Small group spaces
Consistent, structured pods that build real connection across the week.
← RetreatsAnnual · Thailand · By Application
Fruits of
Freedom.
Seven days off the coast of Thailand where heteronormative blueprints come undone and you remember what you want, beneath what you were told to want.
- Dates
- August 21–28, 2026
- Location
- Private Island · Phuket
- Container
- Queer-Only, 30+
- Application
- Required
Start Here
Isn’t it a little strange,
that most queer people learn how to be in queer relationships from straight people.
That does not make sense. And yet, it is the blueprint most of us were given. So we try to build intimacy, connection, and partnership using models that were never designed for us.
What that often looks like is repeating the same relationship with a different face each time. The chemistry. The intensity. Someone who seems fully available. Then slowly, it shifts. Emotional unavailability. Disconnection. The dawning realization that you were never met in the way you thought you were.
The Pattern
Most queer people over 30 are not struggling because they don’t know what they want.
They are struggling because they have been trying to fit what they want into a framework that does not support it. That framework does not just shape structure. It shapes shame. Around sex. Around desire. Around what is too much or not enough. Around how you are allowed to show up in intimacy at all.
So instead of asking what you want, you perform what feels acceptable. Or you chase connection in ways that leave you feeling empty anyway.
Why This Retreat Exists
A space to see clearly.
Fruits of Freedom exists to take you out of the loop. To create the conditions where queer people can step outside of inherited models and begin to see.
- 01
What have I been taught to want?
- 02
What do I really desire?
- 03
What am I ready to choose instead?
What Happens When You See It
The same sentence, said three different ways.
“I thought I wanted a partner. What I wanted was validation.
On performance
“I thought I wanted a relationship. What I really wanted was intimacy outside of sex.
On the script
“I thought I wanted monogamy. What I needed was accountability.
On structure
Until you can see that clearly, you keep recreating the same dynamic.
How the Work Happens
In connection. Never alone.
Facilitated workshops
Grounded in psychological and relational work. Not performance. Applied awareness.
Trained facilitators
Many with mental health backgrounds. Holding the container so you can stop holding yourself.
Integration time
Space to land what you see. Not just stimulation. Not back-to-back programming.
The Environment
A private island. Not as luxury. As design.
When you are removed from your normal environment, your patterns become easier to see. Your roles loosen. Your defaults show up more clearly.
Around you, ocean. Sun. Space to breathe. Holding this in Thailand brings in something essential. Culture. Movement. Context. This is not isolation. It is immersion.
The Arrival
The journey is part of the design.
From the moment you land, the week is held. You are met, transported, and welcomed across the bay to the place where the work begins.
Land in Thailand
Fly into Phuket International. The retreat begins the moment you step off the plane.
Meet at the airport
A Haus of H host meets you in the terminal and transports the group together to the harbor.
Cross by private longtail boat
A chartered longtail boat carries the group across the water to the island. No public transfers.
Arrive on the island
A secluded beachfront property surrounded by limestone coastline, open sky, and warm Andaman waters.
A Day in the Container
Depth, exploration, and rest.
The retreat is not built to fill every hour. It moves through a rhythm designed to support personal insight and nervous system regulation, with consistent small-group support held by a facilitator each day.
Roughly ten participants per group. Same group all week. Real continuity, not strangers cycling through.
- Morning
Optional yoga + grounding
Slow movement on the beach to wake the body and settle the nervous system before the day begins.
- After breakfast
Small-group integration circle
Daily check-in with a facilitator in a consistent pod of about ten people. Built so nothing is processed alone.
- Mid-day
Workshop or guided experience
Embodiment, emotional processing, identity, relational dynamics. Applied work, not lecture content.
- Afternoon
Excursion, rest, or ocean time
Some days carry excursions into nearby islands, temples, and the surrounding coastline. Others leave room for the week to integrate.
- Late afternoon
Embodied practice or reflection
A second workshop session or guided practice that meets the rhythm of where the group has arrived.
- Evening
Dinner + informal connection
Communal meal as the social container of the day. Honest conversation, not performed bonding.
The Container
Held by people trained to hold.
Fruits of Freedom is staffed by a team that combines clinical training, somatic expertise, and lived retreat experience, so the work is exploratory and responsibly facilitated at every step.
Licensed mental health professionals
Clinicians on-site so emotional material is supported by people trained for it.
Somatic facilitators
Body-based practitioners who guide embodiment work and nervous-system regulation.
Experienced retreat guides
Veterans of multi-day retreat containers who hold logistics, pacing, and group culture.
Daily small-group check-ins
Ten-person pods, same group all week. Real continuity. You are seen across the arc.
Meet the Facilitators
The people holding the room.
Mental-health clinicians, somatic practitioners, and community elders. Each brings a different lens to the week. You are not held by one voice. You are held by a team that has been doing this work, in some form, for a long time.
01 · Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Anthony R. Vario
Anthony is a clinician, writer, and longtime student of the emotional complexity of being human. His work focuses on helping people move beyond the roles and stories they unconsciously adopt in response to disappointment, grief, and life's inevitable uncertainties.
Workshops
- Failure in the Inferno
- It's Not the Way I Want It
02 · LMFT · REAT
Marla Ben-Tov
Marla is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, expressive arts practitioner, and trauma-informed breathwork facilitator with more than two decades of experience supporting emotional healing and creative expression.
Workshops
- Reclaiming the Inner Child
- Big Pussy Energy
03 · Licensed Drug & Alcohol Counselor
Eshan Lacoste
Eshan is a Vermont Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor and master's-level clinician with more than twenty years of experience in mental health and substance use treatment. Originally from Haiti and raised in the United States, he brings a culturally responsive and integrative approach, combining evidence-based clinical practices with nature-based and ancestral healing traditions.
Workshops
- The Architecture of Connection
- Connecting with Power Animals
04 · Somatic Teacher · Spiritual Practitioner
Cat Chadwick
Cat is a somatic teacher, spiritual practitioner, and facilitator with a background in mental health and more than a decade of professional experience supporting individuals through emotional and spiritual growth. Her work centers on helping people reconnect with their bodies, intuition, and personal sense of meaning, in ways that feel grounded rather than performative.
Workshops
- Grief, Holding What We Carry
- Grounded Spirituality
05 · Inner Balance & Ascension Guide
Kai Foxworth
Kai is an Inner Balance and Ascension Guide who works at the intersection of somatic awareness, breathwork, and spiritual exploration. With experience in mental and behavioral health settings, Kai brings a trauma-informed approach to practices that support emotional and energetic healing.
Workshops
- Breathwork
- Reconnecting with Inner Guidance
06 · Yoga Teacher · Wellness Practitioner
Hoku
Hoku is a yoga teacher and wellness practitioner whose work centers on movement, breath, and personal transformation. After initially studying biology, he shifted paths to explore holistic health, plant-based living, and spiritual practice, eventually pursuing formal yoga training through YogaWorks in Los Angeles.
Daily Practice
Morning yoga and grounding
Full bios and workshop deep-dives live inside the retreat guide.
What You Will Explore
Five threads. One week.
Deeper emotional honesty
Where you have been performing okay-ness and what becomes possible when you stop.
Embodiment + sensual awareness
Reconnection with the body as a source of information, pleasure, and signal.
Relational authenticity
What you actually want from intimacy when the inherited script is set down.
Grief + personal narrative
The losses that shaped you, named and held alongside others who recognize them.
Queer community
A week inside a queer-only container designed to outlast the airport on the way home.
What Is Included
Seven nights. Held end to end.
Your ticket covers the entire week on the island. No add-ons, no à la carte. The only thing you bring is yourself, ready to arrive.
Flights to Thailand are arranged separately by each guest.
Seven nights accommodation on a private island
Airport pickup in Phuket
Round-trip private longtail boat transfers to the island
Daily yoga sessions
Workshops and facilitated experiences
Daily small-group integration circles
Cultural excursions in Thailand
Closing ceremony
All meals during the retreat
The Community That Forms
A collection of individuals becomes a temporary community.
Many participants arrive alone. By midweek, the group has shifted into something built on honesty, mutual respect, and curiosity. The closing ceremony honors what was built, and you carry the week forward into your everyday life.
Who This Is For
Queer people over 30 who have built lives that function but do not fully feel like their own.
· Ready to look at your patterns honestly
· Ready to engage beyond surface-level conversation
· Ready to experience connection that is not performative
· Ready to question the roles you have learned to play
This is not designed for allies. This is a queer-only space.
Secure Your Spot.
This is a curated experience. The people in the room matter. The level of engagement matters. Choose the room you want to be in.
Shared Room
$5,00016 remaining
Shared suite within the retreat property
Share a beautifully designed suite within our Thailand retreat experience while still having space to rest, recharge, and connect. Shared accommodations offer a more accessible way to experience Fruits of Freedom while creating opportunities for unexpected conversations, friendships, and community throughout the week. Perfect for guests who enjoy connection and are open to sharing part of the experience alongside fellow participants. Includes all retreat programming, meals, excursions, and full access to the retreat property and amenities.
Reserve at GivebutterPrivate Room
$7,0008 remaining
Your own private sanctuary
Enjoy your own private sanctuary throughout the retreat experience. Thoughtfully designed with comfort and restoration in mind, private accommodations offer dedicated space to unwind, reflect, and fully integrate your experience in your own rhythm. Perfect for guests who value solitude, privacy, or simply want additional space between workshops, excursions, and group experiences. Includes all retreat programming, meals, excursions, and full access to the retreat property and amenities.
Reserve at GivebutterNot sure which room is yours? Book a fifteen-minute fit call with the Haus and we will help you choose the right tier for you.
Book a Fit CallAugust 21 – 28, 2026 · Phuket, Thailand