The Pause Retreat
A Private, Immersive Experience In the Beautiful City of San Miguel de Allende, MExico
For people ready to slow down, come home to themselves, and heal
Can you hear your own voice right now?
Most of us live with so much noise that we lose track of what we actually feel, need, and believe. That’s especially true if you were raised in a home or community that told you who to be.
The Pause Retreat is a few days set aside for you alone—and to get support. There’s no group, no schedule to keep up with, and no one to perform for. You get personalized care, creative and body-based healing, good food, and room to rest.
CHOOSE YOUR RETREAT
3-Day Retreat: Reset
A concentrated stretch of care. This is a good fit if you want to pause, process something specific, or kick-start deeper healing.
5-Day Retreat: Restore
More time to settle in and go further. This is a good fit if you’re working through religious trauma, grief, or a major life transition, or if you simply need longer to exhale.
Both include everything listed below. The 5-day retreat gives you more of it and more room to let it sink in.
Where You’ll Stay
You’ll have a private apartment in San Miguel de Allende, a vibrant city located in the central highlands of Guanajuato, Mexico, with cobblestone streets and stunning landscapes. It’s about 90 minutes from Querétaro Intercontinental Airport (QRO) and 2 hours from Guanajuato International Airport (BJX), far enough from everyday life to feel like a true pause and close enough to arrive without a long journey.
The exact address is shared after you book, along with photos, arrival details, and a welcome guide.
What’s Included, Every Day
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Airport Pickup
A private shuttle will meet you at QRO or BJX and drive you ~90 minutes to San Miguel de Allende. Local transportation to your sessions is included.
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Private Lodging
You’ll have your own one bedroom apartment in a cozy neighborhood. Completely private, with support just down the street.
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Nourishing Meals
Breakfast and dinner provided. Homemade with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Dietary needs gladly accommodated.
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Somatic Healing
Trauma lives in the body and the mind. Each day includes a somatic session designed to help you release tension, settle your nervous system, and reconnect with your body as a safe place to be.
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1:1 Session
Private 1:1 session with Chani Getter to reflect, integrate, and get support coming home to yourself.
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Art or Sound Healing
Some things can’t be said out loud, at least not yet. Each day you’ll spend time with creative expression or sound-based healing. No experience needed.
A Day on the Retreat
Sample rhythm (every day is tailored to you)
Morning: Breakfast, then rest or time outside
Midday: A somatic healing session
Afternoon: Rest, reflection, or time outside
Late afternoon: Art or sound therapy
Evening: Dinner, quiet, and integration time with Chani
Frequently asked questions
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San Miguel de Allende, located in the Central Highlands of Guanajuato, Mexico.
The closet airports are QRO, about ~90 minutes by car, and BJX, about ~2 hours by car. Mexico City airport is ~4 hours away.
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No, air travel is not included.
If you are coming to Mexico from the United States or another country, please ensure you have at least one travel day before and after your scheduled retreat days.
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Yes. Please tell us about allergies, restrictions, and preferences when you book.
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The price depends on when you come. Lodging costs change with the seasons and with availability. Peak times are priced toward the higher end of each range. Quieter times are priced toward the lower end. When you reach out, we’ll share the exact price for your dates before you commit to anything.
Your retreat includes lodging in a private local rental, two nourishing meals a day, round-trip airport transportation, local transportation, and all sessions.
Choose the tier that fits your life. We offer three rates for every retreat:
Sliding scale rate: For anyone who needs a lower price to make this possible. It’s available to anyone who needs it, and you don’t need to prove anything. It covers our actual costs.
Standard rate: The true value of the retreat. Most guests choose this one.
Sustaining rate: For those with more financial flexibility. Choosing this rate helps us offer sliding scale and sponsored spaces to others.
3-Day Retreat: Reset
Starting at $3,600 | Standard $5,000 | Sustaining $6,2005-Day Retreat: Restore
Starting at $5,400 | Standard $7,800 | Sustaining $9,800A 25% deposit holds your dates. The balance is due 30 days before you arrive. Payment plans are available.
Sponsored retreats. A limited number of spaces each season are fully or partly sponsored for people leaving or recovering from insular religious communities. Email hello@chanigetter.com to ask about availability.
Please note: Spots at sliding scale rates are limited each season and are offered first-come, first-served. If your dates fall in a peak season, the sliding scale rate may be unavailable for those dates, but we’ll gladly help you find an alternative.
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Yes, payment plans are available. Just ask us.
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Yes. A limited number of spaces each season are fully or partly sponsored for people leaving or recovering from insular religious communities. Email hello@chanigetter.com to ask about availability.
Please note: Spots at sliding scale rates are limited each season and are offered first-come, first-served. If your dates fall in a peak season, the sliding scale rate may be unavailable for those dates, but we’ll gladly help you find an alternative.
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No. This is a private-pay experience, and we can’t bill insurance or provide documentation for reimbursement.
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Chani is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed in New York, New Jersey, and California. Chani is also an ordained interfaith minister and an expert in religious trauma.
Because this retreat takes place in Mexico, outside the states where Chani holds their clinical license, these sessions are offered as non-clinical support: reflective, spiritual, and healing-centered conversation. They draw on Chani’s professional training and lived experience. They are not psychotherapy and are not a substitute for mental health treatment.
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Perfect. Everything is guided, and nothing is about doing it “right.”
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The retreat includes daily one-on-one sessions with Chani, who is a licensed clinician. Because it takes place outside Chani’s licensed jurisdictions, the sessions are non-clinical and are not psychotherapy. If you want ongoing therapy, Chani can help you think through what that could look like.
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It can be a powerful complement to ongoing therapy or a meaningful starting point. It’s not a replacement for emergency or crisis care, and we’ll talk through whether it’s the right fit before you book.
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Wonderful. This retreat can complement your work, and we encourage you to tell your therapist you’re coming. Some guests find it helpful to schedule a follow-up session with their regular therapist after the retreat.
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Not at all. Religious trauma is Chani’s specialty, but the retreat is open to anyone who needs deep rest and healing.
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We’ll talk about your support needs ahead of time. Chani and the team will help you find local resources if you need them, and we recommend that all guests have an emergency contact and a plan for care after the retreat.
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We recognize not everyone can travel. Please email hello@chanigetter.com to inquire about virtual retreats.
About Your Guide
Chani Getter, LCSW, is a licensed therapist, grief counselor, and award-winning educator. An expert on trauma and recovery, Chani has been featured in two documentary films, One of Us and Devout, and in numerous news outlets.
Since 2007, Chani has supported and nurtured a growing community of queer and non-binary people across North America and Europe. The Jewish Women's Archive highlights Chani's pivotal role in supporting LGBTQ+ organizations.
What People Say About Chani’s Teaching
"In a little over an hour of teaching and conversation, I had new tools and new ways of being in the world. That's pretty amazing and that's what Chani brought."
— Workshop attendee
“Chani’s workshop was illuminating and powerful. They transformed a room full of strangers into a safe space where we could sit with our feelings and let go of the burdens we carry.”
— Workshop participant
“Chani’s message speaks to the heart. It is one of inclusion, compassion, joy, and self-inquiry and explores core issues that affect the meaning and well-being of our lives.”
— R.M.
please note
This retreat is an experience for personal growth, rest, and healing support. It is not a medical or mental health treatment program and does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are in crisis or need clinical care, please contact a licensed provider in your area or call or text 988 (U.S.). Guests under the care of a therapist or physician are encouraged to talk with them before booking.
READY TO TAKE THE
TIME AND SPACE YOU NEED
You do not have to wait until you’re falling apart to take care of yourself. Give yourself a few days to come home. Email hello@chanigetter.com or call 201-477-0274 to book your personal retreat.