A Day Retreat with Laurie Oakes for the high-achieving woman who’s quietly burning out and is ready to step into a life that actually feels like yours.
When:
WHERE:
Sunday, March 15th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
Fort Erie, ON, in a stunning lakefront property (address provided upon booking)
ABOUT:
You don’t need another escape.
You need a reset from the inside out.
This isn’t a retreat for women who want to “take a break.”
It’s for the woman who’s silently spiralling behind the scenes—high-functioning, burned out, and tired of doing everything right but still feeling off.
You’re outwardly capable but inwardly overwhelmed.
You’re emotionally exhausted, over-functioning in every area of your life, and relying on just-one-more-glass-of-wine or the next getaway to numb the noise.
You don’t need more mindfulness tips.
You need a space to unravel—and remember who you are underneath the pressure.
This isn’t about “just doing the work”
It’s about releasing what no longer fits and making space for the life you actually want.
Throughout the day, we’ll use a powerful combination of practices to help you release emotional buildup, reconnect with your body, and restore your nervous system. You’ll walk away feeling clearer, more grounded, and back in your power.
Modalities included on The Release & regulate Retreat
The Release & Regulate Retreat includes a powerful combination of modalities that can provide deep release, healing, clarity, insight and shifts within. These include meditation, breathwork, intuition development exercises, group mediumship sessions, inner child work, embodiment + co-creation.
Intuitive coaching
Laurie channels personalized messages to help you break the cycles keeping you stuck. These sessions are raw, real, and often exactly what you didn’t know you needed to hear.
Somatic release practices
To move the emotional backlog you’ve been carrying and finally exhale. Think: sacred rage release, guided breath journeys, and embodied release that don’t require words—just your presence.
Inner Child & Shadow Work
You’ve done the therapy. This helps you integrate it. We’ll explore the parts of you still operating from outdated stories—and give them space to shift.
This retreat is for you if:
You're the one who holds it all together
You’re tired of being “the strong one” and silently unraveling behind the scenes.
You've mastered the art of overthinking...
You want to stop spiraling in your head and start feeling grounded in your body.
You're done waiting until "when this happens"
You’re done outsourcing your peace to wine, work, or the next trip.
WHAT YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH:
- A nervous system that feels more regulated—so you can breathe again.
- Emotional release that doesn’t require talking it to death.
- Greater clarity on what’s next and the groundedness to pursue it.
- Insight into the patterns keeping you stuck—and how to finally shift them.
- The feeling of being held—for real.
- Boosting of self-esteem, confidence & feelings of empowerment
Release & Regulate Day retreat
Sunday, March 15th, 2026-
A healing day retreat with Laurie Oakes to release, regulate and find greater clarity and groundedness within. 10am-5pm EST, Fort Erie, ON
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Lunch is included as well as drinks and snacks throughout the day
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A PDF of the days teachings
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One month post integration in a group coaching container (virtual)
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Payment Plan Available At Checkout
WHAT TO EXPECT
About the Day:
This retreat is a guided reset for the woman who’s tired of holding it all together.
It’s a space to stop over-functioning, overthinking, and over-performing—and finally drop into what your body and soul have been trying to tell you.
You’ll be led through the exact modalities that helped Laurie break cycles of burnout, emotional suppression, and self-abandonment. But there’s no expectation to share or show up in a certain way. You’re in control of your own depth. You can stay quiet, go inward, or fully participate—whatever feels safest for you.
Every emotion is welcome here. Whether you’re carrying grief, anger, confusion, or nothing you can quite name, you won’t be asked to make it make sense. This space is built to hold the parts of you you usually hide—the ones that are tired of being managed.
If you’re done living for everyone but yourself, and you’re ready to reconnect with your own truth—this day is for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is made for you! High-functioning women often struggle to receive support because they learned to associate safety with self-reliance. Asking for help can feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or even threatening to their sense of stability. Even when support is offered, the body may not know how to relax into it.
This is what I will teach you and guide you to understand on retreat!
Absolutely! YES YES YES! Going to a retreat alone can be extremely powerful and transformative. Common feedback we also receive is the welcoming, safe and connected vibe we create and the relationships you create on retreats sometimes turn in to lifelong friends.
Another big YES! We welcome women of all levels and complete beginners too! Retreats are a great place to learn or to solidify established practices and routines.
Yes, a retreat information email with all this information will be sent out closer to the retreat date.
We are able to accommodate dietary restrictions. Please send an email to laurieoakes111@gmail.com to make arrangements.
Being the strong one is often a nervous system adaptation rather than a personality trait. It can develop in response to environments where emotional needs were minimized, where others relied on you too soon, or where vulnerability didn’t feel safe. This does not mean something is wrong with you — it means your nervous system learned how to protect you.
When the nervous system has learned that control and vigilance equal safety, relaxation can feel unsafe — even when external circumstances are calm. This is why many people feel restless, anxious, or emotionally unsettled when they slow down. The body hasn’t yet learned that it’s safe to stop bracing.
1. DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS
Non-Refundable Deposit
A 25% non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place in any retreat. This deposit is not transferable to another event or individual.
Final Payment & Refund Policy
Weekend or International Retreats: The total retreat fee is non-refundable within 60 days of the scheduled retreat start date.
Day Retreats: The total retreat fee is non-refundable within 30 days of the scheduled event.
Cancellations made outside of these windows will forfeit only the 25% deposit.
2. PAYMENT PLANS
Payment plans may be offered at the Provider’s discretion. All retreat balances must be paid in full by the final payment deadline.
If the Client cancels after making a partial payment, any remaining balance is still due in full. Failure to complete payment may result in the outstanding balance being sent to collections, and additional fees may apply.
3. WEATHER-RELATED RESCHEDULING
For the safety of all participants, if 15 cm (6 inches) or more of snow is forecasted or falls within a 24-hour period leading up to an in-person event, the Provider reserves the right to reschedule the retreat.
In the event of a weather-related reschedule, all registrations will be transferred to the new date.
No refunds will be issued due to weather-related postponements, as the event itself is not cancelled, only delayed for safety reasons.
4. NON-TRANSFERABILITY
Retreat bookings are non-transferable unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Client may not assign their spot to another individual without written consent from the Provider.
5. NO REFUNDS FOR TRAVEL INTERRUPTIONS
The Provider is not responsible for cancellations, delays, or travel interruptions, including those related to weather, transportation, or lodging.
It is the Client’s responsibility to obtain travel insurance if desired.
6. DISCLAIMER
No Guaranteed Outcomes
Participation in a retreat is a personal and subjective experience. The Provider makes no guarantees about healing, transformation, or specific results.
Not a Medical or Mental Health Provider
The Provider does not diagnose or treat any physical or mental health conditions. Clients should consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making significant decisions related to health, finances, or personal life.
Spiritual & Energetic Work
Retreats may include meditation, intuitive practices, or spiritual teachings. The Client affirms they are emotionally and physically able to participate and take full responsibility for their experience.
7. LIABILITY WAIVER
The Client agrees to participate voluntarily and assumes all risk.
The Provider shall be held harmless from any physical, emotional, psychological, or financial outcomes resulting from participation in the retreat or any activities therein.
FAQ: Being the Strong One & Over-Functioning
Many people become “the strong one” because responsibility and emotional self-reliance were learned early as a way to stay safe. When support felt unreliable or unavailable, being capable, dependable, and composed became a survival strategy. Over time, this pattern becomes automatic — even when it no longer feels sustainable.
Being the strong one is often a nervous system adaptation rather than a personality trait. It can develop in response to environments where emotional needs were minimized, where others relied on you too soon, or where vulnerability didn’t feel safe. This does not mean something is wrong with you — it means your nervous system learned how to protect you.
Being the strong one is exhausting because it requires constant internal regulation. The nervous system stays braced, the mind keeps scanning for what needs to be handled next, and emotional needs are often postponed. Over time, this creates mental fatigue, emotional isolation, and a sense that rest never fully restores you.
High-functioning women often struggle to receive support because they learned to associate safety with self-reliance. Asking for help can feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or even threatening to their sense of stability. Even when support is offered, the body may not know how to relax into it.
When the nervous system has learned that control and vigilance equal safety, relaxation can feel unsafe — even when external circumstances are calm. This is why many people feel restless, anxious, or emotionally unsettled when they slow down. The body hasn’t yet learned that it’s safe to stop bracing.
Rest alone doesn’t fix burnout when exhaustion is rooted in over-functioning rather than over-doing. For many high-functioning women, burnout comes from carrying constant responsibility, emotional containment, and mental load. Without addressing the underlying pattern, time off can actually intensify discomfort instead of relieving it.
No. Over-functioning is not productivity — it is a coping pattern where responsibility, control, and self-reliance are used to regulate safety. While it can look like competence on the outside, internally it often feels like pressure, vigilance, and an inability to rest or receive.
Stopping the pattern of being the strong one doesn’t require forcing change or giving up competence. It begins with awareness, safety, and support that meets you where you are. The goal is not collapse — it’s learning that you no longer need to hold everything together to be okay.
No. Over-functioning is not a flaw or a failure of healing. It is a learned pattern that once served a purpose. Patterns can change when they are met with understanding rather than pressure. You are not broken — you are patterned.
What helps is not more effort, more rest tips, or more self-improvement. What helps is understanding how the pattern shows up personally, rebuilding a sense of safety in the body, and receiving support without shame or urgency. Change happens gradually, not through force.
Meet your facilitator
Laurie Oakes
Her journey to find answers about spirituality and life outside of the physical body began at a young age. She found herself questioning her soul’s purpose, following her intuition, and receiving messages and “inner knowings” as young as she can remember.
Today, she shares her wisdom through various platforms, including workshops, retreats, and online courses. Her teachings empower individuals to awaken their spiritual potential, find inner peace, and live authentically.
Laurie gently guides her clients into letting go of the trauma and that which no longer serves them and empowers them with channelled guidance on their journey of personal growth and spiritual exploration.
She believes in the inherent divinity within each person and strives to help others discover their own inner truth and connection to their Creator.
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