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Couples Workshop 2024

December 6, 2023/in Dating, Events, Marriage, Relationships, Retreats/by Benita Esposito

Fostering Secure Attachment

through Effective Communication

Virtual Communication Skills for Couples Workshop

This one-day live virtual workshop is designed for couples in a committed relationship who want to enhance their communication and conflict management skills. If you have a good relationship, it will become even stronger. If you experience difficulties, you will gain practical tools to repair rifts and restore secure attachment with each other. The workshop is facilitated by a Licensed Professional Counselor with four decades experience.

Deep Emotional Healing Retreats 2024

November 18, 2023/in Retreats/by Benita Esposito

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Excavate and express your radiant Authentic Self …

the person God meant you to be.

Two days: May 18-19, 2024. Register by April 1.

Two days: October 5-6, 2024. Register by September 1.

Young Harris, Georgia overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Maximum of 6 participants. Register early to ensure your seat.

Many clients attend multiple retreats because they are all different. The retreats evolve organically based on the participants’ goals.

Unresolved emotional wounds decrease our ability to create fulfilling relationships and a meaningful career. They contribute to stress, dis-ease, anxiety and depression. But the good news is, you can heal.

Who Should Attend?

Adults over 21. Singles and couples are welcome..

Why Attend this Retreat?

Relationship issues: Do you get emotionally triggered when you have conflicts and it takes a long time to recover? Wish your relationships were more fulfilling? Do you find yourself repeating unwanted patterns?

Spirituality: Do you get thrown off-center when things don’t go your way? Do you want to feel whole all the time, no matter what people do?

Mindset and Mood: Do limiting thoughts and “monkey-mind chatter” generate anxiety or depression? Do you procrastinate, hoping conflicts will just go away?

Health: Do you experience physical illness or pain? Do you suspect that unhealed emotional wounds may be a contributing factor?

Career: Do you want to create a meaningful career where you can be your Authentic Self? Do you sense the creative reservoir within, but you don’t fully express your gifts in the world?

Work-Life Balance: Do you find yourself being so busy that you have trouble finding enough time for your loved ones and down-time for yourself?

If you answered “yes” to many of these questions, I want you to know that you don’t have to continue to suffer. This retreat can help you make deep core changes … more than you think is possible in one weekend.

Retreat venue. Photo credit: Benita A Esposito

“I just wanted to thank you again for hosting such a wonderful and inspirational weekend retreat. I continued to ride the wave all the way home! As I reflected on one of the weekend’s more intense moments I found myself crying tears of despair, but they were instantaneously transformed into tears of joy as I instinctively felt comfort from God. Thanks to your guidance, I now know how to access the healing, the answers, the wisdom and the love.” ~B.M., Computer Programmer

This retreat will help you …

Raise your relationships, career, health and spirituality to a whole new level of fulfillment.

Receive insights so compelling that you naturally flow into effective action instead of getting bogged down in self-defeating patterns.

Experience rigorous yet gentle leadership so you stop procrastinating and effectively reach your goals.

Allow God’s love to heal you and release wave after wave of creativity. Bask in the sweetness of spiritual intimacy, drawing ever closer to God. Enjoy accelerated healing in the beauty of our mountain lake.

You’ll transform life patterns that no longer serve you.
You’ll heal emotional wounds so you can create what is most meaningful in your life.
You’ll be better equipped to create flourishing relationships.
You’ll connect with your Authentic Self and God so you can feel whole all the time.
You’ll develop self-compassion so you accept yourself right where you are, flaws and all.
You’ll learn skills to reduce physical and emotional pain. Your body will feel safer to unwind and relax. You’ll heal faster.
You’ll experience the sweetness of spiritual intimacy and unconditional love in a group of like-hearted companions. Feeling safe helps you open up.

Last night while soaking in the hot tub, I had a mental slideshow of past retreats and how transformative they’ve been for me. For many years there’s been a deep ache inside of me because my father didn’t affirm me. This unresolved pain caused great difficulty with my romantic relationships. During the breathwork session while I was in a dreamy state, I appeared as a radiant bride and my Dad finally gave me the adoration I have wanted all my life. Now six months later, I still feel the love that was planted in me during that retreat. What a priceless journey, worth more than gold! – T.H, Entrepreneur

What Makes This Retreat So Powerful?

This retreat is a safe place for you to dive deep into emotional healing so you can experience major transformation in a compressed time.

Private counseling sessions of 50 minutes don’t allow for this kind of deep healing. You have an entire weekend to heal layer after layer. Your Authentic Self will shine so much more brightly.

You will benefit from my four decades of professional counseling expertise, but the most powerful healer is the Holy Spirit.

This retreat is custom-tailored to the small group of 4-6 participants.

–>If you’d like to see if this retreat is a good fit for you, please complete the Contact Form for a complimentary 10-minute get-acquainted phone chat. I look forward to hearing from you.

“As we closed the retreat, I felt probably for the first time in my life, a deep grief that I would be leaving a group of people that meant so much to me. It’s rare for me to have a deep desire to continue to be a part of new people’s lives, and have them be a part of mine. My path in life has been a solitary one, and I mostly liked it that way, but at the same time I felt lonely, isolated, and different. I never before realized how much I wanted to share myself with others, and to share their path and their experience.” E.W., Software Development Consultant

Retreat Activities

You will complete a questionnaire two to three weeks before the retreat telling me exactly what you want to experience in this retreat. I will design processes to meet your specific needs. The agenda remains fluid throughout the retreat so that everyone’s goals are met. Every retreat is different. Some people attend retreats for several years, deepening their growth and renewing friendships with other participants.

There will be several types of experiential learning formats that facilitate deep transformation.

(1) I will coach one person while the group learns vicariously. Group members learn more than they ever thought possible by observing someone else being coached. We have Q&A sessions so you understand everything as you go along.

(2) Several people with similar issues will participate in a transformational process simultaneously.

(3) Short lectures, written exercises, hand-outs, movement to music, mindfulness, deep breathing, relaxation, body-awareness activities, and didactic conversations.

(4) We do Breathwork when we meet in person. We will have at least one long Breathwork session. Breathwork is my most effective tool for generating deep spiritual-psychological-emotional-physical transformation.

***Read all these pages before you apply for the retreat if we meet in person.

Breathwork is an intense transformational process. That’s why it is important that you read all the following posts before inquiring about the retreat.

Read this description of Breathwork.

Read these client stories on Breathwork.

Read this Breathwork Q&A discussion.

Click to read FAQs – What is it like to attend a Deep Emotional Healing Retreat?

Tallulah Gorge by Benita Esposito

“I had never really even entertained the idea of doing a retreat. Scared me to death. This time I had some help coaxing me to go, but I knew I would do it anyway. Once my spirit decided it was the place to be, then it was so powerful that I had to surrender. So far it’s been one life changing experience after another. Right now I am flying. I mean high! I feel like running up this path barefooted if I have to. What an amazing life I have!” – V.S., Psychotherapist

Agenda: Saturday and Sunday

Group 9:30am – 11:30pm

Break 11:30 – 12:30pm

Group 12:30 – 2:30pm

Break 2:30 – 3:30pm

Group 3:30 – 5:30pm

Please be flexible on the ending times to accommodate the needs of the group.

This semi-private retreat consists of 4-6 people. If we have 4 people, we may meet five hours on Sunday, instead of six hours.

Prerequisites

Three private sessions for new clients must be completed at least one month before the retreat. Please apply now to get started with your private sessions if you are a new client. Complete the Contact Page for a complimentary10-minute get-acquainted phone chat to see if we are a good fit.

“My cheek muscles have been sore since I returned from the retreat. Could this be from smiling so much that it hurts? I have to say, when I left the retreat I had some good gut wrenching cries of loss and now I do believe that joy is here! I am walking around singing, laughing, and just having fun with myself. I want to spread this around to everyone.”- M.F., Technical Trainer

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Photo Benita A Esposito

Facilitator: Benita A. Esposito, MA, LPC, LCMHC

Benita is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Christian spiritual counselor with four decades experience. She respects all spiritual paths that advocate love and respect for life.

Benita’s Bio

Want a preview of my work?

Click here to watch my book video: The Gifted Highly Sensitive Introvert: Wisdom for Emotional Healing and Expressing Your Radiant Authentic Self.

“By working with Benita Esposito over the last eight years in one-on-one and in group settings, I have deeply explored the outer reaches of consciousness, and the inner depths of my body-mind-soul-emotions. Via strong empathetic connection with me, Benita has intuitively guided me and coached me through issues so I can create healthy personal and business relationships. I benefit most from group retreats where there is a mixture of people’s energies. The extended time to work on things is crucial to digging deep and making major changes, while the beautiful Nature settings give me the soothing arena I need to process the experiences. Jump at the chance to be involved in a retreat as often as possible – that is my recommendation. If a retreat doesn’t suit you, choose another format. It is an honor and a privilege to have Benita as the co-creator of my true destiny and journey towards my Authentic Self.” ~ L.S., Software Engineer

Tuition for two days: $695.00.

Registration deadline: one month prior to each retreat

Space is limited to 6 people. Register now to save your seat.

Contact me for payment instructions.

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List of hotels and restaurants

When we meet in person (not during the pandemic), you will want to reserve your lodging early. Space fills up quickly for the Fall leaf season in the mountains at the end of October and beginning of November.

Photo credit: Benita Esposito

Refund Policy

All refund requests must be made via email. Complete the contact form.
• 30 or more days before the retreat, there will be a full refund minus a $50 processing fee.
• No refunds 0 – 29 days before the retreat, but you may apply your fee to private sessions or another retreat within 1 year, minus a $50 fee.

Facilitator’s Cancellation Policy

If an event must be cancelled due to unforeseen events (such as the weather or illness of the facilitator) the event will be rescheduled. Every attempt will be made to accommodate a new date that will suit your needs. If that is not possible, you may apply your tuition to another event of your choice within one year or apply your fee to private sessions.

“When you polish your facet of the diamond, the whole diamond glows more brilliantly.” ~ Benita A. Esposito, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor

What Creates True Fulfillment?

November 16, 2023/in Articles/by Benita Esposito

The Positive Psychology Perspective

At age 21 when I was in the Clinical Psychology graduate program, I wasn’t like the other students. I was interested in learning how high achievers learn to lead exceptional lives. Human potential theories such as Abraham Maslow’s Self-actualization fascinated me more than curing diseases and disorders. I’m still that way. The way I see it, we’re all evolving – all the time. It’s our natural inclination.

Don’t get me wrong. It is extremely helpful to heal the wounds that bind us, but we can’t stop there if we want to live truly fulfilling lives.

I want to help all my clients flourish. That’s why I named my psychotherapy website: flourishing-lives.com.

During the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I like to review the past year and contemplate how I can make the next year even richer for my clients and for myself.

*** When you’re thinking about gift-giving during the Holidays, keep in mind that it may NOT be the material things that generate the most joy.

In his book, Flourishing, Martin Seligman’s positive psychology research reveals some surprising insights.

Dr. Seligman’s early work focused on what makes us happy. He called it Authentic Happiness. In Flourishing he says, “I’m trying to broaden the scope of positive psychology well beyond the smiley face. Happiness is just one-fifth of what human beings choose to do.”

Seligman continues, “I used to think that the topic of positive psychology was happiness, that the gold standard for measuring happiness was life satisfaction, and that the goal of positive psychology was to increase life satisfaction. I now think that the topic of positive psychology is well-being, that the gold standard for measuring well-being is flourishing, and that the goal of positive psychology is to increase flourishing. This theory, which I call well-being theory, is very different from authentic happiness theory, and the difference requires explanation.”

Now, happiness is often known by another name in positive psychology research: subjective well-being, or SWB.

“A pattern of mistakes is a call to change your life. The rest of the tapestry is not determined by what has been woven before. The weaver herself, blessed with knowledge and with freedom, can change—if not the material she must work with—the design of what comes next.”

“Curing the negatives does not produce the positives.”

― Martin E.P. Seligman, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being

During this holiday season, as you contemplate gift-giving and what you want to accomplish in the new year, consider what creates enduring fulfillment.

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Seligman found five elements (PERMA) that create well-being.

Positive emotion. For me, it’s the pleasurable feeling I get when I walk through a forest to a waterfall. Or a warm hug, or dancing to the beat of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Or, when I buy a new plant for my garden. It’s more temporary than long-lasting.
Engagement. Sometimes called “flow”, it’s when we enter the state of consciousness where we are totally absorbed in a project we love. Two hours pass in the blink of an eye.
Relationships. Healthy loving relationships are the number one thing that helps us feel healthy and whole. This also includes the relationship we have with ourselves (self-compassion) and our spiritual connection. Even when relationships are rocky, we can cultivate secure attachment within ourselves and our spiritual connection. That can become the solid ground from which we push off to create healthy external relationships. A good round of therapy helps people develop this internal relationship, as well as strengthen external relationships.
Meaning. What are your core values, your guiding light, your North Star? Mine are health, beauty, excellence, and spirituality. No matter how difficult my life is, when I choose activities that reflect my core values, I am leading a meaningful life. For example, when I was in several dysfunctional relationships, I used them as opportunities to learn how to become a wiser person. That’s an expression of health, excellence, and spirituality.
Accomplishment. Seligman suggests that when we’re motivated to win for winning’s sake, we feel fulfilled. We all have a core need to grow and become better, whether that’s winning a tennis match, cooking a delicious seafood dinner, or climbing a mountain. A big accomplishment for me was pushing past my fears to write and publish a book.

― Martin E. P. Seligman. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being

I also like the term, “self-happiness.” It refers to a sense of happiness or satisfaction with one’s self. It is often associated with self-confidence, self-esteem, and other concepts that marry “the self” with feeling content and happy. In general, it means that you are pleased with yourself and your choices, and with the person that you are.

NEXT STEPS

If you are eager to learn how to create a truly fulfilling life, expert coaching will accelerate your progress better than working by yourself.

Don’t just focus on getting rid of what hurts. That’s only half the issue.

Learn how to be the conscious creative force in your life while partnering with your spiritual connection.

Join us for the Conscious Creating Class.

When: New Year’s Day 2024. 12noon-3 pm Eastern

Where: Zoom

Early Bird Discount: Register by December 20.

Click here for all the details on the Conscious Creating Class.

Reflections: Now It’s Your Turn.

Take a few minutes to get peaceful and quiet. Journal your ideas about the following:

What would make your life richer in the five PERMA areas?
What have you done in the last year to make progress in each area? Acknowledge your progress. Pat yourself on the back. Research shows that our mood lifts and our sense of empowerment grows when we focus on what we are grateful for.
As you contemplate the five elements, what is your next step to move toward the expression of your Authentic Self? Where is your spirit directing your attention? Spend a few minutes writing from the voice of your Wise Self and your spiritual connection.

“Authentic happiness derives from raising the bar for yourself, not rating yourself against others.” – Martin Seligman

Author: Benita A. Esposito, MA, LPC, LCMHC.

Benita A. Esposito is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina.

My profile has been certified by PsychologyToday.com.

I have practiced psychotherapy for four decades, helping adult individuals and couples in private sessions, groups and intensive retreats. I love the retreats best because so much transformation occurs in such a short time. I like results!

Education: I earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology (1976) and a bachelor’s degree in psychology (1973) from Illinois State University.

I am certified in Brainspotting.

Specialties

Counseling with adult individuals over the age of 21 who want to reduce anxiety, stress, depression, grief and trauma. I also help people heal the emotional roots of dis/ease with my holistic practices.
Couples Counseling to create a secure attachment bond and heal the wounds that have caused attachment breaches. I use Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Gottman Couple Therapy.
Counseling Highly Sensitive Introverts is one of my greatest joys. Read my bestselling book: The Gifted Highly Sensitive Introvert: Wisdom for Emotional Healing and Expressing Your Radiant Authentic Self available on Amazon. Take the quiz to see if you are a highly sensitive introvert: www.SensitiveIntrovert.com.