.
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