May Take the Helm Women's Retreat, May 27-29, 2026

Maybe it was a relationship that ended. A career that no longer fits. A child who left home. A loss that changed everything. Whatever brought you here — you're somewhere in the middle. Feeling lost. Missing the sense of direction and meaning that used to come naturally.

Take the Helm is a small, immersive three-day retreat on the water for women navigating a major life transition. We create a safe space to anchor for a while, let nature do some of its quiet healing work, reconnect with your inner compass, and begin to chart what's next.

 

The river asks nothing of you — except to be present.
 
No screens. No obligations. No story about where you should be by now. Just wind, movement, sky — and you. Nature has always been one of the most powerful forces for healing and perspective. We don't just use the water as a classroom. We let it work on you.

Because a boat is also one of the most honest environments there is. Your first step on deck is wobbly. The environment is unfamiliar. There's wind, current, movement — and none of it is fully in your control. Sound familiar? That's exactly what transition feels like.

On the water, the way you show up becomes impossible to ignore. How you respond when things shift unexpectedly. Whether you hold back or step forward. Whether you ask for help or try to manage it all alone. And here's what we've learned: the way we navigate one transition is the way we navigate everything. The patterns are always there — the water just makes them visible.

And once you can see them, you can work with them.

 

Each day follows a rhythm designed to move between experience and insight:

 We gather. We open a conversation — about where you are, what you're carrying, and what you're ready to look at. Then we sail.

 On the water, things happen. You notice how you respond when the conditions shift, when it's your turn to take the helm, when you surprise yourself. We come back to shore and we ask: what happened out there? Why does that matter? And where else in your life does that show up?

 Then we go back out.

This is the chart we sail by and how we navigate the three days. By the end, you won't just have sailed. You'll have experienced something that pointed you in a new direction.

→  A reset — a genuine sense of having stepped out of the story you were stuck in

→  Inspiration and a new sense of direction, however small the first step

→  Clarity about the patterns that have been running the show — and what you want to do differently

→  A felt sense of meaning returning — not as a concept, but as something you actually experienced

→  The knowledge that you did something brave

📍  Columbia River, Portland OR — departing from Columbia Crossings, Hayden Island

📅  May 27 (10am–5pm)  ·  May 28 (10am–5pm)  ·  May 29 (10am–1pm)

👥  Limited to 4 women — intentionally small, deeply personal

⛵  Catalina 28

⚓  Some prior time on the water is helpful — this is not a beginner sailing course

✦  What's included: Boat, guidance from certified American Sailing Instructor, coaching on and off the water, and meals

 ✦  What's NOT included: Transportation and lodging

USCG Captain  ·  Certified American Sailing Instructor  ·  Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

Berry knows this territory personally. She has navigated her own major life transitions — and come out the other side with new dreams, new direction, and hard-won clarity. With over 20 years of experience guiding women through change, and a lifetime on the water, her superpower is creating enough calm and safety that you're willing to try the thing that felt just out of reach.

This retreat is for you if you're navigating a major life transition — a relationship that ended, a career shift, a loss, a life that needs reimagining.

 You're somewhere in the middle. Left the old shore, not yet at the new one. You haven't lost your strength — but you may have lost touch with it for a while.

Take the Helm creates a safe space to slow down, reconnect with what's already there, reconnect with your inner compass. On the water, the patterns that have been running the show become impossible to ignore — and through coaching and reflection, you begin to see them clearly, work with them, and chart what's next.

This is not a sailing course. It's not a therapy retreat. It's an embodied experience designed to help you find your direction and confidence again — on and off the water.