BALI RETREAT

Advanced Compassion Focused Therapy Retreat, Bali

Venue: Swasti Eco Cottages, Ubud, Bali
Advanced Retreat: 1–8 August 2027
Full Two-Week Experience: 1–15 August 2027
Facilitator: Dr Chris Irons

Overview

Are you already working with Compassion Focused Therapy and looking for the space to deepen your knowledge, strengthen your self-practice and reconnect with the reasons you do this work?

Join us in Bali for an immersive Advanced Compassion Focused Therapy Retreat led by internationally recognised CFT trainer and clinical psychologist Dr Chris Irons.

The first week combines advanced CFT teaching with experiential practice, reflection, movement, rest and meaningful connection within a small international group of therapists and professionals working in caring roles.

For those who would like more time to integrate the experience, there is also the option to remain in Bali for a second week.

Week Two, Embedding the Practice, offers a more spacious programme in which participants can live with what they have learned, deepen their personal practice and explore how compassion can become more firmly rooted in their professional and everyday lives.

Our first week will be based at Swasti Eco Cottages, a beautiful Balinese wellness retreat in Ubud. The optional second week will begin with two nights on Gili Air, followed by five nights at our proposed second venue, Sthala, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Ubud. Here, we’ll continue our journey through co-created workshops, experiential days and opportunities to embed the practice.

You can choose:

• The seven-night Advanced CFT Retreat
• The full 14-night Bali CFT Experience, including the Advanced Retreat and the Embedding the Practice week

The Embedding the Practice programme builds directly upon the learning, relationships and group connection established during Week One. It is therefore available to participants attending the Advanced Retreat.

THE ADVANCED CFT RETREAT

Week One: 1–8 August 2027

The first week is designed for therapists, psychologists and other professionals who already have knowledge or experience of Compassion Focused Therapy.

Led by Dr Chris Irons, the programme will explore CFT ideas, practices and clinical applications at a deeper level. Participants will have opportunities to experience the work personally, rather than learning about it only intellectually.

The week will include:

• Advanced CFT workshops with Dr Chris Irons
• Experiential exercises and guided self-practice
• Opportunities to connect CFT learning with clinical practice
• Morning yoga, mindful movement or grounding practices
• Personal reflection and journalling time
• A welcoming and supportive small-group environment
• Selected group lunches and dinners
• An introduction to Bali and Balinese culture
• Time to rest, explore and enjoy the retreat surroundings

What Makes This an Advanced CFT Retreat?

This is not an introductory Compassion Focused Therapy retreat.

It has been created for professionals who already have a working familiarity with the main principles and practices of CFT and are ready to deepen their understanding, self-practice and clinical application of the model.

Because participants arrive with prior CFT knowledge, the retreat can move beyond the foundations and into a deeper level of exploration.

The advanced nature of the retreat comes from:

• A participant group already familiar with the central ideas and language of CFT
• Deeper teaching and discussion that builds upon existing knowledge
• Advanced experiential exercises and guided self-practice
• Greater focus on clinical application and professional reflection
• Opportunities to explore the relationship between personal practice and professional work
• Shared learning with other experienced, CFT-informed professionals
• The option to remain for Week Two and begin embedding the learning into daily life

For participants joining the full two-week experience, the learning does not end when the formal workshops finish.

Week Two provides time to practise what has been learned, experience compassion in different settings and consider how the work can be carried into clinical practice, relationships and everyday life.

This combination of existing knowledge, advanced teaching, experiential learning and sustained integration is what makes the Bali retreat a genuinely advanced CFT experience.

WHY BALI?

Bali offers something different.

It is a place where daily life, spirituality, nature, food and community remain closely connected.

Based in Ubud, the retreat will be surrounded by tropical gardens, rice fields, temples and a rich wellbeing community.

The setting allows us to combine advanced professional learning with rest, reflection, cultural understanding and a slower pace of life.

Swasti Eco Cottages offers a peaceful retreat environment with:

• Tropical gardens
• Yoga and workshop spaces
• An organic café and restaurant
• A swimming pool
• Traditional Balinese and Javanese-inspired accommodation
• Quiet spaces for reflection and rest
• Easy access to Ubud and the surrounding area

It is a setting designed to support both focused learning and genuine restoration.

EMBEDDING THE PRACTICE

Week Two: 8–15 August 2027

What Does Embedding the Practice Mean?

Professional training can give us new ideas, practices and understanding.

The more difficult part often begins afterwards: finding the time and space to continue practising, noticing what gets in the way and allowing the learning to influence how we actually work and live.

Week Two has been designed to create that space.

It gives participants time to allow the learning from Week One to settle, notice what has shifted and explore compassion in a more spacious, embodied and everyday way.

The rhythm will be lighter and more flexible than the Advanced Retreat, but it will remain clearly connected to CFT.

It is not another week of intensive classroom teaching.

It is also not simply an extended holiday or an unrelated addition to the retreat.

It is a carefully held experience in which participants continue learning through reflection, the body, nature, culture, community and daily life.

There will be enough structure to keep the group connected and purposeful, alongside the space needed for genuine rest, choice and integration.

What Will the Embedding the Practice Programme Include?

The programme will be shaped around three connected themes.

Mind

• Morning reflections and intentions
• Light-touch CFT integration
• Opportunities to notice threat, drive and safeness in everyday situations
• Participant-led workshops and shared practices
• Clinical discussion and professional reflection
• Journalling and small-group conversations
• Time to explore meaning, values and compassionate motivation
• A final Taking It Home integration process
• Space to consider what needs to change, continue or be protected after returning home

Body

• Yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound or mindful movement
• Private restorative practices held for the group
• Rest, massage and pool time
• Nature-based reflection
• A rice-field, organic farm, cooking or farm-to-table experience
• A waterfall or nature-based reflection day
• A hot-springs, water or purification experience
• Opportunities to experience compassion through the body rather than only thinking about it

Soul, Culture and Place

• Balinese cultural and spiritual context
• Respectful experiences led by trusted local practitioners and guides
• A purification or water-based reflective experience
• Ceremonial or contemplative group practices
• Time in nature
• Meaningful group connection
• Space to reflect upon purpose, direction and what matters
• A closing integration and celebration experience

The final combination of activities will be carefully planned with trusted local partners. The programme may be adjusted according to local conditions and what best supports the group.

A Co-Created Experience

Participants will be invited to contribute to selected parts of the Embedding the Practice programme.

Some may wish to offer:

• A reflective or mindfulness practice
• A creative session
• A clinical discussion
• A movement or body-based practice
• A CFT-informed workshop
• A session connected to their own professional knowledge or experience

Potential contributions will be discussed in advance and placed within protected spaces in the programme.

Nobody will be expected to lead a session, and the programme will not depend upon participant contributions in order to work.

The week will be held and supported throughout, with participant-led elements adding depth, variety and a sense of shared ownership.

Space to Rest, Work and Explore

Embedding a practice does not happen by filling every available hour.

Week Two is intentionally spacious.

There will be time to:

• Rest by the pool
• Visit local cafés and restaurants
• Book a massage or wellbeing treatment
• Explore Ubud
• Spend time with a partner or family member
• Work online where necessary
• Take time alone
• Connect informally with other participants
• Journal and reflect
• Join selected group experiences
• Simply do less

Some days will include a shared group experience. Other days will be lighter and allow for more personal choice.

Participants will have a clear programme and rhythm, but they will not be expected to attend every optional activity.

The aim is to create a thoughtful balance between meaningful structure, spaciousness and genuine rest.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Advanced Seven-Night Retreat

The Advanced CFT Retreat includes:

• Seven nights’ accommodation at Swasti Eco Cottages
• Daily breakfast
• Five group lunches
• Three group dinners, including opening and farewell celebrations
• Advanced CFT teaching with Dr Chris Irons
• Advanced experiential exercises and guided self-practice
• Morning yoga, mindful movement or grounding practices
• An introduction to Bali and Balinese culture
• Workshop and practice spaces
• Personal reflection and journalling time
• Retreat app and WhatsApp group
• Pre-arrival information and travel support
• Special gifts and carefully curated touches
• On-site retreat support throughout

Flights are not included.

Full Two-Week Bali CFT Experience

The full experience includes everything provided during the Advanced Retreat, plus:

• Two nights on the beautiful island of Gili Air, followed by five nights at Sthala, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Ubud
• Daily breakfast
• Selected group lunches and dinners
• Morning reflection and integration sessions
• Participant-led and co-created workshops
• Light-touch CFT integration sessions
• Selected private group wellbeing practices
• Rice-field, farm-to-table or cooking experience
• Waterfall or nature-based reflection experience
• Hot-springs, water or purification experience
• Local cultural and spiritual input
• Transport for included group activities
• Taking It Home integration process
• Final celebration dinner and closing experience
• Ongoing on-site retreat support

Flights, personal treatments and separately selected optional excursions are not included.

 Gili Air

WHAT TO EXPECT

This is not a large, anonymous conference or a standard package holiday.

It is a carefully planned small-group retreat where people are known, supported and welcomed.

The Advanced Retreat offers focused professional learning alongside time to experience personally the practices that underpin CFT.

The full two-week experience then gives participants the opportunity to move beyond the workshop room and begin exploring what those practices look like in everyday experience, relationships, rest, challenge and choice.

You may return home with:

• A deeper and more embodied understanding of CFT
• Greater confidence in applying compassion within clinical work
• A renewed connection with your own compassionate mind
• A clearer understanding of your threat, drive and safeness systems
• Practical ways to protect your wellbeing
• A stronger sense of personal and professional direction
• New friendships and an international professional community
• Time to consider what you want to take forward
• A realistic sense of how to continue the work after the retreat

Perhaps most importantly, you will have had the opportunity to be cared for while spending time with people who understand the demands of caring for others.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This retreat is designed primarily for:

• Psychotherapists and counsellors
• Clinical, counselling and educational psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Mental health nurses
• Social workers
• Compassion Focused Therapy practitioners
• Other professionals working in caring, therapeutic or psychologically informed roles

As this is an advanced retreat, participants should already have a working familiarity with Compassion Focused Therapy.

This may have been developed through:

• Formal CFT training
• Workshops or professional development
• Supervision
• Clinical or professional practice
• Sustained independent study

You do not need to be an expert or work exclusively as a CFT therapist.

However, you should already understand the central ideas and practices of CFT and feel comfortable participating in a programme that builds upon them.

This retreat is not suitable as a first introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy.

Please contact us before booking if you are unsure whether your previous experience is suitable.

RETREAT PRICING AND ACCOMMODATION

Advanced CFT Retreat

1–8 August 2027
Seven nights in Bali

Early-Bird Pricing

Twin-share accommodation: £2,550 per person

Single occupancy: £2,750 per person

Twin sharing is encouraged and provides the best-value way to attend the retreat.

Full Bali CFT Experience

1–15 August 2027
Fourteen nights in Bali

Includes the seven-night Advanced Retreat and the additional Embedding the Practice week.

Early-Bird Pricing

Twin-share accommodation: £4,395 per person

Single occupancy: £4,795 per person

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

Swasti offers a mixture of:

• Traditional Rooms
• Deluxe Rooms
• Deluxe Cottages
• Twin rooms with two separate beds
• Double rooms
• Larger cottages suitable for friends, couples or guests travelling together

Your main booking choice will be:

• Twin-share accommodation
• Single-occupancy accommodation

You will not need to select a particular named room when paying your deposit.

Once your deposit has been received, we will ask about:

• Whether you are sharing with a particular person
• Whether you are happy to be matched with another participant
• Whether you require two separate beds
• Any mobility or accessibility requirements
• Whether you are interested in a larger cottage upgrade
• Whether a partner or family member is travelling with you

Rooms will be allocated in booking order while taking account of accessibility requirements, room configurations and participants travelling together.

A limited number of larger cottage upgrades may be available for an additional supplement.

No additional room charge will be applied without your agreement.

What Happens When the Rooms at Swasti Are Full?

Rooms at Swasti will be allocated first.

Once all suitable on-site rooms have been allocated, additional participants may still be able to attend using accommodation at a carefully selected nearby property.

Swasti will remain the main retreat base.

Participants staying nearby will continue to join:

• The full CFT teaching programme
• Included group meals
• Workshops and reflective sessions
• Wellbeing practices
• Included activities and excursions
• Social and closing events

Any nearby accommodation arrangement will be discussed and agreed with the participant before their booking is completed.

BRINGING A PARTNER OR FAMILY MEMBER

Partners or family members may be able to join you in Bali without attending the formal CFT workshops.

They may share your accommodation and join selected:

• Meals
• Social activities
• Wellbeing sessions
• Group experiences
• Optional excursions

Guest arrangements will be quoted separately and will depend upon:

• Accommodation type
• Length of stay
• Meals included
• Activities selected
• Whether children or additional family members are travelling

Guests will not attend the formal CFT teaching sessions unless they are separately registered as retreat participants.

Please tell us about any guests when enquiring so that we can explore the most suitable options.

ARRIVING EARLY

We strongly recommend arriving in Bali at least one or two days before the retreat begins.

This allows time to:

• Recover from the journey
• Adjust to the time difference
• Settle into your accommodation
• Explore Ubud
• Begin the retreat feeling rested

We can assist with arranging additional nights, subject to availability.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

A £500 deposit secures your place and will be deducted from your final retreat price.

Flexible payment plans are available.

You can:

• Pay the remaining balance in instalments
• Agree a payment schedule that works for you
• Pay by bank transfer
• Request an invoice
• Pay through a secure online payment link

Once your deposit has been received, you will be invited to join:

• The retreat WhatsApp group
• Our retreat app
• Pre-retreat planning and travel updates
• Online preparation sessions
• The accommodation preference process

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Dr Chris Irons

Dr Chris Irons is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher and international trainer best known for his work in Compassion Focused Therapy and self-compassion.

He is co-director of Balanced Minds, one of the world’s leading providers of CFT services, training and psychological consultancy.

Chris has worked closely with Professor Paul Gilbert, the founder of CFT, for almost 25 years and has contributed extensively to the development, teaching and research of compassion-based approaches.

He has delivered workshops, lectures and retreats in more than 20 countries and has taught thousands of professionals internationally.

Chris is the author and co-author of several books, including:

• The Compassionate Mind Workbook
• CFT from the Inside Out
• The Compassionate Mind Approach to Difficult Emotions

His teaching combines psychological knowledge, warmth, humour and practical experience, creating an environment in which participants can learn, reflect and explore the work personally.

BOOKING, REGISTRATION AND INVOICING

To register your interest, please contact:

Email: tally@eventwiseni.com
Call or WhatsApp: (+44) 0789 820 8540

Once bookings open, you will be able to:

• Pay your £500 deposit online
• Request an invoice
• Pay by bank transfer
• Arrange a flexible payment plan
• Discuss accommodation and room-sharing preferences
• Discuss guest or family options
• Ask about employer funding documentation

Spread the Cost

We understand that committing to a retreat is a significant investment of both money and time.

Flexible, interest-free payment plans are available.

Please contact us if you would like to attend but need to spread the cost across a longer period. We will do our best to agree a realistic payment arrangement with you.

Employer and Professional Development Support

We can provide supporting documentation for:

• Employer funding
• Continuing professional development approval
• Professional expenses
• Tax or accounting purposes
• Study leave applications

Please contact us if you require:

• A formal programme outline
• An invoice
• A supporting letter
• Facilitator information
• Teaching hours
• Professional learning outcomes

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Full booking, payment and cancellation terms will be provided before deposits are accepted.

Please note:

• Flights are not included
• Optional excursions and personal activities are charged separately
• Appropriate travel insurance is required
• Participants are responsible for checking passport, visa, vaccination and entry requirements
• Participants should not book non-refundable flights until the retreat has been confirmed as proceeding
• If the retreat is cancelled by the organiser, payments made directly to EventWise NI for the retreat package will be refunded in accordance with the booking terms
• EventWise NI cannot be responsible for independently booked flights, insurance, accommodation or other travel costs

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

Places will be limited.

Contact us to register your interest in:

• The seven-night Advanced CFT Retreat
• The full two-week Bali CFT Experience
• Twin-share accommodation
• Single-occupancy accommodation
• A partner or family package

Join us in Bali for advanced learning, meaningful connection and the time to experience compassion not only as something you offer to others, but as something you are also allowed to receive.

Learn the practice. Live the practice. Embed the practice.

DAILY SCHEDULE

The Shape of the Retreat

During Week One, each day will balance focused CFT teaching with experiential practice, reflection, shared meals, movement and time to rest.

During Week Two, the rhythm will become lighter and more spacious, combining morning reflection, selected group experiences, embodied practice, cultural learning, free time and continued integration.

Open the interactive itinerary below to explore the planned rhythm of each week and see what is currently proposed for each day.

The itinerary is indicative and may be adjusted to support the group, respond to local conditions and create the best possible retreat experience.