I came to the writer´s retreat in Sedona in 2015 without knowing what to expect. I just knew that there was something there for me but I could never imagine that I would have such an amazing experience that would touch so many levels of my being.

Before coming to the retreat, I would never consider myself a writer and was just trying some blog posts here and there that my mom really enjoyed reading. That was it! However, deep inside I knew that there was more to it and after reading Julie´s book, A Cure for Emma and looking her up in the internet, I found out about this program. Julie’s writing and story inspired me so much that I decided to take that step and join them.

I can´t describe this experience into words because it would not fairly describe it – I guess this is most writer´s dilemma… I mean, finding it difficult to fairly put into words a delightful and life-altering experience – however, I can say that in the retreat, while I didn’t consider myself a writer, others did. They encouraged me and believed me more than I did, and that was magical in itself, because if other really high level and astonishing writers could see in me what I could not, then I had to look closer and acknowledge the writer in me that was trying to come out.

This retreat was a journey into my own story and other people´s stories and it was beautifully enriching to my soul and my writing! Julie and the coaches are not only extremely competent in what they do, but they are compassionate, loving and caring, and they do it for the love and fun of it. That comes across in every single detail and activity planned.

I left this trip as a better writer but mostly as a better human being! Thank you all for an amazing experience, if I could go back in time, I would have done it a thousand times again!

Fabiana Couto, 34 years old, personal development writer and wellness coach

São Paulo, Brazil