GATHER: a grief-tending retreat

November 13-15, 2026

Black Bear Lodge | South Lake Tahoe, CA

A grief-tending retreat for parents who have experienced stillbirth and infant loss; a place to be held + nourished

❋ Intentional Structure

We are curating a structure that centers nourishment, quiet, connection, and ritual.

❋ Heart-led Facilitation

Led by experienced guides who know how to hold space, honor depth, and support relaxation.

❋ A Supportive Space

This retreat prioritizes comfort, safety, and respect—so you can show up just as you are and receive.

Honor love + loss with ritual, nourishment, & community
Day One

arrival + grounding

As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, share stories, + be nourished.


Arrival

3:00 pm


Opening circle

4:30pm


Dinner

6:00pm


Day Two

nourishment + connection

Be deeply held, witnessed, + supported through somatic movement, ritual, guided reflection, massage, acupuncture, + soundbath.


Coffee & Breakfast

8:00-9:00am


Morning Gathering

9:15-11:30am


Lunch 

12-1pm


Massage, Acupuncture +Freetime

2:00pm


Dinner

6:30pm


Intimate Live Music by Robin Orr

(only for retreat guests)

7:30pm


Day Three

reflection + honoring

Our time together concludes with a communal grief ritual + closing circle


Coffee & Breakfast

8:00-9:00am


Grief Ritual + Closing Circle

9:15-10:30am


Check Out + Departure

11:00am


Book Your Stay through Black Bear Lodge with promo code “GATHER”

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Team

*

Your Team *

Rachel

Owner of Black Bear Lodge

On June 5, 2018 my daughter Aspen was born. I went to the hospital in the middle of the night because my contractions were consistent and increasing. I was 37 weeks pregnant, I thought I was in labor. Then the nurse couldn’t find a heartbeat. “That happens sometimes with this machine,” she said. They brought in another machine, then they called in my OB. With tears in her eyes, she told my husband and I that our daughter was no longer with us.

The last 8 years have been a journey through grief that I never could have imagined. When my loss was fresh, connecting with moms who had a similar experience made me feel seen. It was like a little soft cushion in a field of unimaginable pain. I built this retreat with Katelyn to create a space for connection and healing.

Katelyn

Retreat Facilitator

Katelyn Morris is an multimedia artist, teacher, non-clinical depth psychologist who explores the many facets of our human experience through color, form, sound, movement, ritual, and education. Her work centers connection to nature as a pathway to healing and inner wholeness.

Through a decades-long journey with chronic illness Katelyn came into the practice of grief-tending as a way to be in relationship with the ever-changing flow of life, and to honor the innumerable losses we experience in a soulful and connected way. We exist in a time that largely lacks meaningful grief practices, so this retreat revisions the way we approach grief collectively, allowing space for rest, honoring, and communal healing.