Heartbreak Hotel: How one Derbyshire retreat is healing hearts across the world

Everybody deals with heartbreak differently, there's no definitive answer for getting over the person you love. But now, one transformational therapy retreat nestled in the idyllic Derbyshire countryside is healing hearts across the world.

Founded by psychologist Alice Harden and life coach Ruth Field, the Heartbreak Hotel is bringing women together to transform pain into power.

The women-only retreat is filled with group therapy sessions, EMDR, breathwork and powerful conversations with people who have experienced similar situations.

Equally, their dedicated workshops offer "a distillation of some of our best psychological tools and techniques from the residential retreats, the focus is the same, to try and help women move past their heartbreak and find themselves among the embers of their loss."

Heartbreak Hotel

So, how did the idea come to fruition?

While taking compassionate leave in 2020, Alice heard a story on the radio about romantic fraud in which a woman had fallen in love online and was conned out of thousands of pounds.

The story moved Alice, which got her thinking about the lack of support in the world following heartbreak.

She strived for a place where heartbreak is actively listened to beyond an hour's therapy session – and not feel alone in their suffering. That's when she called on her longtime friend of 30 years, Ruth, and the Heartbreak Hotel was birthed.

Alice and Ruth have gone on to publish their first book Finding Your Self at the Heartbreak Hotel boasting five-star reviews.

Heartbreak Hotel

With the countdown to Valentine's Day, Alice and Ruth spoke with Indy100 about feelings of loneliness and how to combat them.

"Feelings tell us about ourselves, and your loneliness is connecting you to your desire for connection – as yet unfulfilled," they explained. "Yes, it's a difficult feeling, but don’t make it harder by judging yourself for feeling lonely."

The pair suggested thinking deeply about what is important in a loving relationship to make your future dating life worthwhile.

"Get back together with yourself instead," they added. "After all, this is the most important and enduring relationship of your life, a connection that can get sidelined or sometimes even lost in a romantic relationship that’s not quite right for you.

"Spending time on your own now to really get to know yourself is how you create a future aligned with what really matters to you."

As for what's next for Heartbreak Hotel, Alice and Ruth hope to take the retreat worldwide, already having people express interest from Greece to India.

"Guests fly to our retreats in the Peak District from many parts of the US & Canada, Ireland and Europe so we know the demand is global; the challenge for us is to find ways to meet it," they said.

For more information on bookings and workshops, you can visit the website. Finding Your Self at the Heartbreak Hotel is now available to buy.

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