For mothers and sons aged 11–18 | Mandurah WA
He's pulling away. And the more you reach for him, the further he goes.
You haven't lost him. But something between you is changing ... fast ... and nobody gave you a map for this stage.
The Emerging Men Mother-Son Retreat is three days in nature that gives you both something rare: a way back to each other - before adolescence takes him somewhere you can't follow. Held by skilled male mentors and experienced facilitators, this isn't a parenting workshop. It's a shared experience that changes the relationship from the inside out.
UPCOMING DATES
7-9 October 2026 (Waitlist)
23-25 October 2026 (Waitlist)
11-13 January 2027 (2 spots remaining)
30 April-2 May 2027 (9 spots remaining)
100% of retreat participants rated their experience "Amazing". No commitment required on the call.
You're both struggling, and neither of you knows the other side
Right now, in your house, there are two people going through one of the biggest transitions of their lives — at the exact same time. He doesn't have words for what's happening to him. You don't have a map for who he's becoming.
And without a bridge between you, both of you are navigating it alone.
He's living this...
He doesn't know who he is yet — and that's terrifying. His friends, his body, his emotions are all changing at once.
He pushes back against you because you're safe enough to push back against. What looks like rejection is actually trust.
He's desperate for male mentors to tell him what it means to grow up — but modern life doesn't give him those moments.
He wants your approval more than anything — he just can't say it anymore.
You're living this...
You feel like you're watching him through glass. You can see he's struggling but he won't let you in.
Every argument leaves you wondering if you handled it right. You're exhausted from trying to get it exactly right.
You're watching the world tell him who to be — and you're afraid of who it's making him.
You want your relationship with him to survive adolescence — but nobody showed you how to make sure it does.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
You Get This and Much More...
A retreat that brings back the magic, the softness, and the closeness you both crave...
🏡 Your Own Beautiful Room A private queen or king room in a peaceful natural setting — a quiet space where your body softens and truly rests. No mental load. No logistics. Just you, your son, and time that belongs to you both.
🍳 The Gather Chef Challenge Aprons on. Rules out. The most chaotic, hilarious, delicious hour of the retreat.
🚀 Bushcraft and survival skills...archery, spear-making, the hands-on skills he'll want to show off.
💖 A rite of passage-style ritual...to mark this threshold stage of his life.
👥 Team challenges that build trust
🎭 Comedy games to get you laughing (not scary and optional!)
🌬️ Breathwork — For Both of You A playful, guided breathwork session to regulate, energise, and connect. The #1 thing retreat alumni say they still use every day.
🌊 Mud Fight Yes, really. Because sometimes the most connecting thing you can do is get completely, joyfully filthy together — and not care one bit.
🧖 Sauna & Ice Bath Regulation for your nervous system. Exhilaration for your spirit. And the quiet pride of doing something brave — side by side.
📸 Professional Photo Session Candid, natural images of the two of you — captured in a moment when you're both completely, genuinely present. The kind of photos you'll frame.
🌿 Wild Crafting Create something beautiful from nature — together. Keepsakes made by small hands and big hearts that will sit on a shelf long after you've come home.
🧘 Primal Movement & Body Connection Playful, energising movement for all ages. Shake off the week. Wake up your body. Move like nobody's watching — because nobody is.
🍴 All Meals by a Professional Chef Everything made from scratch, with whole ingredients and real love. No prep. No cleanup. No decisions. Just sit down, be fed, and let someone take care of you for once.
🌅 Welcome & Closing Circles Arrive as strangers. Leave as something more. The opening circle settles you in; the closing circle seals what happened between you — so you carry it home.
👩 Mum-Only Sharing Circle Sacred time just for you. To be witnessed, to exhale, and to remember that you are more than what you give to others.
🔥 Fire Circles & Outdoor Cooking Gather around the fire as the sun goes down. Stories, warmth, marshmallows, and the kind of slowness that reminds you both what life feels like without screens.
📖 Storytelling & Connection Games in rite of passage style Tales that spark curiosity, dissolve barriers, and remind you both that the most magical worlds are built together.
🛁 Sound Bath Journey Lie side by side as the resonance of instruments washes over you both. No experience needed... just close your eyes, breathe, and let the sound do what words can't. Children find it magical. Mothers find it medicine.
🍵 Japanese-inspired Tea Sit : Slow down together. A guided sensory ritual that teaches children (and their mothers) how to be fully present in a single moment.
Valued At $4790
LIVE A LIFE BY DESIGN
What you and your son will experience
Set in a stunning natural environment, this three-day adventure invites you to step away from routine and share real, unforgettable moments together.
🔥 Fire & storytelling
Gather around the flames for fire-making, bush cooking, and sharing damper and kangaroo stew under the stars.
🌾 Bushcraft & survival skills
Learn outdoor skills side by side - from fire-lighting and spear making to archery and navigating the bush.
💪 Team challenges
Work together on playful challenges that build trust, communication, and courage.
🎭 Play & improv
Let go of perfection and rediscover joy through creative, laughter-filled games that reconnect you both.
🧘♀️ Embodied connection
Breathwork, play, qi gong, comedy improvisation, ball sports - actions that awaken and surprise.
🌳 Rewilding adventures
Explore the land, craft with your hands, and remember what it feels like to belong in nature.
💬 Sharing & learning
Gentle guided conversations about growing up, identity, and the bond between mother and son.
💗 Rite of passage
Rituals and intentional moments to mark your son’s step toward confident young manhood - and your evolution as his mother.
What’s Included
In a beautiful natural setting, you’ll spend 3 days immersed in meaningful, memory-making experiences:
Games that deepen trust and spark joy
Bush adventures that build confidence, teamwork, and wonder
Rituals of passage that honour this threshold stage of boyhood
Hands-on creative sessions for storytelling, symbolism, and shared pride
Separate mothers’ and boys’ spaces, each held with warmth and intention
Peaceful moments and wildly fun moments, because both are sacred
You don’t need to be outdoorsy. You don’t need to be spiritual. You just need to show up, as you are, and say yes to connection.
This is for you if…
You work hard and love hard, but sometimes feel stretched thin and emotionally distant.
You want to raise a son who’s emotionally intelligent, grounded, and kind, but don’t always know how.
You’re watching your boy change, and you want to honour that shift instead of letting it pass by.
You’ve done personal growth work, and you’re ready to apply it to your parenting in a soulful, embodied way.
You’re craving quality time without screens, pressure, or distraction.
This isn’t a parenting workshop or a lecture. It’s a shared experience...crafted to help you both come home to yourselves and each other.
What You’ll Take Home
A stronger, more open bond with your son - beyond the “fine” and one-word answers.
Tools for calmer communication (and fewer arguments) as he grows more independent.
Experiences that spark inner change - making the everyday challenges of screens, school, and routines feel lighter
A shared adventure that builds confidence, courage, and real memories you’ll both treasure.
A reset for your own nervous system - less reactivity, more calm confidence in the hard moments.
A deep sense of knowing: I showed up for this - and it mattered.
You’re not here to “fix” your son
You’re here to meet him again…in the space between childhood and adolescence. To see him with fresh eyes. To be seen, not just as Mum, the organiser, the driver, or the disciplinarian, but as his safe place. His steady base. His home.
This retreat is designed for mothers and their sons aged 11-18, offering a rare opportunity: a deeply nurturing, yet lightly structured space where connection, courage, and presence can flourish.
The Emerging Men Mother-Son Retreat is a three-day adventure in nature to hit pause on busy life and spend real, quality time together – no phones, no pressure, just adventure, stories, and fun. It’s a space to reconnect, understand each other more deeply, and strengthen the bond that will carry you both into the next chapter.
PICTURE GALLERY
Play, firelight, nature, and connection… everything childhood is meant to be
Because you can’t pour from an empty cup… and yours deserves a refill.
HELLO FROM US
Meet your hosts
Jo O'Dell
Jo is a father, men’s work facilitator, and space-holder devoted to reconnecting men and families with the sacred roots of life. As the founder of The Warrior’s Heart and Father-Hood, Jo creates transformational spaces for men and boys to reclaim emotional expression, grounded presence, and heart-led strength.
Having worked with hundreds of men across Australia, Jo brings a deeply embodied approach to rites of passage, combining somatic release, cultural reverence, and sacred play. He has trained in ceremony, trauma-informed practice, and firekeeping, and was adopted into a Yolŋu family during his own spiritual pilgrimage — an experience that deepened his connection to land, lineage, and fatherhood.
Daniela Englmayr
A mum of four (including three teen!), Daniela brings warmth, depth, and grounded joy to every retreat.
Over the past decade, she has guided dozens of families and hosted close to a dozen retreats, helping parents and young people reconnect in ways that last long after the weekend ends.
Daniela is a trauma-informed counsellor, somatic coach and lifelong adventurer. Her work blends movement, storytelling, and psychology to create experiences where genuine connection and transformation happen naturally. Beyond her retreat work, Daniela has mentored dozens of women and men in both corporate and community settings, supporting them to find balance, purpose, and self-trust. She has worked alongside women and children in crisis, including refugees, survivors of family and domestic violence, and as a counsellor for teenagers struggling within mainstream schooling.
Drawing from her own journey - from stressed and anxious to deeply grounded, playful, and (mostly!) present - Daniela now helps others rediscover what it means to live with presence, pleasure, and purpose.
Kali Balint
A father of three adult children (two sons!) and lifelong adventurer, Kali brings a rare blend of heart, humor, and grounded wisdom.
With more than 25 years of experience working alongside Aboriginal communities across Australia, Kali is known for his innovative and empowering approach to creating long-term change. His work focuses on helping people design and lead strategies that strengthen connection, purpose, and community from the inside out.
When he’s not consulting, you’ll find Kali outdoors - hiking, building, inventing, and sharing his love of nature, practical skills, and meaningful conversation.
At each retreat, Kali brings these same qualities to create an environment where boys and their mothers can rediscover what it means to belong - to the land, to each other, and to themselves.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION
Set into 15 acres of bush just an hour south of Perth...
A hidden pocket of nature close enough to reach easily… yet far enough to feel like a true escape. Where the city noise disappears and the bush wraps around you like a deep exhale. Wake to birdsong, soft morning light, and the kind of stillness your nervous system has been craving.
Accommodation options are beautiful private bedrooms for those who want to be in the main house as well as exquisite glamping bell tents, for those wanting to be even closer to nature.
Testimonials
What our clients say
According to survey results, a whopping 100% of our retreat participants have rated their experience as ‘AMAZING’. Here is what some of our participants have had to say:
"This was one of the best things my son and I have ever done together and I highly recommend it. We will definitely be back again - I’ve already been to one of your other retreats before."
"After attending their mother-daughter retreat, I knew I had to come back with my son. It was so beautiful being in community, learning so much and being in a space where we could connect with other beautiful people."
"Royce and I have been to one of these amazing retreats and we are still reaping the benefits of stronger connection and a better understanding of each other. Plus it was so fun, relaxing and life changing! A highlight was the new friends and connections made too. Do yourself a favour and book you and your son in."
"My son was nervous to go at first because he thought the other boys would be “weird”. But there was such a welcoming atmosphere that he immediately loved it. We had such a beautiful time together, we laughed so much and we are going home feeling much closer and more ready for his teenage years. The facilitators were so attuned and knowledgeable."
"This was one of the best things my son and I have ever done together and I highly recommend it. We will definitely be back again - I’ve already been to one of your other retreats before."
"After attending their mother-daughter retreat, I knew I had to come back with my son. It was so beautiful being in community, learning so much and being in a space where we could connect with other beautiful people."
"Royce and I have been to one of these amazing retreats and we are still reaping the benefits of stronger connection and a better understanding of each other. Plus it was so fun, relaxing and life changing! A highlight was the new friends and connections made too. Do yourself a favour and book you and your son in."
"My son was nervous to go at first because he thought the other boys would be “weird”. But there was such a welcoming atmosphere that he immediately loved it. We had such a beautiful time together, we laughed so much and we are going home feeling much closer and more ready for his teenage years. The facilitators were so attuned and knowledgeable."
Book your retreat
You are purchasing a retreat spot that admits 1 adult and 1 child to Emerging Men Mother-Son Retreat from 11-13 January 2027.
$2,990
Pay In Full
(EARLYBIRD. Regular price is $2,990)
$350
Payment Plan
$350 deposit + 12 fortnightly payments of $230
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
A Glimpse of the days
Day 1
The Leaving Behind
The day the world goes quiet
The Welcome : chai, fresh cake, and the slow exhale of arriving
The Fire Kitchen : cook over open flame, with the Gather-Chef Challenge &
the infamous Gather Spinning Wheel
The Long Table : dinner around the fire
Fire Night
Day 2
The Forging
The day he is tested, and you let go a little.
Rise : outdoor games as the sun comes up
Breakfast, slow and generous
The Rite and The Letting Go : apart, for the morning.
The boys taken on by
the men, tested and spoken to as young men
The mothers held in their
own circle, where letting go becomes its own act of love.
The Sound Journey
A long lunch
The Beat : rhythm you feel before you hear it
The Fire & Ice Ritual : breathplay, sauna, cold plunge, repeat
Dinner
The Courage to Say Yes & No : the man's work of boundaries
Day 3
The Return
Quieter. Bigger
The Stillness or The Wild : gentle Japanese-inspired tea meditation to ease
into the day, or head outdoors for primal movement
Breakfast
The Proving : time at the archery range
The Blessing : the closing circle, where what he is becoming is named and
witnessed.
Tidy emotionally, messy physically. Wear your oldest clothes
The Lightness : an hour of play and laughter to carry the energy home
LEARN MORE
Explore Our Retreats
Retreats that nurture connection, spark joy, and inspire growth. From family bonding to personal renewal and recharging your health, each experience leaves you refreshed and inspired.
Alive & Free Mothers Retreat
This is your space to exhale. To rediscover yourself beyond your role,
PURITY. A Juice-Fast & Vitality Retreat
A powerful cleanse for people who want more focus, more energy, and
Emerging Men Mother-Son Retreat
A rare space led by skilled male mentors where you can reconnect,
Bloom Mother-Daughter Retreat
Give your teen/tween daughter a milestone experience she’ll never forget,
faqs
Frequently asked questions
Can I take more than one child to a retreat?
We recommend attending with one child at a time to allow for deeper connection and more focused bonding. If you’re interested in bringing more than one child, please contact us to discuss options.
Can a mother figure take my child?
Yes. Absolutely! We think of Mother as a Verb, not a noun.
What if I come after arrival time or leave early? Is there flexibility to come and go?
Sorry, but no. You’re in for the whole deal. Once we’re on retreat, we’re there to stay – unless there’s some unforeseen emergency. Leaving disrupts the experience for you and others.
What do I need to bring?
Once you’re signed up, we’ll send you a full list. But the short version is: toiletries and clothes.
Is it true? No mobile phones?
Very true. And even if it sounds painful, it’s probably going to become a huge gift. We will have staff with cameras and promise to share the pictures. Just grab them and ask to have a picture taken.
Is this a spiritual retreat?
No specific faith or belief system is promoted. Our approach is grounded, heart-centered, and inclusive – drawing on mindfulness, ritual and modern psychology. The tone is gentle, respectful, and appropriate for a wide range of beliefs.
What if my child is nervous or shy?
That’s completely okay – and very common! Our facilitators create a safe, welcoming environment where every participant can move at their own pace. Many children leave feeling more confident and connected than they ever imagined.
What happens after the retreat?
You’ll leave with practical tools and shared language to continue the connection and growth at home. So far all of our groups have organised to stay in touch and support each other beyond the retreat – we encourage this! We also offer ongoing mentoring and programs to support you beyond your retreat experience.
Can I get a refund after I register?
We do not provide refunds if you decide not to come or cannot make it after you register. You may transfer registration to another family, provided they pass our application process. Please consider this risk and commitment before registering. By booking, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.
What's the sleeping arrangement?
You and your child will share your own private room or premium glamping setup together, with either a twin or a queen/double bed, so you're close by the whole time.
Can you cater for allergies or dietary needs?
We cater for all dietary needs and allergies. We will ask you for details in the
registration process so our private onsite chef can plan around it
What if my child doesn't want to come?
That's really common, and honestly, it's often the sons who are most reluctant who end up getting the most out of it. Our team has a lot of experience helping mums navigate that conversation, we've got strategies that work, and we're happy to talk it through with you before you book. Reach out and we'll help you find the right way in.
Do the mentors spend one-on-one time with them, or is it all group-based?
It's a mix of both, whatever's needed. The retreat is built around group experiences, but our mentors also make space for one-on-one time as it's required, whether that's a quiet conversation, extra support settling in, or just a moment away from the group.
Still have questions?
We would love to chat. Send us an email to [email protected] or book a free chat below.
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