Befriending Your Inner Critic
240 Davis Rd, Gabriola, BC V0R 1X1, Canada
August 26 - 29, 2027
About this Retreat
Louise Amuir (she/they), Diplomas in Haven Counselling and Group Leadership is interested in creativity and expressive arts as a means to connect with self and others. Louise is committed to diversity, inclusion, equity, reconciliation, and building collaborative processes.
Louise’s varied life experiences in theatre, writing, art, dance, music, working with street youth, youth in receiving and treatment homes, parenting, relationships, and meditation bring humour, mindfulness, curiosity, and play to her work with people.
As Haven faculty, Louise leads/co-leads: Befriending your Inner Critic, Living the Questions, Inner Wisdom for Women, Awareness through Creative Expression, Journey to Self, and Haven New Year visioning programs. She also co-leads or assists numerous core programs including Come Alive and Living Alive Intensives, and has been on many teams working in China and in Northern First Nation communities.
Louise has extensive Satir training, delights in surfacing the Shadow, and always leads with heart. Louise has been associated with The Haven since 1989.
Details of this retreat
This program is for you if you have self-limiting beliefs that you’re not enough, or that you’re way too much or if your inner dialogue is getting in the way of how you’d like to be living. If you have ever stopped yourself from doing or having what you truly want because of negative self-talk, we’ll look at some effective ways of transforming your negative self-talk into strong self-allyship.
Through a synthesis of creative process work, somatic experiencing and a generous dollop of Satir work, Louise will guide you in making a friendship overture to your Inner Critic. In the company of supportive co-explorers, open your curiosity to learn what you might be up to and how to establish a good working relationship with yourself moving forward.
Befriending Your Inner Critic uses music, visual arts, movement, guided meditation, laughter and story to help you build (and rebuild) a relationship with your inner critic. Think of it like mediation between you and your critic, or facilitating a creative meeting of the minds.
In this program you will...
Dialogue with your hidden critic
Get to know yourself and your strengths
Re-evaluate and re-establish your relationship with your critic
Transform your inner critic into an ally
Befriending Your Inner Critic is for people who want to:
Accept themselves
Trust themselves
Stop the negative self-talk
Build confidence in themselves
Practice present moment awareness
Be intentional about the language they use in inner dialogue
Let go of habitual responses to triggers
Accomplish their desires
This program is for everyone, whether you identify as male, female, or non-binary.
Bonus pre-work: For two weeks leading up to the retreat, carry a small notebook and pen with you. Capture the "stops" in your day. Write down each time you hear negative self-talk and notice if you stop yourself from doing something. This is an exercise in building awareness, not judgment, so just notice the stops, that's all.
Note: The program begins at 7:00 pm on the first evening. Otherwise there are no evening sessions. The daytime session times are 9 am to 11:45, 1 to 3:30 pm and 4 to 5:45 pm.
Investment:
Our Earlybird tuition price of $750 is available to those registered and paid in full one month prior to the program start. Full tuition is $810. Tuition must be paid in full one month prior regardless of price.
We are offering private and shared room options.
You can find our cancellation policy here
Schedule:
Your program begins with dinner at 5:45pm and your first session at 7:00pm.
Daily schedule:
Breakfast 8:00am - 8:45am
Morning session 9:00am - 11:45am
Lunch 11:45am - 12:30pm
Afternoon session 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Break 3:30pm - 4:00pm
Afternoon session 4:00pm - 5:45pm
Dinner 5:45pm - 6:30pm
Evening's off to enjoy free time, bodywork, hot tub and sunsets!
Your program finishes with lunch on the last day.
Accommodation
Thunderbird dormitory is our most economical option. Each dorm pod accommodates up to 6 people, and each pod has its own washroom. Bunks are single over single, with extra-long mattresses. Dorm pods are separated by gender. The Thunderbird dormitory is only available for participants registered in a program at The Haven. From July to mid-August, the dorms are reserved for our Youth Programs.
Basic rooms are simply furnished, comfortable and economical. They have two singles or one double bed, ensuite, no TV. Basic rooms are designed to be shared by two or three people, with beds in the same room and a shared bathroom. A Basic room may also be booked as a private room.
Forest View rooms are nestled in attractive forested areas of The Haven property. Larger than our Basic rooms, Forest View rooms are designed to be shared by two or three people, with beds in the same room, a TV and private bathroom. A Forest View room may also be booked as a private room.
Ocean View rooms offer spacious, well-equipped and comfortable accommodation looking out over the beach and waters of Taylor Bay. There is a TV in each room, a full kitchen or kitchenette, and private bathroom. Most Ocean view rooms have a deck. Although Ocean View rooms are usually booked as private accommodations, you may be able to share an Ocean View room if you and another program participant both request to be each other's roommate.
Many people find that having a roommate enhances The Haven experience. For some, it's the start of a long friendship.
If you choose Basic or Forest View shared accommodations and wish to stay with a particular person, please provide that person's name when you complete your on-line registration. Please ask your preferred roommate to do the same. Ocean View rooms may only be shared if both guests request each other by name as roommates when booking.
If you choose the Dormitory, or if you choose Basic or Forest View shared accommodations and would like us to find a roommate for you, we assign rooms as men only, women only, or gender neutral.
We make every effort to meet the needs of all our guests, but cannot guarantee specific rooms.
Dorm Bed (lower bunk)
Our dormitory is our most economical option. Each dorm pod accommodates up to 4 people, and each pod has its own washroom. Bunks are adult built, single over single, with extra-long mattresses. Dorm pods are separated by gender. From July to mid-August, the dorms are reserved for our Youth Programs. We have property wide complimentary WiFi, and the signal varies from room to room.
Dorm Bed (upper bunk)
Our dormitory is our most economical option. Each dorm pod accommodates up to 4 people, and each pod has its own washroom. Bunks are adult built, single over single, with extra-long mattresses. Dorm pods are separated by gender. From July to mid-August, the dorms are reserved for our Youth Programs. We have property wide complimentary WiFi, and the signal varies from room to room.
Shared Room
With this option you will be sharing a room with one other participant. These cozy rooms have either 2 single beds or one double or one single. We have property wide complimentary WiFi, and the signal varies from room to room.
Private Single
Our least expensive private room option. These are cozy rooms, with one single bed, a small desk, small fridge, coffee pot, and kettle. Please be aware, these rooms are up a flight of stairs, so if stairs are an issue this option will not be right for you. All of our private rooms come with their own private bathroom.
Private Double
Our private double rooms are bright and cozy, with one double bed, small desk, small fridge, coffee pot, and kettle. These are our only room options with slight view of the ocean. Please be aware, these rooms are up a flight of stairs, so if stairs are an issue this option will not be right for you. All of our private rooms come with their own private bathroom.
Private Queen
These rooms contain our largest beds and look out to lush forest views. Most of these rooms have a fridge, but not all, so please let us know if this is of importance to you. Each room does have its own coffee pot and kettle. If stairs are an issue for you, please let us know, as some of these rooms are up a flight of stairs. All of our private rooms come with their own private bathroom.
Staying off-premise - Participant
This lodging type is used by guests staying off-premises, not staying at The Haven.
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