Therapeutic Grief Retreat
A guided, small-group experience for adults navigating grief, loss, and major life transitions.
If you’re navigating the death of a close loved one and you’re ready to
begin living again
— without “moving on” —
then join us for a retreat where you’ll leave
with renewed energy, deeper connection, and a clear path forward.
Step Into a Different Kind of Space
House in the Woods in rural Maine, there is a quiet the moment you walk through the door — not silence, but steadiness. The kind that settles your nervous system before your mind can argue with it. Sunlight filters through tall windows. Wood beams frame the space. The scent of pine and something warm from the kitchen lingers in the air. You realize your shoulders have already begun to drop.
This place has held stories before yours. Veterans. Families. People who arrived carrying things they thought were unbearable. The walls feel less like walls and more like witnesses. There is no rush here. No fluorescent lights. No pressure to explain yourself. Just space — intentional, protected, sacred space — where healing has happened again and again.
Later, in small groups, the words you’ve been carrying find air. Trauma-informed yoga helps your body soften. Reiki. Sound healing vibrations moving gently through your chest. Massage that reminds your muscles they don’t have to brace anymore. The outdoors waits just beyond the door — serene, wide, patient.
And by evening, as the sky stretches over the Maine woods, you understand something: this isn’t about escaping grief. It’s about stepping into a sacred space where grief can breathe — and so can you.
You set your bag down and take a breath that feels fuller than the ones you’ve been taking at home. Outside, the trees stand tall and unmoving. Inside, licensed counselors greet you with grounded presence. Not clinical. Not distant. Steady. Human. You are not being fixed. You are being held in something structured, safe, and deeply respectful of your grief.
Meals are shared at long tables with delicious, nourishing cuisine prepared with care. The clink of silverware. Soft laughter breaking through heaviness. Someone across from you says something that lands exactly where it needs to. You taste real food. You feel hunger again — not just for nourishment, but for connection.
You’ve been carrying this quietly
For the one who looks functional on the outside but feels exhausted underneath. For the one who misses their spouse, child, parent, or friend in the smallest, sharpest moments of the day. For the one who is tired of well-meaning advice and just wants to sit in a space where no one rushes the grief — but no one lets you drown in it either.
At House in the Woods in rural Maine, healing isn’t abstract. It’s grounded. It’s shared meals made with care. It’s small therapeutic groups led by licensed counselors who understand trauma and loss. It’s trauma-informed yoga, reiki, sound healing, massage — experiences that help your body feel safe enough to soften again. It’s stepping outside into the Maine woods and remembering that steadiness still exists in the world.
You want connection again — even if part of you isn’t sure how. You want to feel capable again — even if your confidence feels shaken. You want hope that life can feel meaningful without betraying the love you still carry. And maybe, more than anything, you want to loosen the grip of the thought, “I don’t deserve to be happy.”
I built this retreat for you
You will leave with practical tools.
You will leave feeling less alone.
You will leave steadier, clearer, and more hopeful than when you arrived.
And you will not be doing it alone anymore
You don’t need to “move on.”
You don’t need to be fixed.
You just need space
— sacred, structured, supported space —
to reconnect with yourself and others who understand this kind of loss.
Reserve your place at the retreat and give yourself the space to breathe,
connect, and begin living again
The Lodge
Set on a peaceful stretch of forest in rural Maine, House in the Woods is a 14,000-square-foot modern retreat facility designed for restoration and community. The building is fully handicap accessible, with wide hallways, accessible lodging and bathrooms, and gathering spaces that allow everyone to move comfortably and participate fully.
Inside, you’ll find a spacious commercial kitchen where nourishing, healthy meals are prepared fresh each day. The dining area invites connection — long tables, warm lighting, and the steady rhythm of shared conversation. The facility blends lodge-style character with modern comfort: open common areas, cozy bedrooms, and thoughtful touches throughout.
The decor reflects the organization’s veteran roots. There is plentiful taxidermy displayed in some areas, honoring Maine’s outdoor heritage and the hunting traditions many veterans value. For guests who may be sensitive to mounted wildlife, this is simply part of the aesthetic and can be respectfully navigated — the overall environment remains warm, welcoming, and focused on healing. Softening the space are handmade quilts covering walls and beds, each one crafted by women in honor of veterans and fallen soldiers. The result is a setting that feels both strong and tender at the same time.
Step outside and you’re surrounded by wooded beauty — tall trees, fresh air, and quiet trails. Electric bikes offer an easy way to explore the property. Indoor archery provides a grounding, focused activity that many guests find surprisingly therapeutic. Whether you’re walking beneath the trees, sharing a meal, or sitting quietly with a cup of coffee in hand, the environment supports reflection without isolation.
This is not a sterile conference center
It’s a thoughtfully built, purpose-driven space —
steady, spacious, and designed to hold meaningful work
At the heart of the building is a full commercial kitchen where professional cooks and chefs prepare a varied, thoughtfully crafted menu each day. Every meal is nourishing, beautifully prepared, and genuinely mouth-watering — not “retreat food,” but memorable cuisine. Dietary needs and preferences are carefully considered, with flavorful options designed to suit your palate. Meals become part of the healing rhythm: warm plates, rich aromas, fresh ingredients, and the simple grounding experience of being well-fed.
Your Day
Your days at House in the Woods are designed to balance gentle structure with freedom, creating space for reflection, connection, and restoration. Each morning begins with a grounding moment — perhaps a walk among the towering pines as the sun filters through the mist, or a trauma-informed yoga session to wake the body with ease. These practices help you arrive fully in your body, releasing tension carried from grief and preparing you for the day ahead.
Afterward, breakfast in the dining hall fuels both body and connection. Nourishing, mouth-watering cuisine is served, with options to suit your dietary needs and palate. Here, conversations are encouraged, but never forced — it’s a space to simply feel seen, understood, and supported.
Throughout each day, the retreat seamlessly weaves together
movement,
connection,
nature,
nourishment,
and therapy.
Every activity, from mindful walking to massage to shared conversation,
supports the promise of the retreat:
to leave steadier,
supported,
and more capable of living fully while honoring the love and loss you carry.
Mid-mornings and afternoons are dedicated to therapeutic engagement. Small, licensed counselor-led groups invite honest sharing, emotional processing, and practical coping tools. Interwoven with these sessions are body-centered healing experiences: reiki to soothe energy, sound healing to calm the nervous system, and massage to release tension that grief often holds in the body. Indoor archery provides focus and grounding, while electric bikes allow exploration of the woods — moments of freedom and joy that remind you how it feels to simply move and breathe.
Evenings bring a softer rhythm. There is time to gather for nourishing meals, to sit by the windows and watch the light shift across the forest, or to connect in informal social moments. The day often closes with quiet reflection or guided relaxation, giving you a chance to integrate the day’s insights and embodied healing.
Title
Just as importantly, this retreat helps restore a sense of confidence and possibility. Grief can make people question their ability to move forward or find joy again. Through reflection, shared experiences, and guided support, many participants begin to rediscover strengths that grief had buried. They often leave with new tools, a clearer sense of direction, and the reassuring understanding that joy and grief can coexist.
By the end of the retreat, many people describe feeling something they have not felt in a long time—a sense of momentum. Instead of feeling stuck in survival mode, they feel like they are standing on a springboard, grounded in their grief but ready to step back into life with renewed energy, connection, and hope for what comes next.
Grief rarely exists in isolation. It often shows up as exhaustion, anxiety, numbness, irritability, loneliness, and a loss of direction. Many people feel as if life has been paused, while the rest of the world keeps moving. This retreat is designed to gently interrupt that cycle by giving you the time, space, and support needed to process what you have been carrying and begin reconnecting with yourself again.
Through therapeutic groups, healing practices like yoga, sound healing, Reiki, and massage, and meaningful connection with others who understand loss, participants often begin to feel emotional relief. Being in a supportive environment allows emotions to move instead of remaining stuck. As the nervous system begins to settle, many people notice they can breathe more deeply, sleep more easily, and experience moments of calm and connection that may have felt out of reach.
Healing doesn’t begin the moment you arrive—and it doesn’t end when the retreat is over. For many participants, the preparation and integration surrounding the retreat experience are just as meaningful as the days spent together. That’s why additional opportunities for connection and support are available to help you get the most from your retreat experience.
Before the retreat begins, participants will have access to optional pre-trip connection calls with Luke. These calls offer a chance to ask questions, meet others attending the retreat, and begin building a sense of comfort and community before you arrive. Many people find that simply knowing a few familiar faces ahead of time helps them feel more relaxed and open when the retreat begins.
During the retreat, social connection will be gently facilitated, helping participants engage with others in natural and supportive ways. Grief can make social interaction feel difficult, but within this environment, connection tends to happen organically—often leading to meaningful friendships and shared understanding that extend well beyond the retreat itself.
For those who would like additional support afterward, small group and individual follow-up sessions with Luke are available for an additional fee. These sessions allow participants to continue processing insights from the retreat, integrate what they’ve learned into everyday life, and maintain momentum in their healing journey.
Reserve your place and take the first step toward reconnecting with life again
Reserve your place and take the first step toward reconnecting with life again
LOCATION
This retreat takes place in Lee, Maine, a quiet rural town of about 1,000 residents that nearly doubles in population during the summer months as visitors arrive to enjoy the region’s lakes, forests, and natural beauty. Life moves a little slower here, making it an ideal place to step away from daily stress and give yourself the space needed for reflection and healing.
Just down the road, you’ll find serene views of Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest mountain and one of the most iconic landscapes in the Northeast. The surrounding area is filled with peaceful lakes, wooded trails, and open skies—an environment that naturally invites calm, perspective, and reconnection with nature.
The retreat facility itself sits on 10 acres of land, connected to more than 50 additional acres of generational family property. This land was generously donated as a labor of love to support the mission of helping others heal from loss. The setting offers quiet walking areas, natural gathering spaces, and a sense of privacy that allows participants to fully step into the retreat experience.
Lee also has a charming small-town center, complete with a historic grange hall, a local take-out bakery, and roadside artisan stands where local crafts and seasonal goods are often sold. It’s simple, welcoming, and authentic—reminding visitors of the beauty found in community and slower living.
For travel convenience, the retreat is located about one hour from the Bangor airport, making it accessible while still offering the peaceful feeling of being away from the noise and demands of everyday life.
Join us in this peaceful setting and give yourself the space to heal, reconnect, and rediscover life beyond grief.
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House in the Woods Lodge
217 Skunk Hill Road
Lee, Maine 04455
What’s Included
A Comfortable lodging for the duration of the retreat
Daily meals prepared to nourish and support your well-being
All scheduled retreat activities and therapeutic groups
Yoga, sound healing, Reiki, and other wellness experiences
Access to the retreat property and surrounding outdoor areas
Guided social connection and community experiences
Use of retreat amenities and shared spaces
Support and facilitation from Luke throughout the retreat
What’s Not Included
Transportation to and from the retreat location
Flights or travel expenses to Bangor, Maine
Transportation from the airport to the retreat location (unless otherwise arranged)
Optional pre-retreat or post-retreat sessions
Additional small group or individual follow-up sessions with Luke outside the retreat
Any optional services added by personal request through a separate agreement
Reserve your place and give yourself the opportunity to step away, reconnect, and begin moving forward again.
MEET YOUR HOST
LUKE HOUSE,
LCPC
Luke House grew up in the small town of Lee, Maine, surrounded by forests, lakes, and the quiet strength of rural life. Much of his childhood was spent outdoors hunting, fishing, and learning to appreciate the healing power of nature. That connection to the land and the simplicity of the outdoors remains an important part of how he approaches healing today.
In 2007, Luke’s life changed when his brother was killed while serving in Iraq. Navigating that loss shaped the path he would eventually take. Through his own experience with grief, Luke developed a deep understanding of how loss can impact every part of a person’s life—and how healing often requires both support and space to process what has happened.
That experience ultimately led him to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Today, Luke runs a private counseling practice where he works with individuals facing grief, trauma, anxiety, and major life transitions. His approach blends professional training with lived experience, helping people feel understood rather than analyzed.
Outside of his clinical work, Luke continues to stay connected to the things that ground him. He is a Maine Guide, enjoys spending time in the woods and on the water, and practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which he values for the discipline, resilience, and mental focus it builds.
This retreat brings together the pieces that have shaped Luke’s life—his personal experience with grief, his work as a counselor, and his deep connection to the Maine wilderness. His goal is simple: to create a safe and supportive space where people navigating loss can reconnect with themselves, with others, and with the possibility of life moving forward again.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This retreat is designed for individuals who are navigating grief, loss, or a major life transition and are looking for a supportive space to process their experience. You do not need to be at a specific stage of grief to attend. Some participants arrive feeling overwhelmed and stuck, while others are further along but want a deeper opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and move forward.
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The retreat follows a balanced flow of therapeutic groups, healing practices, outdoor time, and opportunities for social connection. Activities may include group discussions, yoga, sound healing, Reiki, time in nature, and shared meals. The schedule is intentionally structured but not rigid, allowing space for rest, reflection, and personal time.
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Your retreat investment includes lodging, daily meals, access to the retreat property and outdoor spaces, and all scheduled retreat activities and services. Additional optional services or follow-up sessions may be available for an additional cost.
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deposit is required to reserve your space in the retreat. The deposit is non-refundable within one month of the retreat start date. If you need to cancel prior to that time, please contact us to discuss available options.
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Rooms at the retreat are double occupancy. If you are attending alone, we will match you with another participant who is also looking for a roommate. Many participants arrive not knowing anyone and leave with meaningful new friendships.
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This retreat is designed as a focused healing experience for participants navigating grief. Because of the therapeutic nature of the retreat and the shared accommodations, partners and children are generally not included unless specifically arranged in advance.
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IteThe closest airport is Bangor International Airport, located about one hour from the retreat location in Lee, Maine. Participants typically arrange rental cars or transportation from the airport to the retreat site.m description