Are you well enough to be on Retreat?

Please note that if you have an unstable medical condition, Taraloka is a 45 minute drive from the nearest A&E and ambulance response times are also 45 minutes or above.  Retreat team members are not medically trained.

If you have a stable underlying medical condition but may require special conditions or support during your stay please call the office (01948 710646) to discuss these prior to booking so we can clarify what support you may need and whether or not we can reasonably provide it.

Single rooms and downstairs rooms may be available but should be agreed with the office team prior to booking.

Please note; if you normally receive care at home, are looking for convalescence, or are unable to self medicate, then a retreat may not be the best place for you as we will not be able to provide these levels of support.

The retreat centre is mostly flat access and all communal areas are on the ground floor.  We have an accessible bathroom with walk-in shower, shower chair, toilet grabrails and toilet raised seat available for use.  If you need a carer to support you with activities of daily life, please contact the office to discuss bringing them.

Ground floor bedrooms can be booked through the office.

We have a portable hearing loop for hearing aid users.

Please do call the office to book if you have particular requirements, or to talk through any aspect of accessibility at Taraloka.

Many people at some point in their lives suffer from some sort of emotional distress. In most cases retreats can help and the tools we learn on retreat can be beneficial in coping with emotional distress in your life.

Please be aware however that retreats are not therapeutic environments and although many of our retreat team members will be able to offer helpful support they are not counsellors or therapists and the amount of time they can offer you will be limited.

Please also be aware that on retreat you will be around other people quite intensively, and participating in a collective programme. Please consider whether or not this sort of intensive contact with other people will be helpful to you or not. Single room accommodation is limited and must be agreed prior to booking.

Mental health covers a wide spectrum of issues. Having a diagnosed mental health condition or a suspected mental health condition does not mean you cannot come on retreat, particularly if your condition is stable, and you are used to managing your life independently and being around people.

If you require help and support at home to manage your condition or organise your life, then a retreat may not be the best place for you.  

Additionally, for some conditions, being outside of your familiar environment and in intensive contact with other people can represent a risk of relapse of the condition.

If you have a diagnosed or suspected mental health condition, please call our office to talk over your needs to make sure being on retreat is really going to be the best thing for you.   We may also ask you to talk to a member of the team running the retreat you want to book on, so they can discuss whether they are able to appropriately support you.

A retreat is not a suitable environment for detox from drugs or alcohol. Before coming on retreat a recovering addict should be free from dependence and free from any medication they have used to support their detox. On the other hand, recovering addicts who have achieved this level of independence may well find the environment offered by being on retreat a supportive condition for moving forward in their life.