THAILAND RETREAT
The Self-Compassion Retreat – U Pattaya, Thailand
Location: U Pattaya Hotel, Chonburi, Thailand
Dates: February 15–22, 2027
“Personally and professionally life-changing. I don’t even have adequate words to describe the impact it had on me. I only wish it had been longer so we could spend even more time learning from Chris and connecting as a group.”
Dr. Jessica Simons, USA
“I had the time of my life. The retreat was nourishing, profound and deeply meaningful. I arrived not knowing anyone and quickly realised this retreat attracts the most wonderful, open-hearted people. We formed lasting connections and shared such a special experience together.”
Dr. Anouska Longley, UK
“An amazing retreat full of reflection, connection, laughter and great conversations. A perfect opportunity to step back, learn about yourself and reconnect with what matters.”
Christina Carstensen, Denmark
Join a small, international group of like-minded professionals for a week of learning, reflection and connection.
Overview
Are you a mental health professional seeking to advance your skills and deepen your self-practice? Join us for an immersive Compassion-Focused Therapy retreat in tranquil Thailand, hosted at the serene beachfront resort of U Pattaya.
The retreat includes seven nights at the resort, with a gentle arrival day before the teaching begins, giving you time to recover from travel, settle in, and connect with fellow participants before the programme starts.
Led by internationally recognised CFT expert Dr. Chris Irons, this retreat offers an enriching combination of CFT self-practice workshops, guided self-reflection, and daily mindfulness practices. Designed for professionals in caring roles (e.g. psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, teachers and other helping professionals), this retreat focuses on integrating mindfulness and compassion into your work and personal life.
Whether you’re seeking clarity, professional development, or space to reconnect with your compassionate mind, this retreat will provide the ideal environment to reset and recharge.
What’s Included
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Boutique Beachfront Accommodation: Enjoy seven nights at U Pattaya, including a dedicated arrival day before the retreat begins so you can unwind, acclimatise, and settle into the surroundings.
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CFT Self-Practice Training: 9 sessions with Dr. Chris Irons (28 hours in total), exploring new models, techniques, and applications of Compassion-Focused Therapy.
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Morning Beach Yoga: Begin your day with yoga by the beach—reconnecting breath, body, and balance.
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Nutritious Local Meals: Daily breakfast, 5 lunches, and 3 dinners included, served with Thai hospitality and fresh ingredients.
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Self-Practice Time: Protected space each day for journaling, silence, and personal reflection.
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Connection & Community: Share your journey with like-minded clinicians from around the world.
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Retreat App + WhatsApp Group: Before the retreat begins, you’ll be invited to join our dedicated WhatsApp group and access our retreat app—a central hub for updates, maps, your daily schedule, and connecting with fellow attendees.
Information Webinar
We’ll be hosting a live information webinar about the retreat on 30 April at 6:00pm UK time.
This is a chance to hear more about the week, ask questions, and get a feel for whether the retreat is right for you.
If you’d like a joining link, please [contact us
If you’d like a joining link, please contact us.
What to Expect
This retreat weaves together embodied experiential learning, deep reflection, and restorative compassion practices, offering a space where both your personal and professional self can be nourished. Grounded in the principles of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), the experience is designed to help you connect more fully to your compassionate mind and cultivate a deeper sense of safeness, strength, and care.
You’ll return with:
- Embodied insight into CFT — not just understanding the ideas, but experiencing them from the inside out
- A renewed relationship with your compassionate self, supported by a safe and emotionally resonant environment
- Ways to weave compassion and self-compassion more fully into your everyday life — not as an add-on, but as a guiding intention
- Practical, evidence-based tools to sustain your resilience, emotional balance, and vitality in the face of life’s demands
- An expanded self-compassion toolkit, with guided practices you can draw on long after the retreat ends
And perhaps most importantly… a felt sense of restoration, replenishment, and being deeply cared for.
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is designed for professionals working in caring roles who are interested in developing their understanding and personal practice of compassion and self-compassion.
Many participants join because they are:
• supporting others every day in demanding roles
• interested in deepening their work with Compassion Focused Therapy
• seeking time to reflect, reset, and reconnect with their own well-being
• wanting to learn in a supportive community of like-minded professionals
Participants typically include:
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Psychiatrists
• Mental health practitioners
• Nurses
• Teachers
• Other professionals working in helping professions
Previous experience with Compassion Focused Therapy can be helpful, but it is not required.
Accommodation
The retreat takes place at U Pattaya, a luxury boutique resort set between tropical forest and the ocean.
Most participants stay in the resort’s deluxe sea-view rooms, which offer spacious accommodation and beautiful views.
A limited number of private villas are also available for those who prefer additional space or privacy.
Rooms are allocated on a first confirmed booking basis.
If you would like to extend your stay before or after the retreat, we can also help arrange additional nights.
Retreat Pricing & Accommodation
We keep the structure simple with one all-inclusive retreat fee.
**Early bird pricing is limited and available until 8 May 2026 or until early bird places are filled.**
Shared Deluxe Seaview Room (per person)
Early Bird: £2,950
Standard: £3,150
Shared accommodation refers to two participants sharing a Deluxe Seaview room unless otherwise arranged.
Private Deluxe Seaview Room
Early Bird: £3,295
Standard: £3,450
Returning Participant Rate
Returning Participant – Private Deluxe Seaview
£2,950
Returning Participant – Shared Room
£2,750
Villa Upgrades
A limited number of private villas are available at the resort, including pool villas and beachfront villas.
These villas are extremely popular and sold out quickly at our previous retreat, so if you are interested we recommend mentioning this when submitting your enquiry.
They can be booked:
• privately
• or shared with a friend or partner
Villa upgrades are priced individually depending on the room type and availability.
If you are interested in a villa, please contact us or fill out the enquiry form and we will send you the current upgrade options.
Explore room types → www.uhotelsresorts.com/upattaya
We recommend staying on-site at U Pattaya to keep the shared retreat atmosphere, but if you prefer to stay elsewhere, that’s absolutely fine—just let us know and we can suggest nearby options.
What’s included in every package
🌅 Seven nights’ accommodation at U Pattaya
🧠 Daily Compassion-Focused Therapy workshops with Dr Chris Irons
🌴 Morning beach yoga (selected days)
🥗 Daily breakfast, 5 lunches, and 3 group dinners
💬 Full access to our retreat app and WhatsApp group
🌸 Special gifts and curated surprises
🎭 Optional cultural experiences (additional cost)
🍽️ Farewell beach-BBQ celebration
🤝 On-site support throughout the retreat
🛬 Help with travel logistics and pre-arrival prep
Flights are not included.
Bringing a Guest
Partners or friends are very welcome to travel with you to Thailand even if they are not attending the workshop sessions.
We offer two simple guest options.
Guest Package – Full Experience
£1,200
Designed for guests who would like to share in the retreat atmosphere, meals and social activities.
Includes:
• Shared accommodation with you in your room
• Daily breakfast
• All group meals listed in the retreat itinerary
• Yoga sessions, including sunrise beach yoga
• Welcome gift basket
• Participation in social activities and optional excursions (paid individually)
Guests choosing this package do not attend the workshop sessions with Dr Chris Irons.
Guest Package – Accommodation Only
£480
For guests who simply wish to stay at the resort while you attend the retreat.
Includes:
• Shared accommodation with you in your room
• Daily breakfast
Meals, yoga sessions and social activities are not included in this option and cannot be purchased individually at the resort if desired.
(This option is available only when sharing a room with a registered retreat participant.)
Jet Lag & Early Arrival Recommendations
If you’re travelling a long distance to Thailand, we highly recommend arriving one or two days early to allow time to settle, recover from jet lag, and gently transition into retreat mode. The retreat includes an arrival day before the workshop programme begins, allowing time to rest, adjust, and settle into the experience.
We can help you:
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Book additional nights at U Pattaya
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Suggest alternative local accommodation if you prefer
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Coordinate your pre-retreat travel plans
Simply reach out and we’ll support you in creating a calm, unrushed arrival.
Booking & Payment
If you are interested in joining us for the retreat, the first step is to complete the enquiry form.
Once we receive your enquiry, we will confirm availability and send you a secure booking link to complete your reservation.
The booking link allows you to either pay in full or choose a flexible payment option, including instalment plans offered through providers such as Klarna, Clearpay, or other supported card payment plans (depending on your location).
We understand that attending a retreat is a meaningful investment, not only financially but also in terms of time and personal intention. Our aim is to make the booking process as smooth and flexible as possible.
Your place on the retreat is confirmed once your booking has been completed through the secure payment link.
Once You’re Booked
Once your place is confirmed, you will receive access to:
• our private retreat WhatsApp group, where participants can connect and receive updates
• the retreat app, which includes the full schedule, retreat resources, travel guidance, local tips, and helpful information for your stay
Questions?
If you would like help choosing accommodation or discussing payment options, please feel free to get in touch. We are always happy to help.
Workshop Facilitator
Dr Chris Irons is a clinical psychologist, writer, researcher, and international trainer, best known for his work on Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and self-compassion. With over two decades of experience in the field, Chris has dedicated his career to exploring how compassion can transform mental health and emotional well-being—for individuals, teams and organisations.
Chris is co-director of Balanced Minds, the largest provider of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) services worldwide. As a specialist psychological consultancy, Balanced Minds pioneers the application of compassion-based approaches in therapeutic practice, organisational culture, and public mental health. The organisation offers psychological interventions, supervision, and training to clinicians and organisations across the UK and internationally, and is widely recognised as a leading hub for CFT innovation, training, and delivery.
For nearly 25 years, Chris has worked closely with Professor Paul Gilbert, the founder of CFT, helping to shape its clinical applications, training models, and research base. He was involved in some of the early publications on CFT (Gilbert & Irons, 2004, 2005), and has since contributed extensively to the literature on compassion, shame, self-criticism, and attachment, co-authoring numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed articles.
An engaging and sought-after teacher, Chris has delivered workshops, lectures, and retreats in more than 20 countries, reaching over 25,000 professionals and members of the general public.
Chris is also the author of five books, including:
- The Compassionate Mind Workbook (with Dr Elaine Beaumont)
- CFT from the Inside Out (with Dr Russell Kolts, Prof James Bennett-Levy, and Dr Tobyn Bell)
- The Compassionate Mind Approach to Difficult Emotions
In 2024, Chris and Dr Elaine Beaumont launched The Self-Compassion App—the first CFT-inspired mobile app, designed to support users in developing self-compassion through evidence-based practices, guided reflections, and psychoeducation.
Funding & Employer Support
We understand that some participants may require documentation tailored for workplace funding, professional development approval, or tax purposes. If that’s the case, we’re happy to provide additional details or alternate wording to help make the process as smooth as possible.
Terms and Conditions:
Please note our cancellation policy: There will be a £150 admin fee if you cancel after booking; £400 cancellation fee within 60 days of the retreat date and £850 cancellation fee within 30 days of the retreat. No refunds can be given to cancellations made less than 30 days prior to the retreat date.
Please note that information about the event and venue are subject to change and cancellation.
Occasionally, an event may have to be cancelled or postponed. We will inform of you of any changes and cancellations as soon as possible via email and you will receive a full refund.
Unfortunately, we cannot be held responsible for any resulting costs you may incur for travel, accommodation and any other related goods or service or other compensation.
We will confirm the final details of the event, at least 30 days before the start date.
Retreat Itinerary
Below is a soft outline of the week so you can get a feel for the rhythm of the retreat.
Monday 15 February 2027
Arrival Day
Check-in from 1:00pm onwards
Take time to settle into your room, rest after travel, and explore the resort at your own pace.
5:30pm to 6:30pm
Optional welcome drinks on the patio at sunset
A relaxed opportunity to meet fellow participants before the retreat begins.
Tuesday 16 February 2027
Settling In & Opening the Retreat
8:30am to 9:30am
Optional yoga by the beach
The rest of the day is left open to settle in, rest, enjoy the surroundings, or connect with others.
3:00pm to 6:00pm
Welcome workshop
From 6:00pm onwards
Welcome dinner
Wednesday 17 February 2027
Workshop Day
9:30am to 1:00pm
Morning workshop
1:00pm to 3:00pm
Lunch
3:00pm to 5:00pm
Afternoon workshop
Evening free to enjoy as you wish, whether that means dinner at the resort, exploring the local area, or simply resting.
Thursday 18 February 2027
Reflection, Practice & Restorative Time
8:30am to 9:30am
Mindful meditation on the beach
9:30am to 1:30pm
Morning workshop
1:30pm to 2:30pm
Lunch
Afternoon and evening free for personal restorative time or optional cultural activities.
Friday 19 February 2027
Workshop Day & Group Dinner
9:30am to 1:00pm
Morning workshop
1:00pm to 3:00pm
Lunch
3:00pm to 5:00pm
Afternoon workshop
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Group dinner
Saturday 20 February 2027
Workshop & Spacious Afternoon
8:30am to 9:30am
Yoga on the patio overlooking the beach
9:30am to 1:30pm
Morning workshop
1:30pm to 2:30pm
Lunch
Afternoon and evening free for personal restorative time or optional cultural activities, with dinner at leisure.
Sunday 21 February 2027
Closing Day
9:30am to 1:00pm
Morning workshop
1:00pm to 3:00pm
Lunch
3:00pm to 5:00pm
Afternoon workshop
6:00pm onwards
Farewell BBQ dinner on the beach at sunset
Monday 22 February 2027
Departure Day
Breakfast and check-out
Please note that the schedule is designed to balance structured learning with spaciousness, rest, and time to enjoy the setting.
THAILAND RETREAT
Don’t Take Our Word For It – Hear What Others Are Saying About Our Retreats…
“This week will live in my soul for a long time. It was a powerful experience filled with learning, warmth, and connection. I’m so grateful to have been part of it.”
Dr. Kesta Purt, UK
“Thanks so much – it was a privilege to be part of such a special experience. The retreat created a rare space for reflection, learning, and genuine connection with others who share the same values.”
Dr. Matthew Wesson, UK
“If you are considering attending I would say just do it! A life changing experience that I will keep and build on forever. I knew it would be good but wow I could never have imagined how good. Perfect from start to finish.”
Diane Maddison, UK
“The location was stunning, the staff were incredible, and the whole retreat felt beautifully organised from start to finish. It was such a nourishing experience both personally and professionally.”
Dr. Sara Devaney, USA
“This is an excellent workshop and retreat. I would highly recommend it to any therapist who needs to take time out for reflection and healing from both work and personal challenges. It really does help to generate a refreshing and safe space to recalibrate and prioritise your practice and personal life.”
Dr. Gerard Butcher, Ireland
“Events that enable growth amongst therapists rather than simple training are rare, and as rare opportunities go to work with and bond with colleagues and ultimately new friends, this was exceptional.”
Dr. Michael Appleton, UK
“An amazing opportunity to spend time with other therapists from different countries, cultures and professional backgrounds, and felt part of something very special. Really valued all being in one place in the evening, it provided space for us to be together as a group.”
Emma Blaney, Ireland
“This was a wonderful, nourishing and inspiring experience. It was beautifully crafted to allow for deep insights and meaningful connection, and provided sustenance both for clinical practice and personal meaning. Deborah is not only an incredible teacher, but held and supported the group, and we were all in turn supported by Tally who felt like an integral part. Highly recommended.”
Hannah Gilbert, UK