Any and all deposits and/or payments for the workshop portion of our retreats / courses are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please note that there will be no refunds for any reason for the workshop portion, including illness. Thank you for your understanding.

PLEASE NOTE: This cancellation policy is for the Retreat / Course portion of the payment – and does not include accommodations. The accommodation cancellation policy will vary depending on the retreat center. Please inquire.

At Collective Self Energy, we are co-sponsored by Mindful Child & Family Therapy. We are constantly learning and are working to improve our training courses. We would love to hear from you and are open to feedback that can help us learn, grow and improve our courses. If you (a participant / potential participant) want to share feedback, if you have any complaints or if you want to file a dispute, please email Sioux, our Office Administrator at sioux@mcaft.com or call Sioux at 650-297-3400 x 8. Although we cannot guarantee a particular outcome, we will get back to you as soon as possible. Our staff at Collective Self Energy and Mindful Child & Family Therapy will work side by side with you, and together we will do our best to try to resolve any issues you encounter in as agreeable a manner as possible.

Participant information (including name, email, address & phone) from all training courses will be kept confidential, private & secure. One important caveat to this is that in order to prevent dual relationships (for instance, a therapist and client sharing a room together), we will send a list of participant names to the group ahead of time. We might also invite you to elect to create a contact sheet after the training is done so you can stay in touch with course participants.

Please be advised that one of the main differences between a Retreat and a Course is that a Retreat will be more experiential in nature, less didactic and will NOT offer CE’s for licensure. Courses are designed for training purposes, they are both didactic and experiential, and LMFT’s, LPCC’s and LCSW’s licensed in CA will get CE’s towards licensure when you take a training course, as long as the course is co-sponsored by Mindful Child & Family Therapy.

Retreats are designed to enhance your life, support your personal growth and promote well-being. That being said, engaging in experiential activities and getting more familiar with your own internal system is a wonderful way to learn the IFS model and continue to deepen your proficiency with it. So there is tremendous professional benefit from attending a retreat, even though it is not a professional training course..

If the facilitator of the retreat is a recognized Trainer at the IFS Institute, “IFS Institute only” CE’s might be available for your retreat or course, so please inquire if interested if you have a need for IFS Institute CE’s. That being said, please make note that we will not be able to offer CE’s for licensure for participants on a Retreat, since a Retreat is not considered a training Course. Please let us know if you have any questions about this.

No. Most of the courses offered through Collective Self Energy are simply intended to inform therapists, coaches and medical providers about the model by providing them with a basic introduction to the model, while they wait to get into a more comprehensive Level 1 training program through the IFS Institute.

As stated on the IFS Institute website in the FAQ section on this page:

“No. Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 IFS training programs {offered through the IFS Institute} provide comprehensive training and experience in the IFS therapeutic model. Upon completion of each level of training, participants are prepared to work as IFS therapists, having gained a breadth of knowledge and understanding about the way in which IFS enhances their lives, the lives of their clients, and others. Other IFS events and activities {such as IFS courses offered through IFS California} are generally shorter and/or serve as introductions to aspects of the IFS model.” 

Health, safety & comfort are our priorities

We look forward to a nourishing time together, whether for one day, an extended retreat, or an ongoing training. The health, safety, and comfort of our participants as well as the staff of the retreat center and our faculty are of utmost importance. 

For your protection and safety, we continue to follow best health and safety practices with regard to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) and other prevalent transmissible illnesses. Mindful Child & Family Therapy’s policies and practices are informed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as well as California Department of Public Health directives.

Safety Practices:
Before Arrival

  • You are encouraged to bring your own COVID-19 test with you in case you need it during your stay. 

  • Retail centers, health clinics, hospitals, and medical supplies (including Covid tests) may be at least 25 minutes away from our retreat and course locations. Please consider this when registering.

  • Monitor yourself for symptoms in the five days leading up to your visit. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or another transmissible illness before you arrive, or if you have a positive COVID-19 test, please consider cancelling your participation for this retreat or course. 

  • Guests who are traveling to join us by using public transportation (plane, bus, train, etc.) are encouraged to please be extra cautious, and to wear a mask and practice hand hygiene during their travel. Please see the CDC website for travelers’ health guidelines regarding COVID-19.

During Our Time Together

  • Vaccination, although recommended, is no longer required for participants.

  • Masking indoors is optional and at your discretion. Please consider your personal health, risk tolerance and other relevant factors when deciding whether to wear a mask.

  • Please be conscientious about hand hygiene. Always wash your hands/use sanitizer after touching your face or coughing/sneezing. 

If symptoms develop During our Time Together

If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or any other transmissible illness during our time together, please:

  • Immediately put on a mask and isolate yourself.

  • Contact your group leader to let us know of your illness.

  • Test yourself for COVID (let us know if you need a test). Even if COVID test is negative we request that you keep yourself isolated and masked if you are ill.

  • Please make a plan to get yourself home as soon as possible if you are ill or have COVID.

We encourage you to secure travel insurance for our retreats. In case of last minute illness or emergencies, travel insurance is the best way to ensure your investment in our retreats. 

You are welcome to use any of the online options, but we recommend the services of Linda Schwedock. Please note that If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you will need to secure travel insurance close to the time of making your initial deposit. (If you go with Linda, you will need to secure Travel Insurance within 3 weeks of your initial deposit. Other companies might not be as generous, and most require that travel insurance is secured within 2 weeks of making the initial deposit.) If you go with Linda, you can also ask for support with other aspects of your travel, such as accommodations and tours if you extend your stay before and after our retreat.

Linda works Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 – 3 pm Pacific Time. Here is Linda’s contact info:

Linda Schwedock, CST# 1014242-10  |  Pacific Harbor Travel

519 Seabright Avenue #201, Santa Cruz, CA  95062

1-800-435-9463  |  831-427-5000  |  linda@pacificharbortravel.com

Scholarships and/or payment plans available to anyone in the BIPOC community with a financial need.