Specialist therapy (including EMDR) for anxiety, trauma, low self-esteem & emotional dysregulation
Coaching, workshops, retreats, & consultancy.
We're passionate about using the latest psychological science to help you live a more fulfilling life
Relax. Rebalance. Recharge.
Restorative coaching retreats at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Facilitated by Dr Rachel Lee and Amy Mortimer.
Date of the next retreat: To be confirmed
This retreat can be tailored for teams and organisations, please email to discuss your needs.
Included: Entry to the YSP (usually £9), parking, refreshments and pastries, lunch, full programme of events including a 2-hour artist-led workshop & 10% discount in the YSP shop, where you can buy internationally-acclaimed art.
Are you struggling with the many demands of modern life?
Do you feel like you are constantly spinning plates, trying to balance work and family commitments and also find some time for your own wellbeing?
Do you notice that you are sometimes holding yourself back by not doing the things that matter to you, holding on to things that are no longer working for you (unhelpful habits, workstreams, roles or relationships),? Or do unhelpful self-stories and beliefs pull you away from living the life you'd like to live?
You are not alone. Many successful people we speak to struggle with these difficulties, especially as they move into their thirties, forties and beyond. We also know from our own experience that our success can easily lead to burnout if these patterns persist. That's why we've designed this retreat.
Imagine taking a day out to focus on what you need, to come together with people in a similar situation and gain the psychological tools that will help you thrive.
This is a unique retreat, with a programme that has been developed by an experienced clinical psychologist who knows what it's like to spin lots of plates and also has in-depth psychological knowledge of the mind and the nervous system. This retreat has been designed to help you relax and recharge on the day and also leave with the psychological skills and insights that will help you feel more confident and content and create better balance in your life over the next year and beyond.
Would you like to spend a day in this stunning location, where you can learn how to:
1. Relax your body by better understanding your nervous system and gaining evidence-based strategies (one example being breathwork practices) that you can use to change your physiology and help yourself feel calmer. We will also take a mindful walk around the sculpture park.
2. Rebalance the way you spend your time by tuning in to what's important to you and what a rich and full life would look like, then gaining psychological skills to address the internal barriers that are holding you back. We will be sharing evidence-based strategies to help you build a richer, more fulfilling life. We are also including a 2-hour artist-led clay workshop, specially chosen to help you move out of your busy mind and focus on your senses, notice what it's like to be more present in the moment and tune into the more creative parts of yourself.
Sculptural Vessels Clay Workshop by Sally Storr
Sally will guide you through a range of hand building techniques by to create your own sculptural vessel. Working on slabs of clay you will be shown how to roll and impress natural objects gathered from around the Park to create pattern and texture. You will then shape and form your clay slabs into sculptural vessels before adding coloured decorating slips to add colour. Sally will take the vessels back to her studio to dry and bisque fire, dip into a transparent glaze and refire, finally returning your ceramic sculptures back to YSP for collection at your convenience.
3. Recharge your sense of vitality so that you can leave with new ideas, intentions and a sense of purpose to create a bigger life that will help you feel more content. We will think about what a fulfilling life looks like for you. We will talk about the science of decision-making and focus on the things many of us struggle with like saying yes to requests that we'd like to say no to, getting overwhelmed with an endless to do list, and feeling stuck in jobs, situations or relationships that no longer serve us. We will use imagery techniques to help you identify and overcome any internal barriers to your proposed changes. You will leave with a personalised map and, we hope, a new sense of vitality to help you reach your goals for 2024.
Our retreat is held in one of the most special places in the UK, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) which won the Yorkshire Tourist Attraction of 2023. The YSP is located off the M1, near Sheffield, Wakefield, Leeds and Huddersfield. It is a renowned international centre for contemporary sculpture. You will find a range of modern sculptures by artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth set within a beautiful 500 acre country park with wonderful views. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a registered charity and we are pleased to support it by locating our retreat here.
The aim of our retreat is to soothe your nervous system. We have combined relaxing sensory and creative activities together with psychological ideas and evidence-based strategies to help you relax, cope better with stress and find more balance in your life. Our retreat is designed to be an holistic and sensory experience for your body and mind. We also want the day to be fun and there will be opportunities to connect with each other and share experiences during the day. Having positive interactions with others is another way that we can soothe our nervous systems. It creates a sense of belonging.
Our retreat will give you an opportunity to take some time out of your busy schedule to focus on you and, in particular, the parts of you that often get forgotten when work and caring responsibilities take over.
The retreat will be held in The Bothy, which has the view shown in the photograph above, although the sculptures will be different due to a change of exhibition. The Bothy has both indoor and outdoor space. During the day there will be time to explore the park, both during the mindful walk and independently during the lunch break.
Meet the Facilitators
Dr Rachel Lee
Rachel is an independent consultant clinical psychologist, with a rich background in guiding individuals and teams through periods of change. Her experience spans both public and private sectors, including healthcare settings, academic institutions, charities, tech and small businesses. Rachel has worked in a number of leadership roles during her career, including as an Associate Non-executive Director in the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. She brings her psychological expertise and knowledge into her work, whether working with individual clients, leading teams, offering training or consulting on healthcare programmes. Rachel has a friendly, open, authentic and compassionate approach. Rachel is excited to deliver this retreat with Amy Mortimer, who brings a wealth of experience in facilitating events for a variety of audiences, including senior leaders and CEOs, and, importantly, has an abundance of energy and enthusiasm, which will make sure the day is fun and enjoyable for everyone.
Amy Mortimer
Amy Mortimer is an experienced leader, facilitator and chair who is motivated by sharing best practice and driving positive impact. Amy has delivered numerous training events for leaders. She currently works as the head of strategic partnerships for an online learning company and, as a mum and step-mum too, understands the importance of achieving balance between competing priorities in our modern lives. Amy is delighted to collaborate with Rachel on this retreat which will provide, not only a day of restoration, but crucially key strategies to take away and help you manage everything better.