Have you ever had a moment where everything just clicks?
That happened to me recently, walking my therapy dogs in the woods before dawn, listening to Eckhart Tolle on Spotify. For days, I’d been wondering how this blog could capture the essence of our psychotherapist retreat in Playa Del Coco, Costa Rica (Feb 23–Mar 2, 2025) and offer something meaningful for those who weren’t there.
Tolle, the brilliant mind behind The Power of Now and A New Earth, spoke directly to this question. He encouraged therapists to return to presence by going beyond our clinical tools and reconnect with the stillness beneath the surface. Presence, in his words, is the spaciousness beyond thinking: being with our breath, grounded in the now.
While he values therapeutic modalities, Tolle reminded us that our true power as therapists lies in our ability to hold space by being present with both our clients and ourselves.
When I’m in this space of presence with clients, insights often arise seemingly out of nowhere. It feels like grace. Students watching my training recordings sometimes ask, “Why did you say that?” Often, I honestly don’t know. I trust you’ve had moments like this too. When the mind is quiet, some deeper wisdom emerges in connection.
Psychologists Christopher Germer and Shari Geller describe this state as attunement—a wordless, intuitive resonance with another’s emotional world. Therapeutic presence, they say, helps clients feel seen, heard, and understood. It fosters emotional regulation, strengthens the therapeutic alliance, and offers co-regulation through a calm, grounded therapist.
And just as importantly, self-attunement helps us as therapists stay centered during emotional storms, meet our own needs, and respond flexibly to the unfolding moment.
Yet presence isn’t always easy to achieve, especially when we’re learning new modalities. We get stuck in our heads, doubting our abilities. Tolle believes true therapeutic relationships come when we dare to go beyond what we know and instead become present.
I’m deeply grateful for my clinical training, but I resonate with Tolle’s reminder: we can’t become fully identified with our knowledge. We must hold it lightly, alongside a spacious not-knowing. This is where intuition thrives. This is where we meet both our clients and ourselves most authentically.
My own journey into presence began 20 years ago with Iyengar yoga and daily meditation. These practices changed my life and inspired the launch of our first psychotherapist retreat in Costa Rica.
At a beautiful VRBO home in Playa Del Coco, 7 therapists, 1 yoga teacher, and 1 brave partner came together to form a circle of support, playfulness, and deep therapeutic insight.
Each morning began with the warmth of the sun and the call of howler monkeys in the trees. Qigong yoga sessions with Noel Wright (Wright Wellness Yoga) grounded us in our bodies. Guided meditations brought us to surprising, transformative inner spaces.
Group work fostered emotional safety and powerful self-attunement. We explored EMDR resourcing, sand tray therapy, mask-making, and meaningful discussions about how to care for ourselves as therapists, which is something we often neglect.
This retreat wouldn’t have been possible without my incredible retreat partner, Amanda MacDonald. She organized everything—from pre-trip coaching calls and transportation to delicious local meals—and served as our fearless golf cart chauffeur. (I prefer the wilder rides!)
Some participants faced their fears on a thrilling zipline adventure. Others rediscovered a wilder, freer part of themselves.
Looking Ahead: Nosara, 2026
I’m thrilled to announce our second psychotherapist self-care retreat:
May 2–9, 2026 at Casa Kismet Boutique Retreat Center, Nosara, Costa Rica.
This gorgeous retreat center offers private rooms, all-inclusive meals, and a serene location just a 10-minute walk from the beach. The retreat is limited to 10 guests, and all profits will be donated to Merrymount Children’s Centre.
Flexible payment plans are available.
If you’re longing to reconnect with your authentic self, build deep connections with kindred spirits, and establish enduring self-care practices—please visit my website for full retreat details.
I hope to see you there.
Pura Vida,
Dr. Amanda Bell