What if there was a safe, welcoming space just for you—to reflect, learn, and rebuild your life after family and domestic violence?
That’s exactly what DVassist Recovery and Healing Retreats are designed to offer.
These retreats are a new and thoughtful way to support women in regional, rural and remote Western Australia (WA) who are recovering from the impacts of family and domestic violence. Whether you’re already taking steps toward safety or are further along in your healing journey, these retreats provide a confidential and supportive space where you can access education, tools, and meaningful connection to support your well-being and recovery.
A new kind of retreat
Traditionally, a retreat is a quiet place to rest and reflect, often linked to wellness or healing. At DVassist, we’ve taken that idea and shaped it into something that responds directly to what women told us they needed:
A space that is safe, restorative, and empowering—but also practical and connected to real-world support.
At a DVassist Recovery and Healing Retreat, you can:
- Attend sessions of your choosing from a carefully designed menu
- Learn practical tools to support your recovery
- Connect with local services you may not have known about
- Reclaim space for yourself—physically, emotionally, and psychologically
- Learn how trauma affects the body and brain—and how to begin healing gently
- Discover ways to reconnect with joy, identity, and hope for the future
- Find out what your rights are and where you can go for legal or financial help
- Build confidence through strength-based self-reflection activities
What happens at a DVassist Recovery and Healing Retreat?
At our first retreat held in Kalgoorlie in June 2025, women had the opportunity to choose from a variety of sessions and workshops, including:
- Long-term safety planning
- Psychological health and well-being
- Rebuilding self-worth after family and domestic violence
- Breathwork
- Parenting support: Bringing Up Great Kids After Family and Domestic Violence
- Understanding Family Violence Restraining Orders (FVROs) and bail conditions
- Sound meditation and guided relaxation
Importantly, women also had the opportunity to meet local support providers—all in one place—making it easier to stay connected after the retreat ended and to have ongoing support.
Shaped by what women told us
In February 2025, DVassist surveyed women across regional, rural, and remote WA to ask what kind of support they most needed in their recovery.
Here’s what they said mattered most:
Top priorities:
- Safety and ongoing risk management
- Physical and psychological well-being
- Financial support and independence
- Housing and legal assistance
They also wanted access to:
- Self-esteem and confidence building
- Boundary setting and assertiveness
- Legal information
- Financial independence and planning
- Self-care and wellness
- Holistic therapies
Each retreat is co-designed with these needs in mind and shaped in partnership with local professionals and services. That means you’ll meet people and organisations who can continue to support you in your own community, long after the retreat ends.
Guided by DVassist’s pillars of recovery
Our Recovery and Healing Retreats are grounded in the five key areas we know are essential for long-term healing and independence:
- Physical and psychological health and well-being
- Financial stability and support
- Long-term safety planning and ongoing risk management
- Housing support
- Legal information and support
Who Can Attend?
DVassist’s Recovery and Healing Retreats are for women aged 18 and over who have experienced family and domestic violence—whether recently or in the past (it doesn’t matter how long ago). You may still be working towards safety or have already begun rebuilding your life.
We recognise that access to services and support can be especially limited in regional, rural, and remote parts of WA. That’s why we particularly encourage women from these areas to join us. These retreats are designed to help bridge that gap, offering meaningful connection, practical support, and a trauma-aware, community-informed space for recovery and healing.
Upcoming retreats
We’re planning upcoming retreats in partnership with local communities—dates will be announced soon. Please watch our social media.
📍 Geraldton – Dates to be announced
📍 Port Hedland – Date to be announced
The retreats are here for you
Whether you’re taking your first steps away from violence or seeking new tools for long-term recovery, know this: you’re not alone. Recovery and healing take time, support, and the right environment—and that’s what these retreats are here to offer.
If you’d like to learn more or register your interest, please visit www.dvassist.org.au or contact our team directly at ceo@dvassist.org.au
