No matter what our medical model or general culture believes, grief is healthy.

-- Franz Schubert --

There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow --

The work of the artist is to express what is repressed or even to speak the unspoken grief of society.

-- Franz Schubert --

You didn't need to learn something that only disaster could teach.

-- Megan Devine --

The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.

-- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross --

Encouragement to look towards the future only ignores the pain you are in right now.

-- Megan Devine--

Grief is not an obstacle. Never let anyone convince you there's something wrong with your grief.

-- Tim Lawrence --

Grief is a sane response to the physical loss of someone, or something you love.

-- Megan Devine --

Perhaps one day we'll be more shocked when a heartbroken soul isn't expressing their grief than when they are.

-- Tim Lawrence --

“Grieving people want and need to be heard, not fixed”

-- Grief Recovery Method --

“When people say that time heals all wounds, they forget that all wounds are meant to be healed. Some wounds are merely held, caressed, acknowledged and wept for. There is nothing wrong with this”

-- Tim Lawrence--

“You want me to get over my loss? Actually it would make more sense for you to get over your need for me to get over my loss”

-- Tim Lawrence --

“We must grieve our unmet hopes, dreams and expectations"

-- Grief Recovery Method --

“We want them to stand beside us, not trying to fix what cannot be fixed, not trying to rush us out of our grief. We want them to stand there, without flinching, and acknowledge what is true: this hurts. This hurts. I’m here”

-- Megan Devine --

“Always defend your right to heal at your own pace. You are taking your time. You are allowed to take your time”

-- Rebecca Baldwin --

Healing the Loss Grief Support

Navigating your way through ...

Healing The Loss

No matter what our medical model or general culture believes, grief is healthy.

-- Franz Schubert --

There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow --

The work of the artist is to express what is repressed or even to speak the unspoken grief of society.

-- Franz Schubert --

You didn't need to learn something that only disaster could teach.

-- Megan Devine --

The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.

-- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross --

Encouragement to look towards the future only ignores the pain you are in right now.

-- Megan Devine--

Grief is not an obstacle. Never let anyone convince you there's something wrong with your grief.

-- Tim Lawrence --

Grief is a sane response to the physical loss of someone, or something you love.

-- Megan Devine --

Perhaps one day we'll be more shocked when a heartbroken soul isn't expressing their grief than when they are.

-- Tim Lawrence --

“Grieving people want and need to be heard, not fixed”

-- Grief Recovery Method --

“When people say that time heals all wounds, they forget that all wounds are meant to be healed. Some wounds are merely held, caressed, acknowledged and wept for. There is nothing wrong with this”

-- Tim Lawrence--

“You want me to get over my loss? Actually it would make more sense for you to get over your need for me to get over my loss”

-- Tim Lawrence --

“We must grieve our unmet hopes, dreams and expectations"

-- Grief Recovery Method --

“We want them to stand beside us, not trying to fix what cannot be fixed, not trying to rush us out of our grief. We want them to stand there, without flinching, and acknowledge what is true: this hurts. This hurts. I’m here”

-- Megan Devine --

“Always defend your right to heal at your own pace. You are taking your time. You are allowed to take your time”

-- Rebecca Baldwin --

Healing the Loss

Navigating your way through...

Healing the Loss Grief Retreats

Restore~Replenish~ Rest~ Reset 


I know from my own life experience that loss and change are exhausting. It is hard to absorb and understand when you are so busy with life and possibly caring for others at the same time. The people I have the honour to support so often claim the same thing. They need time to grieve, heal, absorb, retreat, and replenish their empty cups. I longed for some cocooning, gentleness, and someone to talk with about my losses. I needed nourishment of all kinds: good food, beautiful scenery, activities if I wanted, and complete solitude and rest if I didn’t.


After loss and change and grief, you need time to begin to restore yourself, time for you to care for yourself.

You need acknowledgment, validation, and help with tools to navigate your losses.

You have a rightful need to be nurtured; along with the rest, kindness, empathy, and understanding that will be so helpful as you go forward.


Who is this retreat for?


  • Any person experiencing loss of any kind.
  • Any person having a build-up of accumulated losses and change in their life, that has gone unheard.
  • Caregivers of any kind - those caring for loved ones who have illnesses or challenges.
  • Health professionals and First Responders.
  • Anyone who needs a nurturing, replenishing time-out in their lives to heal and absorb and begin to navigate their loss and heal.

 

Retreats will be completely customized for your individual needs. You will have as many sessions with me as needed, daily or spread out over time. I offer online and in-person retreats. These are not group retreats.


What does an Online Retreat look like?


After having a discussion of your needs and availability, we will set up Zoom appointments. 

You can choose to go to a resort, hotel, cabin--any place of your choosing that has internet access, to immerse yourself in the process. To be uninterrupted and focused on your healing without distraction. We can have set time appointments daily or every other day incorporating grief support and navigation tools. Your days will be focused on caring and nurturing yourself.

This is your process. This is for you and your needs. Your time to acknowledge, validate and honour your losses, whatever they may be.

 

This option is available worldwide. Do not let distance be a factor.


Where is the In-person retreat located?


Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. Mahone Bay is a beautiful, historical small town of about one thousand folks. The town has all amenities within walking distance. Beaches, trails, good restaurants, lovely shops to poke about in, a spa and other healing services. We are about 12 minutes from the UNESCO Heritage Town of Lunenburg and about 15 minutes from Chester, Nova Scotia. Approximately 90 minutes from Halifax Airport.


This is a gorgeous, peaceful, slow-paced, and very kind part of the world. The natural environment, and the proximity to the ocean, beaches, and forests make it a natural healing and restorative place.



How does an in person retreat work?

 

  • We have conversations ahead of your trip and will set up our counselling sessions together, based on your timeline.
  • We will discuss your needs, what you are looking for, dates, etc.
  • You may want a completely quiet, cocooning and restful time in a lovely Airbnb.
  • You may prefer a bed and breakfast to get to know some folks and share a meal.
  • You might want to be completely anonymous at a hotel with all of the amenities.
  • As far as activities go, perhaps you would enjoy some spa time and pampering, pacing yourself and not being overscheduled
  • If you want a bit more activity, there are bike rentals, hiking trails, beautiful beach walks close by as well as the small local towns close by to explore.
  • You may want a combination of all of the above. The main thing is to not distract yourself by busying away your time. To be focused on what is restorative for you and what might replenish your tired and hurting heart.

 


Photo by Hilary Scott, Nova Scotia

                                                          Please contact me and we will create the best Grief Retreat for you.

CONTACT

Being from a distance away, Unity, Saskatchewan we in nature are hesitant to reach out for help. I cannot express enough how glad I did. Hilary is so patient, helpful, understanding down to earth in working with every aspect needed. 

She makes you feel safe. 

We will continue to meet through Zoom, but I did travel to Nova Scotia to spend a week of sessions with her. If you are able to travel to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia it’s a quaint historic little town. 

In closing, please reach out to her and ask for help.

“You are the key to your healing"


D.S.
Saskatchewan


When I decided to go to Nova Scotia, I was skeptical. It felt like a whim at a time when I easily could have avoided the overwhelming indescribable feeling I would later learn to call complex grief. I went for understanding, space, and help as I was sinking in loss and dissonance. Taking some days to focus on myself has never happened in my adult life, and to be honest, probably never before. I am fortunate I was able to afford this time, counseling, and opportunity. I highly doubt the result would be the same if I never went. Spending time with Hilary was the difference. Face-to-face conversations, releasing tears, and creating connections allowed me to understand what grief is, how it impacts my life, and start to heal Spending time on the beaches breathing in the salt air, walking through the woods, exploring small towns, and enjoying the different lifestyle of Nova Scotia provided my heart and soul space to breathe. It is an investment I will never regret and highly encourage anyone who is able to do it. It created an amazing relationship that supports the follow-up work done via Zoom.


S.E.

      Seattle, Washington


This grief program has been transformative for me. With Hilary's help I have discerned several patterns in my life that relate back to my initial loss at a very young age, and for the first time I've been able to understand why I have felt the way I feel or had certain reactions to events all my life. What I have really appreciated about Hilary herself is how perceptive, wise, and direct she is. She is able to get straight to the heart of the matter without tiptoeing around the issues or complicating them, and that has helped me to see and express a lot of things clearly for the first time. I feel like I can actually grieve now in a way that is right for me and the honest acknowledgment of that grief, instead of being frightening, is freeing and empowering. I highly recommend working with Hilary to help with grieving. Her program is very much worth it.


A, Ottawa


My time with Hilary Scott was life changing. She's perceptive and kind. Hilary knows how to see past the pain and all the 'other stuff' and really get to the heart. I enjoy my online sessions with her, but in person retreat sessions are incredibly meaningful. I will definitely be back in person, in the future!"  



C, New Brunswick

My experience with Hilary has been an incredibly positive introspective about myself. I learned how my past experiences and traumas have shaped my decision-making behaviors in my current relationships. Hilary has a great way of helping me understand where and why my behavioral patterns stem from, but also how to move forward and free myself from feeling "stuck". I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia for a few in-person sessions, in addition to the online ones. It was so lovely to meet and connect face-to-face. We also went for a delicious dinner together :) Thank you Hilary for opening up my mind and heart!


S, Toronto

Having the opportunity to experience a grief retreat with Hilary’s guidance, was exactly what I needed to understand the magnitude of my loss. I had been preoccupied with the tasks associated with multiple family deaths and I needed a protected space and time, to allow me to focus on these losses and acknowledge their impact on me.


Hilary provided a gentle, yet directed pathway, so that my decision making was minimal while I was there…my job was to feel, process the losses in an intentional way and begin shifting the weight of the grief. I spent five days in Mahone Bay and I was terrified to leave. The safety that had been created in that short time was powerful and I was concerned that my life would return to the busyness of before, and that my healing would be suspended. That didn’t happen! Hilary and I continued the work online and it has worked beautifully. 


Hilary has the ability to share her own life story, weave segments perfectly integrated with deep knowledge, and as a result; create trust and the belief that we can carry grief differently going forward. Embarking on this journey has been the most loving act I have ever done for myself.


CGB

"After my mom passed away from an illness, I found myself incapable of feeling joy, hope or motivation. I was struggling with sleep, anxiety, depression and needed something to help pull me out of this rut I found myself in. My sister-in-law referred me to Hilary and her grief retreat and after reading up on the experience I knew it was exactly what I needed. I travelled from Ontario and spent a week in the most peaceful Airbnb in Mahone Bay, focusing on being present and taking time to be alone in the beautiful town. During my retreat, I had daily sessions with Hilary and from the moment we met I knew she was the missing piece to my grief puzzle. She was instantly warm and welcoming, very grounded and down to earth. I connected with her instantly and felt very safe and heard. Hilary was able to help put my thoughts, feelings and trauma into a new perspective and helped me discover why I was feeling the way that I was. I left Nova Scotia feeling refreshed, grounded and hopeful. Saying goodbye was the toughest part but Hilary has stayed in contact with me and is there for me when I still need to reach out. She was born to help people! I am so grateful I found her."


BVM

“Despite the fact that all of us have, or will experience grief, as a society we are actually really bad at grieving, and supporting the griever. Having experienced the most devasting type of grief, the loss of my child, Hilary has been beacon for me in trying to navigate this life-shattering loss in a world that doesn’t understand that this grief isn’t something I will ever “get over.” It is a part of me now, and Hilary understands that from a very personal perspective.
Hilary is real – no platitudes, no false promises, and no “therapist speak.” I cherish her frankness, her sense of humor, and her ability to walk with me through the pain, while guiding me to a place where it becomes a little lighter and a little more bearable. I feel that I have made a life-long friend.”

V

“In desperate need of guidance - merely six months from my traumatic loss - Hilary became my confidante; my grieving awareness coach.” JBW, ON.


Early May 2019, I was in a fortunate (desperate) position to fly from Ontario, Canada, to MAHONE BAY, Nova Scotia. I drove a rental from Halifax airport and checked into a B&B for two weeks duration.

My first appointment and finally meeting Hilary Scott, “HEALING THE LOSS” was within a five minutes walking distance from the B&B. Hilary’s cozy office is situated on the southern shore in Mahone Bay.

Feeling relaxed and ready, we began my two (intense) weeks of “navigating” through my grief and loss.

You see, tragedy this past October 2018, an untimely death and pain I’d never experienced before left me numb; stilted. I wasn’t the same person anymore. Plus, previously I’d been through two, unsettling divorces. I needed guidance and came across Hilary’s bio on her website. [www.healingtheloss.com]

Her personal past is heartbreaking, yet her dedication and genuine empathy towards others who grieve is remarkable. I left beautiful Nova Scotia - still with that loss, of course - but with a stronger sense of direction. Realism; that this pain, intense sadness, and loss of feeling... is NORMAL.

And just being able to let it all out via “the past less traveled” was a breakthrough for me. I was never taught how I could handle and work with my pain. At home, I will continue my grief and loss direction with Hilary, now no further than a phone call, or FaceTime away. JBW

The “Fisherman’s Daughter B&B” is situated with a view to that refreshing, beautiful bay every morning! The hospitality and fascinating home of Bruce & Lisa (kindness galore, plus best breakfasts ever) are highly recommended. Mahone Bay Area hosts numerous dining venues, interesting shops and heritage.
https://www.fishermans-daughter.com


JBW, ON.
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