Couples Retreat
Explore your relationship and your role in it
We would like to invite YOU to join our retreat. Maybe you are in a happy relationship, and you want to explore yourselves and be inspired by new approaches. Maybe you feel stuck and you are looking for some new inspiration. Maybe you want to explore your relationship dynamics more deeply in a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere, within a group of like-minded people.
The retreat is hosted by the FireJuice, a beautiful and cozy Bed & Breakfast located in Amsterdam North. We will provide you with a unique and safe place where we combine the best of science, psychology and personal experiences. There you can explore your relationship and your personal role within it. You will get a chance to gain new perspectives from a combination of different healing tools including therapy, mindfulness, the mind-body connection, movement and breathing exercises, psycho-drama and the power of psychedelic truffles.
We look forward to guiding you. We will take care of you, and make sure you are well-equipped in order for you to feel safe in your explorations. We will help you understand your patterns, the beliefs you have about being in a relationship and the role that your childhood and culture play in these beliefs.
You will be joined in the retreat by another couple, working together in workshops led with an attitude of compassion, curiosity, acceptance and openness. Our objective is to help you feel inspired, connected and taken care of. Different points of view will be welcomed as an inspiration to view the world from a new perspective and will not be met with rejection or judgment.
Sensory activities including food preparation and mindful outdoor activities will help you reconnect to the body, which is key to expanding the window of pleasure in daily life and in our relationship.
And last but not least, you will take part in the psychedelic truffle session. It is designed for you to explore your own truths, knowing that you are in experienced hands and that we will provide you a safe space of kind and loving presence.
Our mission is to serve you with our professional psychological and therapeutic skills, with our experience of working with magic truffles, in an atmosphere of respect and openness of the mind and heart. Our team consist of people who have made a long journey to become who they are and who value growth and self-discovery in a non-judgmental, respectful and compassionate way. We inspire each other in our constant learning process and welcome vulnerability with open arms.
Practical info
The retreat is offered in English.
It is designed for two couples and the programme covers 3 full days. Therefore, the participants need to arrive at the FireJuice for check-in one day before the start of the programme.
The retreat package includes 3 nights at the FireJuice, breakfasts (except on the day the truffle session because fasting will help your experience) and refreshments throughout the day. We will also share healthy snacks and dinner together.
All food is vegan and organic.
Program
Day 1
08.00 – 09.00 Mindful breakfast
09.00 – 12.00 Sharing, group workshops and lectures
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
13.00 – 16.00 Couples’ sessions, journaling and mindful exercises
16.00 – 17.00 Breathwork
17.00 – 19.00 Dinner and rest
19.00 – 20.00 Meditation workshop
Day 2
10.00 – 17.00 Guided meditation and truffle session
17.00 – 18.00 Group sharing
18.00 – 19.00 Light dinner
19.00 – Quiet evening, gentle creative activities.
Day 3
09.00 – 10.00 Breakfast
10.00 – 13.00 Group sharing and couples’ integration sessions
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 17.00 Outdoor mindful workshops and sensory connection
17.00 – 19.00 Dinner and closing circle.
Next available dates in 2019:
March 15-16-17 - arrival on 14th
May 3-4-5 - arrival on 2nd
June 14-15-16 - arrival on 13th
If you have any questions, please head to the FAQ section to find answers and for more detailed information
The team
We have combined forces with the Ben and Sonia of FireJuice who will host this retreat:
Ben and Sonia started the FireJuice B&B in order to offer travellers a lovely place where they can be themselves, be amazed and forget the serious roles they sometimes feel they need to play in their daily lives. For almost five years, they have been fostering a unique atmosphere of creativity and freedom.
Sonia - FireJuice host, cook and facilitator
Sonia's many interests cannot fit in neat boxes. Here is a random list of things she enjoys doing: sharing stories with strangers until they're not strangers anymore, walking in nature, preparing food to be shared, paying attention to details and learning. She values connection to the earth, whether it is through growing plants, being in the forest or doing environmental work. Sonia is able to remind busy people about the present moment and likes to direct one's attention to self-care and (body) needs. For these reasons, people often see her as a grounded, nurturing person.
Ben – FireJuice host, cook and facilitator
Ben has a well-developed insight into people’s behavioural patterns. This skill is one that is both intuitive and intellectual. After an amazing life experience of learning about somatic therapeutic healing, he is now training to become an integrated psychotherapist. He has a deep interest for the what society believes to be unusual, weird or uncomfortable, and is not afraid to acknowledge what is hidden beneath the surface and approach this from a gentle, compassionate and understanding angle. Ben is a calm and balanced presence that invites people to open up, and he delights in the type of contact and communication that really reaches down into genuine openness and deeper authenticity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this retreat for us?
If you are in a relationship you care about and you feel that you would enjoy a psychedelic experience, this retreat is for you. Whatever your goal is, we will help you explore your connection from a new perspective. To do so, we use an array of tools including mindfulness, body work, meditation and sensory awareness. Please get in touch to discuss your intentions, objectives and situation, and to get to know us. This will help you decide if you are ready for the retreat.
Is it possible to attend with friends of ours, also a couple?
It is possible to come as a group of 4 people, as long as everyone comes with a romantic partner. As a matter of fact, we encourage you to sign up as 2 couples, if friends of yours are also interested in participating.
Do we you need previous experience with magic truffles?
No previous experience with magic truffles (or with any of the techniques we use, such as breathwork or meditation) is needed.
I am taking medication, is it compatible with magic truffles?
Magic truffles must be used with caution. They are compatible with certain medications, but not all. This is why we will send you an intake form to make sure that you can take them safely, and to help you assess the dose.
Do you provide the magic truffles?
No, we do not provide the magic truffles. You will need to purchase them yourselves before the experience, from a smartshop based in the Netherlands. However, we will provide you all the information you need to do so before the retreat.
Are you experienced in working with people in non-monogamous relationships?
From experience, we understand the specificities and challenges that come with different types of relationships. However, we do not work with couples in order to provide them with solutions based on one relationship model or another. Instead, we foster an attitude of openness, curiosity, courage, acceptance and compassion. This way, people can take an honest look at their choices and their consequences, limitations and areas of growth.
Are the working methods in this retreat only focused on heterosexual relationships?
Absolutely not. Everyone is welcome to join the retreat, regardless of their gender and sexual preference. Our working methods will help you to connect with yourself and your partner in order to go on an exploratory journey, without using labels or reading one's feeling according to gender expectations.
Can we extend our stay in Amsterdam before or after the retreat?
Of course, depending on availability it is possible to stay a couple of extra days before or after the retreat at the FireJuice ( We'll even give you a discount ! ), in order to enjoy Amsterdam and the surroundings. Please mention that you would like a longer stay when you contact us.
So... What level of intimacy should I expect?
You will be coming to us as a couple so of course we will not expect you to be cold and distant to each other. But this is not a tantric retreat; there will not be any physically intimate workshops or exercises. And out of respect for the other participants and to us, we will ask you to limit the level of intimacy to what may be expected in any public place (of course you are free to set your own levels of intimacy in the privacy of your room).
Price
The price for the three day retreat is 2.000 euros per couple.
This price includes a private bedroom for the 3 nights, organic and vegan food, snacks and drinks.
Unfortunately this price does not include the truffles - for legal reasons we have to ask you to buy them for yourselves.