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Free cancelation 90 days before check in
The Rainforest Within: Creative Therapy Retreat For Women
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Activities
Art & Music
Meditation
Healing
Other
Rafting / Kayaking
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Minimum no. of participants
6
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Suitable for
All levels
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Accommodation
Hotel
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Length of retreat
7 nights
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Meals included
Breakfast
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Capacity
up to 12 persons
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Main instructor language
English
Instructors also speak
Join us for The Rainforest Within, a 7-day art therapy retreat in Dominica designed for women over 40 to rest, reconnect, and restore. Based at the Tamarind Tree Hotel, our days flow between creativity and nature: swimming beneath waterfalls, soaking in volcanic hot springs, exploring vibrant markets, and journaling by the Caribbean Sea. Each excursion is balanced with guided art therapy workshops – from watercolour journaling and leaf printmaking to clay vessel sculpting and mandala stone painting. Evenings close with reflection circles and nourishing local meals. This is your invitation to pause, create, and return home renewed.
Meditation
Meditation sessions in the rainforest, waterfalls and in the healing waters of natural sulphur pools.
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Airport pick-up and transfer to The Tamarind Tree Hotel.
For those arriving in the morning.
Drive to the indigenous Kalinago Territory and learn about the Ameri-Indian culture and community.
Afternoon arrivals will join us at Salisbury Beach for a late afternoon Welcome circle, beach combing overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Create Beach mandalas with sea glass and stones and natural flora and fauna
Gentle creative introduction: Clay & Colour for Grounding (hands in earth materials to land in the body).
Welcome Dinner with local Creole flavours.
Day 2
Early Morning yoga-inspired movement and breathwork.
Visit to Trafalgar Falls – short hike and swim beneath twin cascades. The adventurous can scramble up to the sulphuric waters of the Papa waterfall whilst those seeking rest and restoration can bathe and meditate in the healing waters below.
Afternoon - trip to Portsmouth - An escorted boat ride up Indian River to a secret rum bar, pass The Pirates of The Caribbean Set and finish on the beach for an art therapy workshop: writing for emotional release.
Evening reflection and release circle with herbal tea.
Day 3
Guided hike through Morne Trois Pitons National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Picnic in the rainforest with time for creative writing or journalling.
Afternoon studio: Leaf Impressions – printmaking with natural textures.
Sunset meditation or yoga by the pool.
Day 4
• Excursion to Boiling Lake viewpoint or (gentler option) Wotten Waven hot sulphur springs.
• Group discussion: balancing inner fire, passion, and rest.
• Art therapy with clay: Sculpting Vessels for Holding Energy.
• Evening stargazing
Day 5
Morning visit to Roseau Market – colours, spices, rhythms.
Sketching/journaling in market.
Afternoon Visit a local farm for Farm to Table tasting experience with local award winning farm chef.
Day 6
Boat trip on the Caribbean Sea (snorkel at Champagne Reef or enjoy dolphin watching).
Beach ritual: symbolic release of burdens into the sea (biodegradable offering).
Group therapeutic art session to anchor intentions.
Farewell circle, gratitude and celebration dinner.
Day 7
Morning reflection journaling.
Swim and snorkelling in the Caribbean sea
Closing circle: Carrying Creativity and Healing Home.
Airport transfer.
Perched on a cliffside overlooking the Caribbean Sea, The Tamarind Tree Hotel offers the perfect balance of comfort and simplicity. Nestled between Salisbury and Coulibistrie, this family-run hotel is surrounded by lush rainforest and within easy reach of Dominica’s waterfalls, hot springs, and hiking trails. Guests can unwind in the pool, enjoy fresh Caribbean-inspired meals at the open-air restaurant, and watch unforgettable sunsets over the ocean. With its welcoming atmosphere and close connection to nature, The Tamarind Tree provides a serene base for rest, creativity, and exploration – an ideal home for our restorative art therapy retreat.
A five minute walk to the glistening sand of Salisbury Beach
Set between rainforest and sea, The Tamarind Tree Hotel offers an ideal base to explore Dominica’s natural treasures. Just minutes away, Mero Beach invites slow mornings or peaceful sunset walks along soft volcanic sand. The gentle rhythm of the Caribbean tide offers a perfect backdrop for journaling, sketching, or simply resting in the salt air.
A short drive brings you to Dominica’s most beloved waterfalls. At Trafalgar Falls, twin cascades – one hot, one cool – mirror the balance of passion and calm we seek within ourselves. Here, you can bathe in natural pools or gather inspiration for creative flow in the outdoor studio space back at the hotel. The enchanting Emerald Pool, nestled deep in the rainforest, shimmers with green light and invites a sense of renewal and quiet reflection.
For deeper adventures, the UNESCO-listed Morne Trois Pitons National Park offers volcanic hot springs, lush forest trails, and unforgettable viewpoints. Immersing yourself in these landscapes becomes more than sightseeing – it is a journey into the elements, reconnecting body, mind, and spirit with the wild, restorative heart of nature.
How to get there
Airport
Douglas-Charles Airport - 49 km
Hotel
Perched on a cliffside overlooking the Caribbean Sea, The Tamarind Tree Hotel offers the perfect balance of comfort and simplicity. Nestled between Salisbury and Coulibistrie, this family-run hotel is surrounded by lush rainforest and within easy reach of Dominica’s waterfalls, hot springs, and hiking trails. Guests can unwind in the pool, enjoy fresh Caribbean-inspired meals at the open-air restaurant, and watch unforgettable sunsets over the ocean. With its welcoming atmosphere and close connection to nature, you'll make friends with varieties of Humming Birds and friendly Iguanas - The Tamarind Tree provides a serene base for rest, creativity, and exploration – an ideal home for our restorative art therapy retreat.
- Outdoor pool
- Garden
- Parking
- Free wifi
- Tours and daytrips
- Retreat planning services
- Holistic treatments
- Outdoor terrace
- Linen & towels provided
- Massages
- Outdoor yoga deck
- Restaurant nearby
Traditional, simple breakfast included. Expect eggs cooked to order, fruit, toast, banana bread, local jams and fresh fruit juice, tea and coffee and herbal island teas.
- Breakfast
- Flights
- Tips
- Transfers
- Dinner (except Welcome Dinner and Farm to Table experience)
- Lunches
Free cancelation 90 days before check in
Guests will incur a fee 20% if they cancel their booking 89-30 days before check-in
Guests will incur a fee 50% if they cancel their booking 30 days before check-in
Guests will incur a fee 100% if they cancel their booking 14 days before check-in
Emma
Instructor
Meet Your Retreat Leader – Emma Thackham
I am Emma Thackham, an HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist, socially engaged artist, and founder of One Life Art Therapy. My work has always centred on creating safe and transformative spaces where people can reconnect with themselves through creativity, story, and nature.
As an adoptee, an artist, and a therapist, I have walked the path of seeking belonging, rest, and self-understanding. This personal journey has shaped my professional practice: I know how vital it is to have time away from everyday demands, surrounded by beauty and community, to gently explore what it means to live fully and authentically.
Over the past decade, I have worked with children, families, and adults across community, health, and heritage settings, weaving together art therapy, ritual, and place-based creativity. Alongside my therapeutic practice in Cheshire, UK, I lead creative research projects exploring identity, ancestry, and healing through art and environment. Whether it is needle-felting as a way to process grief, curating collective art installations, or guiding therapeutic art circles, my focus is always on offering meaningful, embodied experiences that restore connection and resilience.
In leading this retreat, I bring my love for the Caribbean island of Dominica, a place rich with waterfalls, rainforest, and ancestral energy. Here, I invite you to pause, breathe, and receive. Through guided art therapy sessions, gentle rituals, and immersive day trips into nature, you will be supported to rest deeply, reconnect with your creative self, and restore your sense of wholeness.
This retreat is designed for women over 40 who give so much to others yet long to replenish themselves. My role is to hold the space with warmth, sensitivity, and creativity, so you leave with renewed energy, handmade artworks, and a deeper connection to yourself.
Art and music
I’m an artist, art psychotherapist and children’s author. I love to help others to tap into their inner creative muse to work through trauma, grief and the complexities of our life journeys to move towards rest, relaxation and healing.