The Retreat | A Place to Pause

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SPINNING TOO MANY PLATES?

If you’re struggling to cope with difficult feelings, the Retreat offers a place to pause. We offer a friendly, safe, non-judgemental space where you can talk to people who’ve had similar experiences to you and explore your options for moving forward. This service is staffed by Mental Health Practitioners and Peer Workers. We are open daily in Bournemouth and six days a week in Dorchester.

SOMETIMES KEEPING ALL THE BALLS IN THE AIR GETS TOO MUCH

If you’re struggling to cope with difficult feelings, the Retreat offers a place to pause. We offer a friendly, safe, non-judgemental space where you can talk to people who’ve had similar experiences to you and explore your options for moving forward. This service is staffed by Mental Health Practitioners and Peer Workers. We are open daily in Bournemouth and six days a week in Dorchester.

WORRIED CRACKS ARE STARTING TO APPEAR?

If you’re struggling to cope with difficult feelings, the Retreat offers a place to pause. We offer a friendly, safe, non-judgemental space where you can talk to people who’ve had similar experiences to you and explore your options for moving forward. This service is staffed by Mental Health Practitioners and Peer Workers. We are open daily in Bournemouth and six days a week in Dorchester.

a place to pause

Welcome to the Retreat, a service that aims to provide a safe and welcoming environment during the times you are struggling to cope with life. You can attend whether you would like to try to avoid a crisis or feel that you have already reached crisis point.

It is up to you how you define this and you don’t need to be referred.

what we do

what is the Retreat?

The Retreat is a place to pause, to be heard, take stock and reflect. It is staffed by Mental Health Practitioners and Peer Specialists (people with their own experience of mental health issues). The Retreat focuses on how you can support your own recovery and provides a complementary approach to other clinical services in partnership with Dorset HealthCare and Dorset Mental Health Forum.

our aims

Offer a service to people in distress or crisis without the need for referral, in addition to Dorset Healthcare’s existing services.
Prevent a crisis escalating to the level where someone may need to access emergency and acute mental health services.
Build resilience within individuals and communities through facilitating peer support and networking.

what to expect

When you come to the Retreat you will be welcomed by a staff member who will show you around. We will offer you a hot drink and give you some time to settle in.

Click here for a virtual tour of The Retreat. You can also read and download the Welcome to the Retreat leaflet.

we’re listening

We will listen to you in a respectful and non-judgemental way. Rather than taking the traditional approach of focusing on diagnosing illness, we focus on what is important to you.

We will ask you what is happening for you, talk to you about your strengths, what resources and sources of support you can call on, and encourage you to share with us anything you have found helpful in the past.

why visit the Retreat?

The Retreat offers a comfortable place to talk to someone who could help you feel more in control and support you to identify tools and strategies that you may find helpful for managing your distress.

Your options include talking to a Peer Specialist in a café style area, taking some time out in a relaxing low stimulus environment, and/or accessing support with a Peer Specialist or Mental Health Practitioner. The Retreat does not offer medication or structured therapy.

who can attend?

The Retreat is open to anyone aged 18 or over who self-defines as in crisis, or who wants to avoid a crisis occurring. It is also open to carers and supporters. For everyone’s safety we will have to refuse access if:

You require medical attention beyond basic first aid/wound care.
You are intoxicated by alcohol or substances.
You display threatening or physically aggressive behaviour.
You are under the age of 18.

visiting the Retreat

The Retreat is normally open for drop-ins, 4.30-11.30pm everyday at Hahnemann House in Bournemouth. The Retreat at Maiden Castle Road in Dorchester is normally open for drop-ins Friday to Wednesday, 4.30-11.30pm. Please check here to see if both Retreats are running before visiting.

If possible, try and arrive before 11.00pm to get the most out of your visit.

There’s no need to make an appointment or phone ahead, you can just turn up. Come to the front door within opening hours and ring our doorbell.