Flow of the Retreat
The residential days have a rhythm: morning practices, group work, shared meals, rest in the afternoon, afternoon sessions, and in the evenings either ceremony or gathering.
There are three ayahuasca ceremonies and two temazcales across the week, with relational IFS work between them. There are brief individual sessions available with Dick Schwartz (one per person for the program). There will be time in nature, hiking, music, and the ordinary joys of living in community.
This program asks preparation of you before you ever arrive: a medical screening; dietary, lifestyle, inner relational and external relational preparation in the weeks beforehand; and a strong recommendation that you have your own individual therapy in place. None of this is for ideas of some kind of “purity.” It is how people arrive well-prepared and move forward fruitfully. It is how the work becomes deeper, safer, smoother, more integrated, and enduring.
Logistics and Investment
Tuition: Approximately $7,000-10,000 (varying by room). This includes the full fourteen-week program — pre-groups, the seven-day residential retreat (lodging, meals, and ceremonies included), and post-groups.
A small number of partial scholarship places are available. If cost is a barrier, please let us know in our conversation together.
Travel to and from Mexico City is arranged on your own and is not covered in the program tuition. Neither is the optional night in a Mexico City hotel as a group on Tuesday, February 9.
In-Person Dates: The residential retreat runs Wednesday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 17, 2027. We recommend arriving in Mexico City on Tuesday, February 9 for an optional group night together, then traveling with the group to the retreat center on the morning of Wednesday, February 10. If you’d rather make your own way, the arrival deadline at the retreat center is 3:00 PM on Wednesday, February 10. Departure from the retreat center is the morning of Wednesday, February 17 after breakfast.
Online Pre-groups: five weekly sessions, Wednesday, January 6 through Wednesday, February 3, 2027.
Online Post-groups: six weekly sessions, Wednesday, February 24 through Wednesday, March 31, 2027.
All groups meet 7:00 PM Central / 8:00 PM Eastern / 5:00 PM Pacific, for one hour.
Nierika is a rural retreat center nestled in the mountains outside Mexico City, with cozy and simple accommodations in a beautiful setting.
Preparation and Screening
Because IFS informs every phase of this program, priority will be given to applicants with a strong foundation in IFS through training, personal experience, or both. Completion of Level 1 IFS training or comparable experience is best, along with ongoing personal IFS work or therapy. The application will invite you to describe your background so we can assess whether this retreat is a good fit. If you are newer to IFS, we still welcome your application.
Because Ayahuasca interacts with certain medications and is not appropriate for everyone at all times, careful screening is required before anyone is confirmed. Some medications and conditions are absolute contraindications; others require a letter from your prescriber. This is discussed early and honestly, because it protects you, everyone in the program, and the integrity of the work.
Applying is the first step in the process. Someone from the team will reach out to schedule a follow up intake call. You can ask questions during this call as well. Registration is only possible after intake conversations.
A Note on What This Is, Legally and Relationally
This program is offered as coaching and education in service of personal growth, not as psychotherapy or medical treatment. The facilitators may be licensed professionals in their own practices, but in this program they are not acting as your therapist or physician. Participation is not a substitute for medical or mental health care, and we strongly recommend that you keep your own care in place, or get such care into place before even applying for the program.