Becoming You: Young Women’s Retreat in France
For women in their twenties and thirties seeking space, perspective, and clarity as life begins to take shape.
Château de Puissentut, France · September 30 – October 6, 2026
Your twenties and thirties can feel expansive and alive and, at the same time, quietly unsettling.
There may be ambition, momentum, and opportunity, alongside uncertainty you don’t always know how to name. Decisions arrive quickly. Expectations multiply. Life moves forward even when parts of you are still catching up.
You may be doing well on the outside while feeling internally unanchored. Or sensing that something in you is shifting, even if you can’t yet say what it is or where it’s leading.
This personal growth retreat offers time and space to slow down inside yourself. To step out of urgency. To listen to your own wise voice.
Held at the Château de Puissentut in the French countryside, this retreat invites you into a week of reflection, connection, and renewal. It is a space to explore self-worth and self-trust, who you are beneath expectations, and to reconnect with your own sense of direction, confidence, and inner authority.
Athara Retreats by Seoka Salstrom, PhD, offers an opportunity to do just that. A retreat for young women who want to feel more grounded in themselves and more trusting of their next steps.
A mindfulness retreat for women finding their way through the questions and transitions of early adulthood
Early adulthood is often described as a time of freedom and possibility. And yet, it can also be a time of comparison, self-doubt, and quiet pressure to “figure it out.”
You may be navigating questions about career, purpose, relationships, or identity. You might feel caught between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming, unsure how to bridge the space between the two.
This retreat creates room to explore those questions gently and honestly. Away from familiar routines and expectations, you’ll have time to reflect, feel, and reconnect with yourself in a way that daily life rarely allows.
With a balance of guided reflection and movement,meaningful conversation, time in nature, and unstructured space, this is a retreat for women who want to deepen self-understanding and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
This holistic retreat is designed to support you as you pause, reflect, and navigate change with greater clarity
Through grounded psychological insight, experiential learning, and practical skills from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), you will learn to understand your mind more clearly, relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings, and develop a steadier internal foundation.
This is not therapy, and it is not a wellness escape. It is a warm, emotionally intelligent space where you can slow down, reconnect with yourself, and explore your next steps with clarity and confidence.
The retreat focuses on emotional awareness, confidence, self-compassion, and reconnecting with what matters as you navigate early adulthood. You will explore the patterns that shape your thoughts and behavior, the nature of perfectionism, how self-doubt and comparison operate, how to set healthy boundaries, and begin to recognize what supports your growth and what may be holding you back.
Guided by Seoka Salstrom, PhD, the experience balances depth with ease. It offers room to explore meaningful questions while feeling supported, understood, and grounded.
Exploring the Emotions and Questions That
Shape Early Adulthood
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Your twenties and thirties often bring questions that are difficult to explore in the middle of daily life. This retreat gives you time and space to notice what you are feeling, understand patterns in your thinking, and make sense of the transitions unfolding within you.
Through guided reflection, experiential exercises, and gentle facilitation, you will begin to see your inner world more clearly. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is forced. The work unfolds at your pace.
You will look at the patterns and beliefs that have shaped you over the years, and begin to understand which ones still serve you and which ones you are ready to release. You will explore the space created when children grow up and leave home, and how this change can reshape identity, purpose and emotional rhythm. -
Together, we explore:
developing emotional awareness
self-compassion
quieting comparison and self-doubt
using your voice and speaking up
reconnecting with your values
setting boundaries without guilt
relating differently to difficult thoughts and emotions
understanding avoidance patterns
widening your emotional range
grounding yourself when life feels unclear
recognizing what supports your growth
These themes are approached with warmth, clarity, and practical guidance.
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The French countryside offers space, stillness, and perspective that are difficult to access in everyday life. The slower rhythm of the land, the open views, and the historic setting naturally soften internal noise and invite reflection.
Walking the grounds of the château, sitting in the gardens, or moving through the surrounding countryside creates room to hear yourself more clearly. The environment becomes a quiet companion throughout the retreat, supporting clarity, grounding, and reconnection.
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This retreat is for women in their twenties and thirties who feel that life is shifting, or who want time to understand themselves more deeply. You may be:
navigating early career choices or transitions
wondering “what do I actually want?”
noticing overthinking, overapologizing, and people pleasing
exploring questions of identity or purpose
entering or leaving a relationship
feeling overwhelmed by expectations
sensing a change without knowing what it means
longing for space to pause and realign
You do not need certainty.
You simply need the willingness to pause and listen. -
you want time to understand yourself more clearly
you feel pulled in different directions
you want clarity around what matters most
you want emotional awareness and confidence
you want tools for working with uncertainty and self-doubt
you value honest, grounded conversation
you are drawn to immersive, spacious experiences
you want to move forward with intention rather than urgency
No prior experience with reflective work is needed. This retreat is warm, accessible, and supportive.
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ACT-based workshops
reflective practices for journaling, clarity, and presence
experiential exercises shaped by the needs of the group
guided meditation and quiet reflection that support nervous system regulation and a nervous system reset
gentle movement such as yoga, nature walks, or easy hikes
cultural and place-based experiences
thoughtful conversation
connection with women who understand what you’re going through
time outdoors for grounding and perspective
a calm environment with no pressure to share more than you wish
The pace is spacious and supportive, designed to help you feel grounded while exploring who you are becoming.
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a clearer sense of what matters to you
deeper trust in your own wisdom
less self-criticism, more self-compassion
more confident decision-making
emotional tools for navigating uncertainty and transition
a more compassionate relationship with your mind
practical skills for working with difficult thoughts and emotions
renewed confidence in your direction
a calmer internal rhythm
meaningful connection with other women
The retreat does not promise dramatic change. It offers something more lasting: clarity, steadiness, and trust in yourself.
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Held at the Château de Puissentut in Homps, France, the retreat takes place in a beautifully restored medieval château surrounded by gardens, rolling hills, and open countryside.
The setting offers both connection and solitude, with space to gather and space to retreat inward.
You will have access to:
peaceful indoor spaces for reflection and rest
gardens and outdoor seating areas
woodland paths and countryside walks
a pool and areas for relaxation
quiet corners to read, journal, or simply be
Accommodation and all meals are included, allowing you to fully settle into the experience without logistical concerns.
Begin your Athara experience
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1. Choose your retreat
Select the retreat that fits where you are now.
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2. Book a conversation
A quick call helps us understand what you are seeking and recommend the best fit.
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3. Join us on your next chapter
Experience meaningful personal growth in extraordinary landscapes.
Bringing Love and Science Together
with Compassion and Humor
Seoka Salstrom, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience supporting adults through periods of uncertainty, transition, and growth. Her work blends evidence-based tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with warmth, humor, and grounded guidance.
In a retreat setting, ACT is not therapy. It is a supportive, collaborative process that helps you understand yourself more clearly, relate differently to your inner world, and move forward with intention and trust in your direction.
Retreat FAQS
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We intentionally create a safe, judgment-free space where vulnerability is welcomed and respected. Group sizes are small to support genuine connection and personal attention. Confidentiality, mutual respect, and care for one another are foundational to our time together.
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The 7-day experience follows a gentle, flexible rhythm rooted in neuroscience:
Deep Rest
Exploration
Integration
Structured sessions are balanced with spaciousness, movement, time outdoors, and rest.
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We offer integrated support, including:
Pre-retreat virtual orientation
Optional follow-up group and individual video calls
Optional post-retreat WhatsApp group focused on support and integration
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All booking journeys begin with a call with Seoka, either by filling out our contact form or by booking time on her calendar. If it seems that this retreat aligns well with your interests and goals, we’ll officially confirm your participation and send you a payment link.
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Price is between €3,740 and €4,440, althgouh the price will be conveniently displayed in your preferred currency.
For France retreats, accommodation, programmed activities, and all meals are included, along with facilitated workshops, guided practices, movement, and retreat programming. Travel, optional spa treatments, and personal expenses are not included unless otherwise specified.
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Yes, but a small one. Many women come on their own, and for those familiar with solo travel for women, the experience tends to feel both supportive and grounding. Group size is limited to 7–14 women to support connection, safety, and depth.
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Yes. We are committed to ethical and sustainable travel, including supporting local businesses, honoring the land, and practicing thoughtful stewardship of place.
Photo credit: Lodging images courtesy of Château Puissentut