Creative Healing Connections
Arts & Healing Retreat 2026
As an expression of the commitment we make to help you maintain and grow the wellbeing and sense of community you experienced during the retreat, we are excited to introduce an integrated program that supports your physical and mental wellbeing, as well as fosters a stronger support network in a more ongoing manner.
The year-long program begins with your participation in the Arts & Healing Retreat, which will include information about creating your personal wellness action plan in a realistic, achievable way.
Monthly virtual wellness community sessions will provide opportunities to share successes and challenges with implementing your personal wellness goal. Each month, you will experience one of the self-care practices introduced during the retreat to help you become more skilled with home practice. In addition, support recordings, links to videos and other resources will be available to you on our website.
When you register for the Arts & Healing Retreat, you embark on a year-long journey with us, one that we think will be even more rewarding for everyone. Please feel free to reach out to us through our contact page with any questions.
We look forward to spending time with you again at the retreat, or to getting to know you for the first time.
The Board of Creative Healing Connections
Honoring Myself
Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4, 2026
at Bay Pond Park, NY in the Northern Adirondacks
As women, prioritizing our needs for self-care can be difficult, particularly in the midst of personal health challenges. Our roles as mothers, spouses, sisters, friends often take priority although inside, we know that our healing requires time for self-care, reflection and rejuvenation in the company of women who share and understand our challenges. This retreat is all about honoring yourself and honoring each other.
This weekend combines creative expression, the healing benefits of nature, gentle movement and breathing practices for deep relaxation and restoration. We will create a welcoming haven where laughter, insight, and heartfelt reflection can be shared - around the campfire and throughout an itinerary designed to offer both personal space and opportunities to build new friendships. All of this as you are immersed in the Adirondacks, a location which has offered healing and renewal for generations.
This retreat will include:
· Nature connection practices
· Creating your honor wreath
· Zen Garden practice
· Gentle yoga & breathing practices for deep restoration
· Self-honoring rituals
This retreat is designed for women in the greater Adirondack region who are living with chronic physical or mental health conditions. If the cost of your medical care or the impact of your condition has made it difficult to participate in wellness programs that support you through these challenging times, then this was created with you in mind. We warmly invite you to register.
- Helene & Lisa, Retreat Co-Facilitators
This retreat accommodates a maximum of 12 participants so please register early
Meet Our 2026 Arts & Healing Retreat Co-Facilitators
Helene Gibbens
After growing up in Montreal, Quebec, Helene found her heart yearned for green spaces. She settled in the Adirondacks in 2000, where she developed a deep bond with the land and the people. Her desire to heal from childhood trauma and PTSD led her to learn and share the practices that she found most effective with others, knowing that healing is relational and a daily choice.
A wellness educator for over 30 years, she is also a Certified Svaroopa Yoga Teacher with over 2000 hours of training and a Certified Nature Therapy Guide. An adjunct faculty at North Country Community College in Malone for 14 years, she taught an Intro to Wellness Health course in addition to yoga, meditation and stress management classes, workshops and retreats for community members. Empowering others to heal and transform their lives is her passion.
On most days, you can find Helene in the forests or the ponds, immersed in nature, in the company of her husband, Bob and their dog, Nicco.
Lisa Pearsall
Lisa served as a Military Police Officer in the Army National Guard for 13 years from 2009-2022. She began her first-responder career as a volunteer EMT and has spent the last 14 years in law enforcement, starting as a Deputy Sheriff for 9 years, where she specialized in Search and Rescue as part of a dive team. She now serves with the New Berlin Police Department.
Crafting has been Lisa’s lifelong hobby, and over the last fifteen years it has also become her therapy. During deployments away from her family, and throughout the many traumatic situations she encountered as a police officer, crafting became the one place where she could quiet her thoughts and begin to heal her mind, body and soul. She has participated in craft shows, created an Honor Wreath program for Veterans, and she loves to inspire others to express their creativity, finding healing through arts and crafts.
First and foremost, Lisa will always be a mom to two wonderful boys aged 12 and 22. She has been happily married for 18 years. She considers these to be her greatest accomplishments.