Young Women's Weekend Retreat

TriCity Family Services held the first Young Women's Weekend Retreat at Covenant Harbor Retreat Center in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on May 20th through May 22nd, 2011.  This pilot program, made possible through the generosity of the Hurvis Charitable Foundation, brought 4 adolescent girls together with the goal of developing new competencies through emotional self-awareness.  Our retreat facilitators, Mira Dahlheim and Lana Rasmussen, are delighted to report the following successes:

"This weekend of skill building was designed to increase girls' ability to engage in values-based positive behaviors, even when experiencing difficult thought, emotions and sensations. Throughout the retreat, blocks of time were allotted for meals, free time and five group breakout sessions. Free time was devoted to self-care and promoted time outdoors, taking walks, sitting by the lake and journaling. Breakout sessions were discussion-oriented, providing the girls with a supportive environment where they could give feedback, provide insight and promote emotional care for one another.

"The young women were challenged to sit with and host the feelings they commonly avoid. While this was quite a risk, they supported one another. With personal struggles and challenges in their lives, the girls were unaccustomed to breaking their silence about their struggle. This venue provided a nurturing environment to explore their concerns in a way many had never done before. The girls also developed assurance statements to learn to better nurture themselves, especially in the absence of other support. The retreat was wildly successful at providing the young women a space to attempt greater attunement to their emotions and dialogue about their internal states."

When asked "What did you learn, or what will you take away, from your experience on the retreat?" the girls said:

"I learned how to open up to people. I never really opened up like that."

"I will talk about how I feel and not keep my hurt bottled up inside until it gets to the point where I absolutely lose it."

"I learned how to treat my emotions and nurture the ones I don't like."

"I will tell myself, 'I am important and I deserve to be heard.'"

"I will tell myself "I am okay. I am beautiful and don't need to be ashamed.'"

With the success of this first retreat, we plan to host two more retreats for adolescent girls this year. If you know an adolescent girl who would like to join us on our next Young Women's Retreat, please call us.