orange county, Ca
Widow Grief Retreat
A personalized retreat for only 4 widows, held at a lovely boutique hotel Orange County, CA. Hope and healing for your grieving heart.
For the Woman Who Feels “Stuck”
A 3 ½ day private sanctuary for widows who want to feel better, but have no idea what to do next.
The Emotional Connection:
We Hear You
This weekend is designed as a sanctuary for your heart.
Most women arrive at our retreat describing themselves with one word: Stuck. You want to move forward, but the path feels overgrown with pain. You want to feel ‘light’ again, but you don’t know where to start.
At The Next Chapter Widow Retreat, we don’t offer a generic ‘to-do’ list. We provide a sacred, quiet container where you can finally stop ‘just surviving’ and begin the deep, intentional work of healing.
Our Philosophy:
Remembering Him Well We Hear You
Many widows hesitate to heal because they fear that ‘feeling better’ means ‘forgetting him.’ We believe the opposite.
Our retreat is designed to help you remember him well, but with less pain. We help you untangle the heavy burdens of the past so you can carry his memory forward with peace instead of exhaustion.
The Sanctuary Experience: Privacy & Peace
Grief is intimate, and we believe your healing should be, too. At our retreat, there is no ‘performance’ and no pressure to share your deepest heart with a room full of strangers.
The Pillars of the Weekend:
- Private Processing: All deep work is done 1-on-1 with your expert grief coach, who is also widowed, or in private reflection.
- Sacred Space: We give you the physical and emotional room to give your grief the undivided attention it deserves.
- Rest & Restoration: Time is intentionally built-in for you to breathe, rest, and reset away from the noise of your ‘real world’ life.
- A Sisterhood that ‘Gets It’: You will be surrounded by only five other women—a small circle of widow sisters who understand your language without you having to explain a word.
To ensure you are never alone in your process, we maintain a strict 3:1 ratio. Each of our expert grief coaches works with only three women. This ensures that when a question arises or a wave of emotion hits, your guide is right there to anchor you. And all deep processing work is done one on one with your coach.
The Logistics (The “Boutique” Details)
- The Setting: We gather at a charming boutique hotel, providing a quiet, intimate backdrop for our work. While guests arrange their own lodging, we have secured a discounted block of rooms to keep our circle close.
- Nourishment: We provide a boutique continental breakfast and a full catered lunch daily, so your only focus remains on your own restoration.
- The Aftercare: The retreat doesn’t end when you leave. Each attendee receives a private follow-up session with her coach 1–2 weeks later to help bridge the transition home.
IS THIS YOUR TIME?
- Do you feel ‘stuck’ in your grief, unsure of how to find the path forward?
- Are you longing for a place where you can finally focus on your own healing?
- Do you want to honor your husband by learning to live—and remember—better?
- Are you ready to be part of an intimate, expert-led circle that values your privacy?
EXPERT CARE FROM COACHES WHO WALK THE PATH
Anne-Marie Lockmyer
Anne-Marie Lockmyer is a grief specialist, certified in critical incident stress debriefing, a certified trauma-integrative practitioner, 8-time award-winning author on grief, and founder of The Grief & Trauma Healing Network. As a widow herself, Anne-Marie knows the pain and devastation that grief and loss cause and is living proof that you can go from surviving to thriving.
Anne-Marie offers life-changing grief support for widows with widow retreats and also works with individuals and families worldwide. She leads grief support groups, offers crisis grief support for businesses, grief training for therapists and counselors, and speaks on grief wherever she can. She is passionate about advocating for and loving grievers, especially supporting widows and being an educational catalyst to society on grief and loss.
Ron Gray
Ron Gray is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in grief and trauma, and founder of OC Christian Counseling and Christian Grief and Trauma. Ron’s developed a passion for helping people heal from loss and related trauma following the loss of his wife to a prolonged fight with cancer.
Ron facilitates grief recovery groups, offers life-changing retreats for widows, individuals and families, and trains therapists on grief and loss. Ron is a public speaker focused on grief and loss topics, and helps clients heal from lingering trauma symptoms associated with their deeply personal losses. Ron is also the owner and co-founder of The Haven Spiritual Retreat Center in Orange, California.
Your Investment
This retreat is a one-of-a-kind offering due to its high-touch approach and personal care. We maintain a strict 3:1 coaching ratio and conduct all processing one-on-one privately with your coach. With a total of only 6 available seats, this ensures an exclusive, highly personalized experience.
Retreat Tuition: $2895
What You Receive:
- 3 ½ Days of Expert-Led Training: In-depth curriculum and group sessions utilizing the Circle Model of coaching, limited to only 3 participants.
- Personalized Support: Private 1-on-1 grief processing and a follow-up session with your coach 1–2 weeks after the retreat.
- Included Meals: Continental breakfast, catered lunches for the first three days, and a farewell buffet breakfast on the final day.
Included in Your Investment
- All materials and workbook
- 4 breakfasts
- 3 group lunches
- 3 private, 1-on-1 processing sessions with your grief coach
- 7 small support circle meetings (with your coach and 2 other women)
- 9 full group gatherings (with all 6 ladies and both coaches)
- Proven grief processing exercises
- Rediscovering Me Life Planning Session
NOT INCLUDED: Lodging, dinners, or travel insurance.
Take the Next Step
These 6 seats fill incredibly quickly (our last retreats sold out in just two days!). We would love to talk with you to explore if this sanctuary is precisely what your heart needs right now.
The Next Chapter Retreat: An Intimate Circle Model
We gather at The Ayers Hotel, Costa Mesa/Newport Beach], a charming boutique hotel close to the airport (SNA). Lodging is booked separately. However, we have secured a block of rooms exclusively for our circle. Once your spot is confirmed, we will provide you with the private link to book your stay at our reduced rate.
Everyone woman has her own king studio room with king bed, desk, couch, mini-fridge and private bathroom. Rooms are included in the retreat price.
This is not a large seminar. To ensure you receive the deepest, most personal healing, we intentionally limit our circle to only 6 women per retreat. This intimate group is supported by two expert coaches—women who have walked the path of widowhood and truly understand your loss.
There is no other widow healing program designed like this.
Upcoming Dates:
- Aug. 27-Aug 30th 2026
- Total Privacy: All deep emotional processing, or “Heart Work,” is conducted 1-on-1 with your coach or in private reflection. You will never be asked to share your deepest feelings with a room full of strangers.
- A Full Circle of Wisdom: You will benefit from the collective wisdom of both coaches while receiving dedicated one-on-one time with your personal coach.
- Remembering Well: Our focus is not on forgetting him, but on learning to remember him with less pain and more love.
Please click the link below to book a short Discovery Call with me.
