Let’s be real: most of us have no idea what to do with our emotions. We either shove them down until they burst out sideways at some innocent bystander—or we wear them like a giant wool sweater that no one asked for.
Enter: Emotional Literacy.
A course (and experience) designed for the grown-up empath, therapy grad, or sensitive soul who’s tired of riding the emotional rollercoaster with no seatbelt, snacks, or exit strategy.
Over two immersive psychotherapy weekend retreats at SEED Lodge, you’ll dive into the messy, beautiful world of emotional intelligence—minus the jargon, minus the shame. Think: breathwork, art therapy, movement, creative expression, and group magic that feels like adult summer camp meets inner child healing (with really good snacks).
You’ll explore:
How your emotions show up in your body and how to actually feel them without falling apart.
What your feelings are actually trying to tell you (spoiler: they’re not trying to ruin your life)
Why reacting ≠ processing
How to respond from your center, not your survival mode
How to do all this in the presence of others (without going into shame spirals) & maybe even have fun in the process
And yes, there will be art. And breathing. And Kundalini yoga. And likely at least one moment where you go, “Whoa—that all makes sense!”
This course is an intensive therapy process but there’s no “fixing” or “getting over it.” Just a whole lot of curiosity, creativity, community, and compassionate truth-telling.
You’ll laugh, cry, maybe dance awkwardly. You’ll definitely make friends with your feelings—and probably with some other amazing humans, too.
Whether you’ve being doing therapy for a while, or you are a seasoned therapist or practitioner who wants to go deeper, or someone just learning how to feel without freaking out—this course will give you tools, practices, and the emotional literacy to navigate your life with more ease, courage, and connection.
Option #1: Emotional Literacy Weekend In-Person Retreats
Nov 27 – Nov 30, 2025 AND April 23-26, 2026*
*Participants must attend both weekends. For any questions please email us at: theseedlodge@gmail.com
Option #2: Emotional Literacy Summer School
One week of diving into your emotional worlds.
Held @ the SEED Lodge July 19th-26, 2026.
Option #3: Emotional Literacy16 weeks Live on Zoom
Begins January 16th, 2026 (every Monday at noon EST).
For those of you who prefer to cry on your couch and join us for the immersive therapy experience.
RETREAT SCHEDULE
Learning to work with your emotions does not happen overnight. We are dealing with subconscious patterns and memories laden with cultural overtones stored in the nervous system often times for generations (in other words it’s going to take some time & practice to develop new ways of being).
Each retreat is 4 days long and is held twice a year.
You sign to come for both, you make a commitment to your learning and to your cohort (think of it like school, but for REAL life). If coming in person is not an option, please be sure to check out our 16-week online program (can be purchased at a discount rate when signing up for the in-person retreat).
Weekend #1: Welcome to the World of Feeling.
This weekend focuses on building emotional awareness through somatic practice, breathwork, Kundalini yoga and creative exploration. Over four days, participants are introduced to the core principles of Emotional Literacy, beginning with orientation, group attunement, and creative mapping of the inner emotional landscape. From there, we move into experiential learning of embodied boundaries, intuition, and nervous system literacy, exploring the emotions of shame and guilt through genogram work, art, and reflection. Day three centers around the survival energy of fear and confusion, exploring trauma metabolism and how to safely feel and express fear in the body. The final day of this retreat dives into anger and boundaries, using breath, movement, and expressive art to reclaim power and practice safe expression of this often-misunderstood emotion.
Weekend 2: Integration & Expansion
6 months later, this retreat picks up the thread, guiding participants into the more tender terrains of grief, desire, jealousy, and joy. The first day centers on grief as a profound expression of love, exploring cultural and ancestral layers through ritual, writing, and group sharing. Day two addresses depression and emotional stagnation, honoring the “inner winter” through gentle movement, breathwork, and visual journaling. On day three, we explore the potent and often taboo emotions of desire and jealousy—reframing them as sources of vitality and information—through meditation, collage, and guided inquiry. The final day is devoted to integration and celebration: we revisit the entire emotional ecosystem, create personal emotional maps, share final reflections, and close with a ritual to support the transition back into daily life. This retreat series offers a rare opportunity to reconnect with your emotional body, build emotional fluency, and develop practices that foster authenticity, resilience, and connection—both within and in relationship to others.
BONUS:
All participants who sign up for the in-person trainings will receive access to the 16 week Emotional Literacy Online class offered in January, 2026 to deepen their knowledge and maintain group continuity (a $2000 value).
Emotional Literacy is for you if:
You've done years of therapy and still feel like you’re crying into your oat milk latte wondering, “Why am I like this?”
You’re a therapist, social worker, coach, or healer who wants to actually feel your feelings instead of diagnosing them.
You’ve tried punching pillows, journaling, meditating, and bingeing Brené Brown—but you’re still overwhelmed, emotionally shutdown, or throwing emotional sh*t bombs at unsuspecting partners.
You have read all the therapy books and theories and want to put it into action.
You’re ready to get out of your head and into your body (yes, that magical meat-suit that actually holds your wisdom).
You want to laugh, play, connect, and maybe rage-dance a little in a safe and loving community.
Emotional Literacy is not for you if:
You are in an active crisis (we see you, and support you, but this might not be the time)
You areactively struggling with addiction (please reach out for a consult—we’ll guide you to what’s best)
You are looking for “5 easy steps to eternal happiness™” (sorry, wrong room)
What You'll Actually Learn:
How to identify and allow yourself to feel what you feel
To name what you feel before you explode or implode
Stay with your body and tolerate your emotions when they get uncomfortable or loud
What to do with BIG emotions besides Netflix, wine, or ghosting
How to express yourself without sounding like a self-help robot
You are not the only one feeling how you do.
Oh, and also how to breathe, move, draw, scream, shake, write, and make weird art that helps your feelings move.
What’s included:
2 x 4 day IN-PERSON retreats @ the SEED Lodge: Thursday, November 27 @ 5pm to Sunday, November 30th @ 2pm AND Thursday, April 23-Sunday April 26, 2026 (*Please note that tuition includes both weekends and needs to be paid in full prior to the first retreat).
All meals, drinks & snacks (you will be well taken care of).
All art materials and handouts.
Option to join the online program at a discounted rate.
Access to sauna, SEED Lodge grounds and forest trails.
The Practical Details:
Suitable for newbies to therapy or people who are looking for a way to deepen into their therapy experience.
The Seed Lodge is located right outside the small town of Rocklyn (2 hours north of Toronto near Blue Mountain). There is limited public transportation to the area, please book in advance. Car pooling is sometimes available, be sure to let us know if you are able to offer a lift or if you need a lift.
50 acres of farm and forest for you to explore.
This is a drug and alcohol free event.
All retreats are eligible for psychotherapy coverage. Please be sure to let us know if you require receipts.
The SEED Lodge is wheelchair accessible. Please be sure to let us know of your accessibility needs so that we can accommodate you for various outdoor activities.
All sales are non-refundable but transferable to another person.
SEED Lodge reserves the right to cancel any course due to low enrollment. In such cases, a full refund will be issued.
About Esther Kalaba M.A, RP
Founder of the SEED Lodge & the People of the Prana, Artist, Kundalini Yoga Teacher
Esther Kalaba is an art therapist, psychotherapist, and certified Kundalini yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience working in mental health. She's worked with thousands of people navigating the ups, downs, and sideways of the emotional landscape.
Emotional Literacy is the culmination of Esther’s life’s work—a response to the question she’s heard from nearly every client she’s worked with in individual therapy: “Why wasn’t this just taught in school?”
She created this course as an answer. Because emotions are the curriculum of being human—and learning to work with them might just be the most important education of your life.
Esther brings equal parts clinical expertise, spiritual depth, artistic creativity, and no-nonsense humour to the classroom (and the healing room). She believes that feelings are important, messy, and completely normal—and she’s here to help you speak their language.
For all questions please email: theseedlodge@gmail.com
To find out more about future creative arts therapies events, trainings & workshops be sure to sign up to our mailing list.