{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Retreats & Offsites Unpacked","title":"What Does Family Therapy Have to Do With Retreats?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1674,"description":"What if the real work of retreats isn’t strategy or skills—but relationships?Many retreats struggle not because of poor agendas, but because of unspoken dynamics, unmet attachment needs, and a lack of psychological safety inside the group.In this episode, Dan Berger is joined by Patience Shutts, a retreat facilitator, keynote speaker, and licensed marriage and family therapist, to explore how family systems thinking can radically improve retreat and forum outcomes.The conversation unpacks why belonging is a felt, somatic experience—not an intellectual one—how facilitators can co-regulate groups, and why deep listening, shared agreements, and vulnerability are the real drivers of trust and transformation in retreat settings.Episode ThemesWhy retreats are fundamentally relational systemsFamily systems theory applied to forums and retreatsBelonging as a somatic, nervous-system experiencePsychological safety and attachment needs in groupsFacilitators as co-regulators of the roomTeaching vs. facilitating—and when to do eachVulnerability, credibility, and leading by exampleHow shared agreements shape healthy group cultureChapters00:00 – Welcome and introduction01:36 – The story behind the name “Patience”03:04 – What makes facilitation truly effective04:58 – Systems thinking and group dynamics08:13 – Teaching vs. facilitating in retreats08:44 – Forums, families, and relational systems11:39 – What belonging really feels like15:35 – Vulnerability and facilitator credibility16:42 – Co-regulating a group as a facilitator19:32 – Choosing the right facilitator fit23:24 – How family therapy informs retreat work27:25 – Final reflections and closingAbout the Guest – Patience ShuttsPatience Shutts is a retreat facilitator, keynote speaker, and licensed marriage and family therapist who blends human development, attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and systems psychology. With thousands of clinical hours and global field experience, her work focuses on helping leaders...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/bOBTiJs7vh0BXESSAuKMgrIiALFaXvXWvSKoFPBd1Co/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85ZDE1/NmMxYmI2MTM4YzRk/ZWI5ZmE3ZTc4MmYx/OGUwMy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}