How to offer retreats for therapists with Patrick Casale
My interview guest this week is Patrick Casale, LCMHC, LCAS. Patrick is the founder of All Things Private Practice where he offers individual coaching and retreats for therapists.
He is the host of the All Things Private Practice Podcast and his Facebook group of the same name, All Things Private Practice Therapy, has more than 6,000 members.
I spoke to Patrick about why he started offering retreats, how much they cost to put on, and what advice he has for therapists who are interested in offering retreats of their own. Enjoy!
Why did you start offering retreats for therapists?
I love to travel and experience new places and cultures. During COVID, I realized how important travel, growth, connection, and community was. Not just for me, but for everyone.
My goal prior to starting a private practice coaching business in 2022 was to start a travel coaching business, where I helped helpers step away from their jobs and step out of their comfort zone.
This is how we grow and how we can use the power of experiences to jump start our business goals and ideas.
How long does it take to plan a retreat?
My process is probably a little bit different than most. I believe in imperfect action and building the plane as you fly it. My first retreat was held in a small town in Ireland in March of 2022.
I did some market research with my audience to see who would be interested in coming. There was an overwhelming response, so I figured, yikes, I've gotta make this happen.
I'm an obsessive researcher and planner, so I spent weeks trying to find rentals and accommodations that met my needs. It was challenging to find something that felt intimate enough, but also desirable in location.
Now that I have my process down, I've created and planned the logistics of retreats in less than 48 hours.
How much does it cost to put on a retreat?
This varies based on goals. I like for my retreats to feel like very intimate incubators of sorts. I get lost in larger conferences and summits, and get too overwhelmed.
I keep mine at 20 people max and that includes the participants' guests as well. This allows for everyone to get their money's worth without feeling too overwhelmed or overloaded. I try hard to ensure that I only hire local vendors for catering, activities, excursions, and transportation.
My overhead is higher than some who would rather host it at a chain hotel, and don't provide much in terms of "extras." In Ireland, between accommodations, transportation, activities, catering, music at the venue, and paying coaches, I spent upwards of $25,000.
That also allowed me to get a gauge on what felt unnecessary, and where to allocate money going forward.
Has anything surprised you about offering retreats?
I didn't expect the response to be so great! It feels surreal that I have five retreats planned in 2023 and all of them nearly sold out within a few weeks.
I feel unbelievably grateful that people trust me to host a quality experience and to invest their time and resources into it.
What advice do you have for therapists who are interested in offering retreats of their own?
Just like anything else, you need to build your audience and have a clear message. I see a lot of people who want to start retreats, try to book something, and then sell to a cold audience. That doesn't really work and it can be really defeating.
I recommend lots of video marketing. Videos of the retreat venue, the area, and highlighting the activities.
How can therapists sign up for one of your retreats?
We have a few spots left for our Retreat Builder's Blueprint, a retreat experience for mental health professionals who want to host their own retreat, in August 2023 in Asheville, NC. Sign up here.
We also have a few spots left in our Marketing Retreat in October 2023 in Portugal. Sign up here.
Thank you to Patrick for sharing with us. Join the All Things Private Practice Therapy group on Facebook and follow Patrick on TikTok and Instagram.
Visit his website to learn more about his retreats.