Run Your First Retreat With Christa Harrison

Rebel Therapist

Do you love the idea of running a retreat? This week's guest hosted her first retreat this year, and she's about to talk us through her process, from getting the idea during a meditation to planning it, filling it, running the retreat, and all the way to announcing her next retreat which happens this fall.

Meet Christa Harrison, founder of Healing For Queer Healers Retreats, where she holds space for fellow queer folx.

Christa is a queer therapist in private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma specializing in PTSD and trauma. She's a secular therapist in a sea of folx looking for someone they can feel safe with after religious trauma.

Here's some of what we talked about:

• How Christa realized suddenly that she wanted to create a retreat for queer healers
• Clarifying her vision for the retreat
• Getting positive feedback and making plans for rounds 2 and 3 and beyond
• The most intimidating parts for Christa: following through with setting up all the systems
• Leaving plenty of free time in the schedule
• Helping everyone at the retreat feel cared about
• Why she enjoyed her own retreat just as much as the participants did
• Using Squarespace for her website, email service and checkout

Here are some takeaways that stand out to me:

Takeaway #1:

Pay attention to your spirit and listen. Christa was caring for her spirit with meditation during a very painful time when she received a clear message that she needed to create this retreat.

Takeaway #2:

Consider niching boldly and specifically. Christa's vision evolved from "queer affirming" to "for queer people." Think about what bold and specific niching might mean for you.

Takeaway #3:

Christa fought the temptation to cram the retreat schedule full, and found that people really valued free time. Imposter syndrome sometimes tells us we need to provide MORE rather than allowing valuable time and space.

Show notes at http://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/158