Rewrite Your Story:
Healing the Mother Wound
Whaingaroa, Raglan · Aotearoa New Zealand
WHO THIS IS FOR
The Man Who Knows Something's Missing
You carry a heaviness you can't quite name — anger, sadness, numbness around your relationship with your mother
You repeat patterns in relationships and don't know how to break the cycle
You feel disconnected from yourself, your emotions, or your sense of purpose
You've been strong for everyone else and never had a space to fall apart
You know you're ready for something deeper than another self-help book
You don't need prior experience with men's work. You don't need to have “done the work.” You just need to be willing to show up honestly.
WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE
Two Days That Change Everything
Fire Circles
Gather around real fire. Speak your truth. Be witnessed by men who aren't going anywhere.
Facilitated Inner Work
Guided by elder facilitator John Vissers with 20+ years experience in transformational men's work.
Nature Connection
The bush, the coast, the land — Whaingaroa holds you differently than any city ever could.
Sacred Ritual
Ancient practices adapted for modern men. Release what no longer serves. Reclaim what was always yours.
Brotherhood
Twelve men. Not strangers — brothers you haven't met yet. Connections that last long after the weekend.
Integration Support
The retreat doesn't end Sunday. Pre and post-event support to help the work land in your daily life.
YOUR FACILITATOR
John Vissers
20 years facilitating transformational experiences for men. Elder, ritual spaceholder, and the kind of man who holds the room without saying a word.
John has walked this path himself — through grief, through fire, through the hard conversations most men avoid. He doesn't teach from a textbook. He holds space from lived experience.
What Men Say After
“A reward greater than the one desired and known.”
“Find, forgive and nourish my inner child.”
“Integrated, whole and vital.”
INVESTMENT
What's Included
Saturday dinner at a local Raglan restaurant (pay individually). Alternative accommodation can be arranged at own cost.
Questions
No. This retreat is for men at every stage. Whether this is your first circle or your hundredth, the work meets you where you are.
Friday evening: Welcome circle and dinner. Saturday: Full day of facilitated inner work, fire circle, nature connection. Sunday: Integration, closing circle, lunch together. You leave mid-afternoon.
Sleeping bag/bedding if doing marae-style, warm layers, a journal, and an open mind. We'll send a full packing list after registration.
No. This is peer-facilitated men's work with experienced elders, not clinical therapy. If you're in crisis, please contact your GP or 1737 helpline first.
Full refund up to 14 days before the event. After that, your spot can be transferred to another man. No refunds within 48 hours of the event.
Accommodation (marae/camping/van), all meals Saturday lunch through Sunday lunch, facilitation, and ongoing support. Saturday dinner is at a local restaurant (pay individually).
LIMITED TO 12 MEN
Register Now
Secure your spot. Earlybird pricing won't last.