Anger, Boundaries and Safety

5.006 reviews
Location icon
240 Davis Rd, Gabriola, BC
Date
May 22 - 25, 2025

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

The boundaried, safe and responsible expression of anger can help you stand forward on your own behalf and create the life and relationships you want.

Few emotions are more feared than anger, largely because anger is so often confused with violence. A central theme of this program is that anger and violence are different. It is sadly true, of course, that anger is frequently expressed violently – physically, verbally and emotionally. However, this is the unsafe, unboundaried expression of anger, used to harm and control. The good news is that anger is a natural feeling that exists in all of us, and when expressed in a safe and boundaried manner – non-violently – it can be passionate, life enhancing, and good for relationships.

This program offers participants opportunities to both express and witness the safe and boundaried expression of anger. This is helpful for people who have previously expressed their anger violently and no longer want to do this. It is also crucial for people who say they never get angry or, perhaps because of early experiences of violence, avoid any hint of anger today. For both these groups of people, emotional, physical and relationship dysfunction may have resulted. This program will open up exciting new possibilities for you, whatever experiences of anger and/or violence you have had until now.

Initially developed by the late Joann Peterson, the program follows a progression. To begin with, participants explore their beliefs about anger; next, there is discussion of the origins of anger and its varied spectrum of expression; and then participants are invited to gradually begin exploring their personal energetic patterns and trying out a range of individual and relational tools for anger expression.
This program will benefit you if:

You’re always trying to avoid confrontations and/or disagreements
You’ve been told you’re an angry person
You are holding on to anger and resentment connected with past events
You feel repressed, depressed, or emotionally numb
You want to get angry but are scared of what might happen
You experience stiffness, headaches, stomach discomfort or other physical ailments that may be associated with unexpressed or violently expressed anger

You can also read about a personal experience at Anger, Boundaries and Safety in the Shen Blog.
“It was a phenomenal experience on a magical land at The Haven.  Greg Gurel’s program, Anger Boundaries and Safety, has changed my life and many aspects.  I couldn’t be more grateful”
Participant Sep 2022 ED
Investment:
Our Earlybird tuition price of $720 is available up to one month prior to the program start.  Full tuition is $780.  Full payment is due one month before the program start date regardless of tuition pricing.

We are offering private and shared room options.

You can find our cancellation policy here
Schedule:
Your program begins with dinner at 6pm and your first session at 7:30pm
Daily schedule:






Breakfast 8:00 - 9:00am
Morning session 9:15am to noon
Lunch noon to 1:00pm
Afternoon session 3:00 - 6:00pm
Dinner 6:00 - 7:00pm
Evening session 7:30 - 9:30pm





Afternoon and evening sessions can vary.  Your program finishes with lunch on the last day
Transportation:
If you are travelling to Gabriola as a foot passenger on the Gabriola Ferry a shuttle to The Haven can be requested.  Information on this option will be included in your pre-arrival email.

 

 

Admission requirements: The student must have the desire and ability to learn.  Must demonstrate a capacity for responsible self care, responsible self organization and sound mental health.  The student must understand and speak English.

This program does not require approval by the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.  As such, the registrar did not review this program. What does this mean? Click here to learn more.

Getting Here

Location icon The Haven, 240 Davis Rd, Gabriola, BC

Directions

The Haven is on beautiful Gabriola Island, one of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Gabriola Island is 20 minutes via BC Ferries from Nanaimo or 20 minutes by float plane from Vancouver.

Accommodation

Thunderbird dormitory is our most economical option. Each dorm pod accommodates up to 6 people, and each pod has its own washroom. Bunks are single over single, with extra-long mattresses. Dorm pods are separated by gender. The Thunderbird dormitory is only available for participants registered in a program at The Haven. From July to mid-August, the dorms are reserved for our Youth Programs. Basic rooms are simply furnished, comfortable and economical. They have two singles or one double bed, ensuite, no TV. Basic rooms are designed to be shared by two or three people, with beds in the same room and a shared bathroom. A Basic room may also be booked as a private room. Forest View rooms are nestled in attractive forested areas of The Haven property. Larger than our Basic rooms, Forest View rooms are designed to be shared by two or three people, with beds in the same room, a TV and private bathroom. A Forest View room may also be booked as a private room. Ocean View rooms offer spacious, well-equipped and comfortable accommodation looking out over the beach and waters of Taylor Bay. There is a TV in each room, a full kitchen or kitchenette, and private bathroom. Most Ocean view rooms have a deck. Although Ocean View rooms are usually booked as private accommodations, you may be able to share an Ocean View room if you and another program participant both request to be each other's roommate. Many people find that having a roommate enhances The Haven experience. For some, it's the start of a long friendship. If you choose Basic or Forest View shared accommodations and wish to stay with a particular person, please provide that person's name when you complete your on-line registration. Please ask your preferred roommate to do the same. Ocean View rooms may only be shared if both guests request each other by name as roommates when booking. If you choose the Dormitory, or if you choose Basic or Forest View shared accommodations and would like us to find a roommate for you, we assign rooms as men only, women only, or gender neutral. We make every effort to meet the needs of all our guests, but cannot guarantee specific rooms.

Dorm bed (upper) - Participant

Accommodation
Thunderbird dormitory is our most economical option. Each dorm pod accommodates up to 6 people, and each pod has its own washroom. Bunks are adult built, single over single, with extra-long mattresses. Dorm pods are separated by gender. The Thunderbird dormitory is only available for participants registered in a catalogue program at The Haven. From July to mid-August, the dorms are reserved for our Youth Programs.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room. Read more about Thunderbird Dorms (PDF).

Dorm bed (lower) - Participant

Accommodation
Thunderbird dormitory is our most economical option. Each dorm pod accommodates up to 6 people, and each pod has its own washroom. Bunks are adult built, single over single, with extra-long mattresses. Dorm pods are separated by gender. The Thunderbird dormitory is only available for participants registered in a catalogue program at The Haven. From July to mid-August, the dorms are reserved for our Youth Programs.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room. Read more about Thunderbird Dorms (PDF).

Basic Room - Shared - Participant

Accommodation
These cozy rooms have 1 double or 2 single beds.  Some rooms have a small desk.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room.

Basic Room - Private - Participant

Accommodation
These cozy rooms have 1 double or 2 single beds.  Some rooms have a small desk.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room.

Forestview - Shared - Participant

Accommodation
These rooms look out to lush forest views and have 1 queen or 1 double in addition to 1 single bed.  Many rooms have a small fridge and desk.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room.

Forestview - Private - Participant

Accommodation
These rooms look out to lush forest views and have 1 queen or 1 double in addition to 1 single bed.  Many rooms have a small fridge and desk.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room.

Oceanview Room - Private - Participant

Accommodation
These rooms are spacious and bright with 1 queen and 1 double sofa bed and a stunning ocean view.  In room amenities include fridge, microwave, coffee maker and kettle.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room.

Oceanview Suite - Private - Participant

Accommodation
These rooms are spacious and bright with 1 queen and 1 double sofa bed and a stunning ocean view.  In room amenities include fridge, microwave, coffee maker and kettle.  We have property wide complimentary WiFi, the signal varies from room to room.

Staying off-premise - Participant

Accommodation
This lodging type is used by guests staying off-premises, not staying at The Haven.

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
With rooms by quiet coastline waters and rustic cabins tucked away among the trees, you will feel far from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Our property and facilities are designed to support our program participants and facilitate the delivery of our educational programs. Although we may not be able to offer all of the luxuries that you may associate with a resort hotel, we do offer the basics and a wonderful natural environment where you can enjoy quiet comfort.

Meals

Menu Types

We serve three meals delicious, nutritious meals a day in our ocean view dining room. We strive to feature whole foods and avoid the use of sugar and highly-processed ingredients whenever possible.

Customer Reviews

5.00 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
2nd time
Experiential, universal, revelational about relational and self knowledge. Skilled experienced facilitators. Both times I’ve gone it has left me with deep connections in a short time and I continue to stay I. Touch with those co-participants. Food is hearty, delicious, and plentiful. Grounds are peaceful. I look forward to my next course and my next reunion with newfound friends.

5.0
TEENS ALIVE I, II & III
Our 15 year old son just completed Teens Alive (1-3) for the second time, and loved it. The environment is so nurturing and transformative - I really can't say enough about how grateful I am to have this program as a support during these years when parenting can be TOUGH. Our son is navigating high school with confidence, and making mature and thoughtful decisions - we definitely see him process his experiences in a new way and love what we are seeing. His communication with us is more open and productive, and we look forward to him navigating the rest of his teen years with his hands on the reigns. He is looking forward to next year's program and has plans to become an intern in the future as well.

5.0
Giving Voice
The Haven is beautifully set on the waterfront on Gabriola Island. I wasn't sure what to expect at this workshop. I was hoping I would find more confidence in using my voice as I have been confident in speaking in public but deathly afraid of singing in public! What I found was a very safe space to explore making all kinds of sound from humming and babble to overtone chanting and yes...singing. Leah was an excellent and gentle guide and the acoustics of our meeting space were amazing. I would recommend The Haven for anyone wanting to get away from their regular routine and explore their inner world. I will go back for more!

5.0
Imagine 2019
A wonderful opportunity to meet like minded people and to participate in goal setting activities for The |haven and for myself.

5.0
Journey to Self
Great Journey to the very centre of myself. I love all the Haven programs and this one was amazing, too.

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