Coming Home

Reaching True Identity and Orientation Empowerment; For The LGBTQ+ Community

Workshop Quick Summary

Workshop: Coming Home

Category: Personal Growth

What: A 5-day experiential workshop created as a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals to embrace their true identity and orientation, gain empowerment and overcome past hardship and isolation.

Who: for LGBTQ+ individuals

Cost: $3,950 (includes meals, evening activities, Brain Center and gym access)

Lodging: Reserve single or shared on-site rooms

 

All About This Workshop

Coming Home is an experiential workshop created by Rio Retreat in 2019 specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. Why? Because we recognize that these individuals — wherever they are on their journey and however they identify, as a gender or sexual minority — have lived unique experiences. The opportunity to come together in a safe space with others who have also walked that path brings a sense of belonging and deep acceptance that is longed for.

The primary goals of this 5-day workshop is for individuals to embrace their true identity and orientation, gain empowerment, and overcome past hardship and isolation. Led by staff who identify in the community, Coming Home will help participants step into resilience, as the powerful individuals, they are meant to be, with their identity and orientation being a part of that. In this workshop, we will explore therapeutic healing without the burden of heteronormative assumptions and perspectives or fear of discrimination. Instead, participants will process the intersectionality of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, and other factors that make them who they are.

Participants will learn that empowerment is about feeling comfortable in their skin, feeling liberated from others’ constructs about who and how they “should” be, and giving themselves unshakable permission to be themselves. Empowerment in identity and orientation is truly about coming home to yourself.

Topics include:

  • Minority stress and heterosexual and cisgender privilege
  • Coming out, again and again
  • Grief and loss as a part of the community experience
  • Body image and self-confidence
  • Visioning your future

Cost:
$3,950, which includes meals and evening activities (yoga, tai chi, auricular acupuncture, live music), 12-Step meeting, Brain Center access, and gym access.

Additional Details

Our community offers:

  • A safe, accepting environment with privacy and communal space as needed
  • Respect and use of the individual’s preferred pronouns and name
  • Gender-neutral restrooms or use of one that corresponds most closely with gender identity
  • Complete confidentiality

There will be ample time to experientially process your journey, including trauma, hardship, and isolation that may have been acting as a barrier to resilience and empowerment.

Lodging and Transportation

Lodging is available at the Rio Retreat Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Rooms are simply appointed and designed to be conducive to the process of healing and recovery. We offer both shared and private rooms. For those staying on campus, transportation will be available from and to the Phoenix airport with three convenient pickup times. Details will be sent with your confirmation email upon completion of the sign-up process.

The Fine Print

Workshop groups run Monday through Friday from approximately 8:30 am to 4 pm. The schedule is somewhat flexible to accommodate the size of the group and the group process. Evening programming is provided after dinner. The Rio Retreat Center campus is strictly alcohol-and drug-free, and we have a dress code, cell phone, and smoking policy.

For more details about this workshop and to register, please contact us to speak to a Workshop Coordinator.

Schedule

Coming Home: For LGBTQ+

Feb 26 - Mar 1, 2024

Sept 30 - Oct 4, 2024