The Full Two-Part Immersion
12 - 25 March 2027
Nyosi Wildlife Reserve | Gqeberha, South Africa
Over two consecutive weeks at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve, participants move through a structured arc, from observation and instinct to integration and intergenerational understanding, within an immersive professional training held in the wild.
Part 1 explores observation, projection, and the primitive foundations of the psyche within a living landscape.
Part 2 deepens into elemental frameworks, lineage, and embodied intergenerational integration.
Throughout the two weeks, the natural environment is not a backdrop, it remains an active co-facilitator, offering continuous feedback on presence, perception, nervous system states, hierarchy, and relational dynamics.
Part 1: The Living Mirror Observing the Wild Within
with
Lisa Dion & Marshall Lyles
Part 1 invites practitioners into immersive observation within the living landscape of the African bush. Participants engage in the experience of observing - and being observed - while witnessing animal movement, hierarchy, vigilance, and cooperation, recognising parallel processes within themselves.
Through guided wildlife immersion, somatic reflection, and neuroscience-informed teaching, participants explore projection, bias, and instinctual response, examining how presence, perception, and nervous system states shape both therapeutic work and personal interaction.
The wilderness becomes a living mirror and co-facilitator in the learning process. What we notice in the environment often reveals what we carry internally. By the end of Part 1, participants cultivate refined observational sensitivity and a more embodied clinical presence grounded in relational depth.
Part 2 – What the Elements Remember
A Framework for Conceptualizing Intergenerational Trauma & Healing
with
Marshall Lyles, Tanya Defferary & Abigail Esquivel
Part 2 turns toward lineage, inheritance, and the transmission of both trauma and resilience across generations.
Organised around the elemental framework of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, the landscape continues to serve as mirror and container, grounding conceptual exploration in lived experience. Through guided immersion, somatic processing, and structured dialogue, participants integrate theory with embodied practice and translate insight into therapeutic application.
Particular attention is given to attachment rupture, somatic memory, and resilience as intergenerational inheritance. Participants develop a nuanced understanding of how ancestral legacies are carried through body, story, and relationship.
Part 2 weaves experience into framework, equipping practitioners to engage intergenerational trauma work with greater clarity, relational attunement, and embodied clinical presence.
Why Attend the Full Retreat?
The full two-week immersion offers a complete arc — from observing instinct and projection to integrating intergenerational insight into embodied clinical practice.
Attending both weeks allows for:
• Deeper integration between experience and application
• Sustained immersion within the landscape
• Continuity in group process and relational depth
• Expanded embodied awareness across nervous system and lineage
• A complete journey from foundation to integration
Remaining for the full retreat supports continuity of process and allows insight to settle, integrate, and translate more fully into clinical presence.
What You Will Leave With
• Refined observational awareness
• A deeper understanding of projection, instinct, and relational dynamics
• Embodied tools for working with nervous system states
• Greater clarity in engaging intergenerational themes
• A more grounded and attuned therapeutic presence
Retreat Structure
The full retreat includes:
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Arrival day: 12 March 2027
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Two structured rest days
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Week 1: Four structured training days
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Two integration/rest days
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Week 2: Four structured training days
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Departure day: 25 March 2027
Participants remain onsite between weeks, allowing uninterrupted progression.
What Your Registration Includes
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Tuition for both Part I and Part II
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Continuing Education credits (pending approval)
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Lodging for the full two-week stay
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Meals on training days
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Multiple guided game drives
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Bush immersion experiences
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Welcome dinner
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Farewell dinner
Lodging
Participants attending both Part 1 and Part 2 will remain onsite at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve for the full duration of the retreat.
Participants attending only one part may be accommodated at a neighbouring lodge, depending on room availability.
Accommodation includes:
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Shared luxury cabins or villas
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Room assignments finalised after registration closes
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Transportation provided between lodging and the training venue if accommodation is offsite
The reserve is privately reserved for our group during workshop days, creating a contained and immersive retreat environment.
Travel & Personal Expenses
The following are not included in the registration fee:
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Flights to and from South Africa
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Transfers outside of the scheduled group shuttle
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Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
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Alcoholic beverages and specialty coffees
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Personal purchases or additional services
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Meals on non-training days
Enhance your experience
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Optional activities
Optional experiences are available on the arrival and integration days. These non-training days are intentionally built into the programme, allowing participants either to rest and integrate or to select curated additional experiences during booking.
- Rangers’ Braai
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Beachfront Boardwalk excursion
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Walking with Giraffes
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After-dinner wine or gin tastings
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Scenic Coastal Walk
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Addo Elephant National Park excursion
Frequently asked Questions:
Booking Flights
International participants typically travel to South Africa via Johannesburg (OR Tambo International Airport) or Cape Town International Airport. From there, a short domestic flight connects to Port Elizabeth (Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport), which is the closest airport to Nyosi Wildlife Reserve.
On the arrival day (12 March 2027), group shuttles will be arranged from the Port Elizabeth airport to the reserve at approximately 12:30 and 14:30.
Participants arriving outside of these shuttle windows can easily reach the reserve via Uber or private transfer.
More detailed travel guidance will be shared with registered participants closer to the retreat.
Travelling with Family
For international participants, the retreat is sometimes part of a wider trip to South Africa.
While accommodation within Nyosi Wildlife Reserve is reserved for retreat participants, partners or family members are welcome to stay nearby.
The seaside suburb of Seaview, located approximately 15 minutes from the reserve, offers a range of comfortable bed-and-breakfasts and guesthouses where family members can stay while participants attend the training.
Some participants choose to extend their visit and explore the surrounding coastline and nature reserves with their families before or after the retreat.
If you are considering travelling with family, please feel free to reach out and we will gladly share nearby accommodation options.
Investment
Participants may secure their place at the preferred full-payment rate or choose a structured 6-month instalment plan, completed by 31 January 2027. Instalment availability depends on registration date.
All programme fees are set and payable in USD.
Booking and Payment Options
Payment Plan
R108,300
≈ $6,341 USD*
6 monthly payments of
R18,050 each**
≈ $1,057 USD*
Secure payment via Yoco. Confirmation and receipt issued immediately.
*Estimate based on current exchange rate. All payments are processed in South African Rand (ZAR). USD amounts are approximate for international participants.
**Price includes payment and processing fees
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be submitted in writing.
A full refund of the course fee, minus a $150 USD administrative fee, will be provided if Global Therapy Connect is notified in writing within 30 calendar days of registration.
After 30 calendar days from registration, or within four weeks of the retreat start date (whichever occurs first), payments become non-refundable due to contractual lodging and activity commitments.
If an emergency prevents participation, please contact Global Therapy Connect directly. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of Global Therapy Connect.