Frequently asked questions about Pelagus recovery retreats

Achill Wild is our adventure-led programme for 18 to 25 year olds, set on Achill Island on Ireland's Atlantic coast. Every place is fully residential: you're with us completely for the duration of the programme. What's included: full residential accommodation on Achill Island for the programme duration; all meals, prepared with nutritional recovery in mind; daily adventure activities: surfing, sea kayaking, cliff walks, wild swimming; individual therapy sessions with your assigned psychotherapist; group recovery coaching sessions (max 12 guests); mindfulness, breathwork, and nervous system regulation sessions; narrative and identity work, understanding your story and where you're going; your personalised Recovery Map, built across the programme and witnessed at the closing dinner; pre-arrival call with your assigned practitioner; post-programme check-in call at 30 days; access to the Pelagus peer accountability network after you leave.

Deerstone is our women's recovery retreat, set in the quiet of Co. Wicklow. It's designed for women who have done the work and are ready to protect it, in an environment built entirely around them. What's included: full residential accommodation at the Deerstone venue, Co. Wicklow; all meals, prepared by our clinical dietitian Daniel Murphy; individual psychotherapy sessions with Cara Byrne, Clinical Lead; group recovery coaching sessions in a women-only setting (max 12 guests); trauma-informed outdoor sessions, woodland walks, nature immersion, guided movement; mindfulness, yoga, acupuncture, and Qi Gong; breathwork and nervous system regulation; narrative and identity work, reconnecting with who you are outside of addiction; your personalised Recovery Map, built across the programme and witnessed by your peer group; pre-arrival call with your assigned practitioner; post-programme check-in call at 30 days; access to the Pelagus peer accountability network after you leave.

The Kilkenny retreat is our men's programme: private, structured, and held in one of Ireland's most beautiful five-star settings. It's designed for men who want expert clinical support in an environment that meets their standard in every other area of life. What's included: full residential accommodation at the Kilkenny estate; all meals, designed and overseen by clinical dietitian Daniel Murphy; individual psychotherapy sessions with your assigned therapist; group recovery coaching sessions (max 12 guests); golf, equine therapy, sailing, and guided outdoor activities; mindfulness, breathwork, and somatic nervous system work; narrative and identity work, rebuilding the story you tell yourself; relapse prevention planning tailored to your specific triggers and life situation; your personalised Recovery Map, built across the programme and witnessed at the closing dinner; pre-arrival call with your assigned practitioner; post-programme check-in call at 30 days; access to the Pelagus peer accountability network after you leave.

Not necessarily, but most of our guests have. Pelagus is designed for the period after treatment, when the structure and support of residential care ends and real life begins. If you've completed treatment and are navigating what comes next, this is built for you. If you're not sure whether the timing is right, the best thing to do is have a conversation with Colin. He'll give you an honest answer.

Yes. Relapse is part of the recovery landscape for many people: it doesn't disqualify you, and it doesn't mean the work you've done was wasted. What matters is where you are now and what you want to do about it. Colin will talk through your situation on the initial call and be honest about whether Pelagus is the right fit for where you are right now.

No. The adventure elements are about challenge and experience, not athletic performance. You don't need any previous experience of surfing, kayaking, hiking, or any other activity. Our outdoor team works with every level, and the pace is always led by the group. The point isn't the activity. It's what happens in you when you step outside your comfort zone in a safe, supported environment. That's where the real work happens.

No. Our programmes support people recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, but also gambling addiction, behavioural addiction, burnout, and the kind of chronic stress and anxiety that can make recovery from any of these much harder. If you're not sure whether your situation fits, call Colin. He'll tell you honestly.

Absolutely, and we'd encourage it. Pelagus is designed to complement your existing therapeutic relationships, not replace them. Most of our guests continue working with their therapist after the retreat. With your permission, we can share your Recovery Map with them so your aftercare plan is joined up.

A wellness retreat gives you space to rest and reset. Pelagus gives you a clinical team, a structured therapeutic programme, and a concrete plan to take home. The activities and the landscape are deliberate therapeutic tools, not amenities. We are not a spa break. We are not a detox. We are an immersive recovery programme that uses adventure and nature as part of the clinical method, grounded in evidence, delivered by qualified practitioners.

Treatment addresses the addiction. Pelagus addresses what comes after: the environment, the triggers, the patterns, and the plan for the life you're returning to. We're not a second treatment. We're the structure that helps the work you've already done stick. Think of it this way: treatment is where you stop. Pelagus is where you start building.

Our core programmes run 5 to 10 days, fully residential. This is the time needed to do meaningful work: to move past the surface, build real practices, and complete your Recovery Map properly. We don't offer shorter programmes because we don't believe shorter works.

A maximum of 12 guests per cohort. This is deliberate. At that size, the group dynamic is powerful: people genuinely know and support each other by the end, but every person still gets the individual attention they need from the clinical team. We will never run a Pelagus retreat with more than 12 guests.

Every day is structured but not rigid. Mornings typically begin with breathwork or mindfulness, followed by an outdoor or adventure session. Afternoons move into therapeutic work: individual sessions, group coaching, or identity and narrative work. Evenings are social, shared, and human: good food, genuine conversation, time to process the day. The balance between challenge and recovery is intentional. You'll be working hard. You'll also be well looked after.

The Recovery Map is the most important thing you take home. It's a personalised, written document built with your recovery coach across the programme, not summarised at the end of it. It covers four things: your trigger profile, the specific situations, people, and internal states that create risk for you; your coping architecture, the strategies and practices that work for you, tested in real conditions during the retreat; your support structure, the people, practitioners, and communities that form your accountability network; your 90-day plan, specific, time-bound commitments witnessed by your peer group at the closing dinner. It goes home with you. It's yours. And it's designed to hold long after the retreat ends.

The retreat is the beginning, not the end. When you leave, you have your Recovery Map, your 90-day plan, and your peer group: people who have been through the same retreat and are navigating the same first weeks back. We also do a check-in call at 30 days. If you're working with a therapist or counsellor, we'll share your Recovery Map with them (with your permission) so your aftercare is joined up. And if you hit a difficult moment and need to talk, you can reach Colin directly.

Full travel information is provided in your welcome pack after booking. All three locations, Achill Island, Co. Wicklow, and Kilkenny, are accessible from Dublin by car or public transport. If you're travelling from abroad, Dublin Airport is the main hub. We're happy to help coordinate transfers where needed, just ask on your intake call.

A full packing list is included in your pre-arrival welcome pack. In general: comfortable outdoor clothing and footwear, anything you need for personal care, any prescribed medication (inform us in advance), and an open mind. We provide everything else: accommodation, meals, all programme materials, and equipment for the outdoor activities.

No, the retreat is intentionally immersive and self-contained. Part of what makes the programme work is the separation from everyday life and its pressures. Family members are encouraged to write a letter of support that can be shared during the programme if appropriate. There is a family information session available on request, speak to Colin about this on your intake call.

Completely. Everything discussed with the Pelagus team, before, during, and after the retreat, is treated with total confidentiality. Guest lists are never shared. We do not discuss who attends our programmes with anyone outside the team without explicit consent. Within the group itself, confidentiality is a foundational part of how we work together. Every guest agrees to it on arrival.

We ask guests to limit phone use during the programme, not as a rule, but as a practice. One of the things that makes Pelagus work is genuine presence: being here, rather than partly somewhere else. We'll talk about this on your pre-arrival call and agree something that works for your situation, including how to let family know you're well.

You choose a time that works for you, and Colin calls you. The conversation lasts about 30 minutes. He'll ask about where you are right now, what you're looking for, and what feels uncertain. You can ask him anything. There's no script and no pitch. If Pelagus isn't the right fit for where you are, Colin will tell you honestly, and if he can point you toward something that would help more, he will. The call is for you to make a good decision, not for us to make a sale.

Yes. The call with Colin isn't a commitment to come, it's a conversation. A lot of people who reach out aren't sure yet. That's exactly the right time to talk. You don't need to have decided anything before you call. If the timing isn't right, we'll say so. And when it is, we'll be here.

Yes, and many people do. Parents, partners, siblings, people who can see what their loved one is going through and want to understand whether Pelagus might help. Colin is happy to talk with you directly, answer your questions, and help you think through whether and how to raise it with the person you're concerned about. We know this isn't straightforward. We'll treat your call with care.