Reset, Refresh, Renew

A 2022 YouGov poll indicated that 37% of Americans planned to have a goal or resolution in 2023, with 87% saying they were likely to keep it throughout the year. Ironically, Forbes Health/OnePoll found that the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months. But why?

Forbes’ career coach Kathy Caprino explains, “Most of us simply cannot bring about significant change in our lives if one key thing is missing — understanding at a deep level why you operate the way to you do, and recognizing what keeps you locked in specific ‘negative,’ self-sabotaging, or self-limiting behaviors that resist change.”

In other words, real change requires introspection. It’s not simply a matter of changing the behavior but identifying and addressing the “consciousness” that fuels the behavior. And the process is just as important as the end goal.

Are you approaching the new year eager to reset, refresh, renew? Looking for ideas on how to reset for the new year? For those who desire to overcome negative behaviors or identify their source, self-help workshops can be a springboard to renewal.

The 4-1-1 on Self-Help Workshops

Workshops are typically brief but often intense sessions designed to address an area of concern or personal struggle. The goal is to help you identify negative patterns and break the cycle of maladaptive behaviors.

Benefits of workshops include:

• Ability to work on sensitive issues in a concentrated format
• Freedom to practice new relational skills within a safe environment
• A manageable, three- to five-day commitment
• Immediate results versus ongoing weekly therapy sessions
• Great option for people who do not need inpatient treatment
• Trained therapists with extensive expertise in the subject matter
• On-site accommodations, in many cases, which allow participants to stay cocooned within the treatment process

Workshops typically consist of all-day programming with group activities as well as ancillary services. They contain a lot of psychoeducation with therapeutic exercises meant to tear down barriers and strengthen recovery. Workshops can also provide a recovery refresher for those who have already completed an inpatient or outpatient treatment program. Additionally, they can be helpful to those who uncover new issues during the recovery process.

Workshops are not recommended for those who are psychiatrically unstable, actively addicted to drugs or alcohol, or dangerous to themselves or others.

Rio Retreat Workshops 2024

Whatever you desire for a new year refresh, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows can help you get there. Some of our 2024 workshop offerings are described below with details about who they are designed for, what you can expect to learn, and more.

Couples Repair & Reset

Who: Couples looking to improve your relationship and gain new tools for healthy interaction

What: A workshop where couples learn new rules of engagement while building on existing strengths within the relationship

About: Combining Pia Mellody’s groundbreaking work on family of origin childhood relational trauma and Stan Tatkin’s mix of neuroscience, human biology of arousal, and attachment theory, couples work in small groups. You will practice how to address painful issues utilizing boundaries, nervous system regulation techniques, and improved communication.

Survivors II

Who: Alumni of any Meadows Behavioral Healthcare inpatient program or anyone who has completed our Survivors I workshop

What: A continuation of essential Survivors I

About: Survivors II is designed for those with unresolved childhood trauma and/or adult relational trauma who are seeking healing and freedom from lingering emotional and behavioral struggles. It utilizes psychodrama, art therapy, mindfulness, psychoeducation, and other therapeutic techniques.

The Betrayal Bond

Who: Anyone interested in freeing themselves or recovering from exploitive relationships, processes, and situations

What: A workshop focused on identifying negative bonds and destructive attachments, recognizing denial, grieving losses, and beginning to heal

About: Based on Meadows Senior Fellow Patrick Carnes’ groundbreaking book of the same name, The Betrayal Bond workshop addresses exploitation of all kinds: marital, familial, relational, professional, religious, litigious, child abuse, domestic violence, cults, and addictions.

Love Addiction/Love Avoidance

Who: Those who assign too much value to relationships, fear abandonment, neglect their own needs, put up walls to avoid connection, and struggle with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility

What: A workshop that addresses the destructive cycles of both the love addict and the love avoidant, teaching you to practice self-love and self-care as you learn to find intimacy with healthy boundaries

About: Based on Pia Mellody’s book Facing Love Addiction, this workshop helps love addicts better understand their unhealthy focus on another person, whether it’s your lover, spouse, friend, parent, or child. You learn how the addictive process negatively impacts both you and your loved one as the time and attention you invest in them hinders your value and care for yourself.

Men’s Sexual Recovery

Who: Any man carrying the burden of shame and painful memories around unresolved sexual experiences or uncontrolled sexual behaviors who wants to find freedom and create healthier patterns

What: A workshop that addresses sexual obsession and compulsive behaviors with compassion, helping patients to let go of shame and rediscover that sex can be enjoyable, fulfilling, and deeply meaningful

About: This workshop helps resolve sexual dilemmas and self-destructive behaviors. It broadens your views about sexuality as you learn how to have productive experiences, maintain positive relationships, and avoid the harmful patterns of the past.

A Step Toward Personal Growth

Workshops are a great investment in your personal growth. And personal growth not only helps you achieve your goals but improves your quality of life.

Rio Retreat Center has been offering workshops for more than three decades, with something available for everyone. If you desire a new year reset and are ready to start taking steps toward a healthier, happier, and new-and-improved you, we can help you find the right fit for you.