It often starts with a desire to help your dog. But at some point, you realise there is more to it than that. It’s not about behaviour, not about training, but about what lies beneath it all. 

The invisible theme: domestication

We live in a world that teaches us from an early age to be quiet, to function, to conform and to hold back our feelings. Our dogs, too, are forced to live this way.

And so we often find two nervous systems that have learnt to adapt rather than truly feel. Many of the challenges we face in everyday life are not ‘problem behaviour’. They are an expression of something deeper: a nervous system that has never fully found peace.

Our four basic needs
 

At our core, we – like our animals – carry four fundamental needs within us:

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Attachment
Autonomy
Self-worth and
the avoidance of fear, grief or powerlessness

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When one of these needs is violated or permanently suppressed, our system begins to react, initially very subtly, and later more intensely. We react with sleep disturbances, palpitations, and malaise. Before this happens, our dog often displays precisely what we ourselves can no longer feel. 

The way back: self-reflection through the body

This retreat is an invitation to reconnect with yourself. To recognise how disconnected you are from your body and how much stress is at work that is not doing us any good.

Together, we work on connecting with ourselves, with our feelings, and with our animals – because feeling also means empathising. Our dogs are our teachers here and are involved in the work. 

Many people have learnt to regulate their feelings in the wrong way, by suppressing them. But what we do not feel remains in the body. And that is exactly where it continues to have an effect.

 

This retreat is not about ‘resolving’ anything, but about reconnecting, valuing our sensitivities, cultivating lightness, and recognising for the first time the obstacles of old domestication – that is, old conditioning. In cooperation with your dog.

 

The Great Doing Nothing

The potential for change lies in presence and in doing nothing. Change happens when our nervous system is not in ‘alert’ mode, but remains in a state of safety. During the retreat, we will repeatedly seek out these moments to become aware of change.
 

The Retreat

 

In the 1:1 retreat, we work together intensively for two days.

Using:
Trust Technique® Mindfulness for People with Animals
Somatic self-awareness and
quiet, shared presence

A space is created in which things are allowed to fall into place – without pressure, without expectations.

Set in beautiful natural surroundings, the retreat allows time for walks and shared meals.

Who this retreat is for

For people who sense that it’s not just about the dog, that their own state of mind plays a part, that they want to reconnect with themselves, and who are curious to delve into the extraordinary realm of communication between species. And who are ready to embark on a deeper journey.

It is also possible to book this retreat without bringing your own dog. My dog is always with me at the retreats.

Invitation

This retreat is not a quick fix; it is an experience, a journey away from self-optimisation towards acceptance of one’s own being. 

👉 Apply for a personal introductory meeting.