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“My teen had a great time! I have two daughters who want to go next time. And how about adult programming for me?” 

 

"I have been delighted and a bit taken off guard, in a wonderful way, to see my daughter with much more of a sparkle in her eyes, a bounce in her step and, by how she surprises me lately, with the way she speaks up for herself in  healthy, assertive way.... and cleaned the kitchen and washed dishes for 2 hours!!"

"My son came back sooo happy, open, confident.  It was a healing experience for him after a difficult year at school--socially and academically.  Although he did not express what I have just written, his Being shone.  He told me on the way home that he "bonded with the kids at Retribe in one week more than he ever did with his class of eight years."  He spoke of the openness he had with all, he liked the fact that there were agreements and not "rules," he particularly liked the breath work and making new friends.  He seemed to be able to let out negativity and take in a lot of positive stuff about others and himself.  For all this I am very grateful."

 

"Immediately after my mom and I picked up Jason, some really beautiful and transformative communication began. He was excited to share his experience with us; a light I had not seen in many years emanated from within him--the Jason I really needed to see again. Stopping for dinner on our way home, I listened as Jason talked about the week--his interpersonal skills were suddenly astounding. At one point, he stopped mid-sentence and began to tell me about how he remembered something while at ReTribe that he had forgotten over the previous years. He said "I remembered how much I love you Mom,I really missed you and wanted to tell you but had no way to get in touch with you--so I wrote to you in my journal". Now, I can't even begin to explain how much I needed to hear that from him, and I can tell you that even as I recall this moment now it brings tears to my eyes! As I sat there at the table crying onto my dinner plate, Jason proceeded to talk about his older brother-how close they used to be, how he didn't know what happened, but he wanted to be close to him again. It was really surreal for me. And it didn't stop there. I thought when we got home that this confident loving Jason might quickly disappear and the angry Jason we had come to know would return. That was not the case, however. Jason immediately went to his brothers room, and laid down to talk to him. They laughed and hung out, soon leaving the house together to go play basketball. This went on for weeks and I was overjoyed by how in touch he was with himself and those around him. I waited for the ball to drop though, it seemed just too good to be true; it didn't. Jason would come to us with a drawing and share the story behind it. sometimes he would talk about what he saw his friends go through, and how scared he was of the anger and trauma he saw in their eyes during breathwork; all of it seemed to awaken him to the world within and around him. Truth be told, we have gone through some rough stuff since his time at ReTribe, but Jason has really shown great effort in communicating and showing more empathy towards others. It has been more than I ever hoped for. Jason and his brother continue to be close and spend time nearly every day together. I know there is so much pain from our past that still resides within the boys and I-- I carry alternating guilt and pride from what we have survived--but I am so thankful for the transition Jason experienced as a result of his time at ReTribe with you all--it has echoed throughout our family as we continue to live with less stress and more love and happiness. 

 

 "I want to express my sincere thanks for the amazing week my son had!  When he left for Vermont, we were nervous about his ability to be able to attend, remain calm, focused, and engaged in the activities.  He suffers from anxiety, Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD Combined, and can be oppositional at times.  He was so excited to go to Retribe and we were at our wits end at home so we cautiously signed him up, not really knowing what to expect.

 

What a week he had – he was able to be on his own, settle his body down (he did not tic all week!), make friends, and learn new coping skills for when he’s feeling stressed or overwhelmed.  He made friends that he remains in contact with long after his week in VT ended.  When we picked him up, I thought I had the wrong child!  He was calm, thoughtful, and took appropriate pauses between sentences.  He kept telling me how happy he felt and how he was able to get some things off his chest in a safe and supportive environment.  He has remained committed to practicing the skills he learned at Retribe and I look forward to supporting him as he continues to “do the work”.

 

I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for my son.  He came home feeling happy, confident, and excited about school in September!"

"Finding ReTribe for our 15 year old son who developed a strong OCD fear of contamination this year has been integral to his recovery.  He had withdrawn more and more from group activities due to a fear of touching things and especially people, and had become quite isolated.  The first week of camp in June and early July was quite difficult for him but when we picked him up he seemed more relaxed than I had seen for quite some time.  The other young people and the staff of ReTribe bid him farewell with warmth and we felt they had gotten to know his strengths more than anyone had in some time.  He had made major progress in his therapy and ability to function in the world during the intervening weeks (before the second summer retreat) and when we arrived to pick up (from the August retreat), the following Sunday I must say that I haven't seen our son look so happy since he was a kid.  Wanting to participate in all the activities and especially the Adventure Game had given him a huge incentive to lessen the time he spent on his hand washing ritual. Recently we attended a reunion picnic with other families.  I noticed that our son was busy the whole time and afterwards asked him what he had been doing.  "Chatting," he said.  WOW.   Thank you, ReTribe.  Every member of the staff is special.  You'll see our son again next summer." 

 

"ReTribe has been a fantastic, transformative experience for our son. He has gone three times and I think would never want to stop. We believe it has brought him to deeper understanding of himself and how he can relate to other people. He holds high esteem for the ReTribe mentors, contact with them has made an impact on his life. ReTribe is great fun and at the same time a truly enlightening experience."

"My fourteen year old came home from a week at ReTribe a very different boy. We've had a difficult few years in our home, and he's been caught in some of the turmoil. The ReTribe staff created a completely safe space for him to explore his deep emotions and to find incredible strength and a new inner compass.  We will be forever grateful for this opportunity and recommend the Retribe experience wholeheartedly. 
He was particularly supported by the breath work experience, which I believe gave him a chance to grieve, and also find new grounding as he develops into a compassionate young man.   He also loved the group activities, including cuddle piles - and play with foam swords in the woods at  night!"

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“To say she "enjoyed" ReTribe is a tremendous  understatement. She left with OCD hanging over her, and seemingly little self confidence to handle this and came back on top of the OCD with incredible confidence, grace and strength. She has grown so much in a week, that I feel she is waiting for us to catch up and adjust to her!  

 

"As a single-parent of a challenged, isolated teen, your ReTribe teen retreat was a dream come true. Finally, I found a home for my teen where he can be himself!  For him to be without the daily distractions of a cellphone, the internet or radio is a miracle!  At ReTribe, Iphone was replaced with lively, heartful discussions,  and  Internet entertainment was replaced by games such as Capture the Flag. On the beautiful Sky Meadow farm and woods, the mentors and peers provided a safe container and numerous programs/experiences for my son to explore Who Am I and What do I want to Become, through play, breathwork, Adventure Game theatre, solo time in nature, meditation, discussions, sweat lodge, and living with their peers. Strangers just a few days ago became intimate confidants.  He had the opportunity to really face himself and be okay with who he was.  There he also experienced much laughter, joy and cuddle puddles! This was so missing in his daily life in the city where he'd  become a reclusive.
Thus, I am profoundly grateful for the amazing team of highly conscious, creative and skillful individuals who cared enough about adolescents by manifesting ReTribe!  It was indeed such a positive transformational experience. I highly recommend this Retreat for all teens.
My son certainly left Retribe retreat looking and feeling much more confident and happier and developed a stronger sense of self.  
With profound gratitude to all of the mentors! "
A Mom of a ReTribe participant."

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My son told me that the breath work session was one of the highlights of the retreat for him. He didn't go into a ton of detail but told me that it was a powerful experience that allowed him to let go of a lot (not all) of his anger towards his biological father who isn't a part of his life. He also described sitting and taking care of another teen while they were having their own experience as "empowering".  That's pretty much all I know about the breath work session, but am glad that he felt comfortable sharing that much with me and grateful that Retribe provided the opportunity for him to explore himself in that way.

I think he's doing well. He's matured incredibly in the past year and I attribute a lot of his growth to some of the skills and connections that he's made a Retribe. I see him trying to use some of the things he's learned at the camps and apply them to the rest of his life and think that it is serving him well. So I thank you and the rest of the Retribe clan for helping him grow in so many ways.