Retreats
Time set apart to attend to how one lives and relates
The November Institute hosts a small number of in-person retreats each year. These gatherings are not workshops or therapy intensives. They are structured spaces for reflection, conversation, and presence—designed for those who want to step out of habitual pace and spend time with how they live, relate, and choose.
Couple's Retreat:
Becoming Ourselves Togehter
A retreat for couples practicing individual growth in the context of shared life
Becoming Ourselves Together invites couples to step outside daily logistics and reactivity in order to observe how each person participates in the relationship. The emphasis is not on solving specific conflicts, but on strengthening the capacity of each partner to remain themselves while staying connected.
This three-day retreat does not function as couples therapy. It does not provide clinical intervention for high-conflict or crisis situations. It is a structured, non-therapeutic environment for clarity and steadier participation.
Orientation
Attention to how each person remains themselves while living in relation to another.
What We Will Work With
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Identifying repetitive interaction patterns
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Recognizing escalation, withdrawal, and pursuit cycles
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Practicing clear self-definition without attack or defense
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Learning to stay present with difference
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Reducing pressure to fix, persuade, or resolve prematurely
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Distinguishing intensity from clarity
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Observing how family-of-origin patterns show up in the present
Structure
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Guided full-group sessions
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Structured couple reflection periods
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Facilitated exercises for thoughtful dialogue
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Quiet time away from screens and routine
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Planned Activities (participation is optional)
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Shared meals and informal time
Who This Retreat is For
Couples who:
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Want to strengthen their ability to remain distinct yet connected
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Feel stuck in recurring patterns and want a new way to observe them
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Desire space away from daily stressors
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Are not currently in crisis requiring intensive therapy
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Are open to reflection without blame or performance
Setting
Locations are chosen for quiet, simplicity, and natural surroundings. Specific details are provided upon acceptance.
Men's Retreat:
Standing One's Ground
A retreat for men practicing presence, restraint, and clarity
Standing One’s Ground is a three-day retreat for men who want to examine how they hold themselves—in work, family, relationships, and solitude—without instruction or performance. The retreat emphasizes conversation, shared attention, and time away from constant demand.
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This gathering is not about fixing or confessing. It is an opportunity to notice how one stands in the presence of others, in silence, in disagreement, and in one’s own thoughts.
Orientation
Sustained attention to how one stands, speaks, and participates.
What We Will Work With
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Noticing patterns of intensity, silence, posturing, or avoidance
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Exploring how anxiety shows up in male relationships
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Practicing direct speech without escalation or retreat
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Remaining present without needing to dominate or disappear
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Identifying inherited relational scripts from family and culture
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Strengthening clarity without isolation
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Sitting in shared silence without performance
Structure
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Guided large-group dialogue
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Structured small-group conversation
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Periods of quiet reflection
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Unstructured time for walking, reading, or rest
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Planned Activities (participation is optional)
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Simple, shared meals
Who This Retreat is For
Men who:
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Want to strengthen their presence in relationships
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Feel caught between withdrawal and over-intensity
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Desire deeper connection with important people in their life
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Are willing to observe themselves honestly
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Are not in acute crisis requiring therapeutic care
Setting
Locations are chosen for quiet, simplicity, and natural surroundings. Specific details are provided upon acceptance.