Catharsis

noun. The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

Creating sanctuary spaces where art becomes medicine, and your personal journey becomes a sacred work of creative transformation.

We are a Cape Town collective, initiating art therapy workshops, involving painting, drawing and poetry as potent mediums for shifting the subconscious state, deepening understanding of self and releasing pain and trauma from the energy field. As well as more social creativity events, for those who want alcohol free spaces to connect with those on the same path. We usually have options of heart opening cacao, sceletium mocktails and blue lotus elixirs.

Catharsis 7 Day Immersive Retreat

There comes a moment in each of our lives when the ache to be seen, heard, and truly felt becomes undeniable. We long not just for healing—but for expression. For beauty. For wholeness.

The Catharsis Retreat is a 7-day immersive experience that offers exactly this: a sanctuary where art becomes medicine, and your personal journey becomes a sacred work of creative transformation.

Set in the lush Gaia Centre in Constantia, Cape Town, Catharsis is more than a retreat—it’s a soul home. A curated container that holds you gently as you unravel, remember, and rise.

A Journey from Pain to Power

Catharsis invites you to bring your whole self—your grief, your joy, your doubt, your light—and pour it into creation. Through art therapy, movement, ritual, and voicework, you will be guided to alchemize emotional blockages into meaningful, expressive forms. Whether it’s through poetry, paint, or performance, this retreat opens a sacred channel for your truth to move through you and out into the world.

This is not about creating technically perfect artwork. It’s about reclaiming your inner storyteller, honoring your emotional landscape, and allowing your hands, your voice, and your body to speak what your mind has kept quiet for too long.

The Healing Path Through the Chakras

Each day of the retreat is centered around a different chakra, moving from the root to the crown. In the first half of the week, we ground deeply into the lower energy centers—exploring themes like grounding in, feeling safe in imperfection, releasing the inner critics and overcoming all blocks and procrastinations to begin creation through embodied practices and nature rituals.

As the week unfolds, the focus rises into the upper chakras—supporting your voice, vision, and spiritual connection. You’ll be gently guided to shape your personal story into a final creative piece that reflects your healing journey: a piece of art you’ll take home, infused with your heart, your growth, and your truth.

-A Held, Soulful Experience

From the opening blue lotus ceremony to the final earth altar closing, you are never alone on this journey. The retreat is co-facilitated by two powerful healers—Jaimie Pratt, a Reiki practitioner and intuitive guide who weaves tarot, channeling, and poetic expression into her healing work; and Philippa Schmulian, a seasoned metaphysical teacher, quantum healer, and ceremonialist who has guided transformational circles for over 25 years.

You’ll also be joined by Yasmin Ezzideen, a Cape Town-based artist whose work honors the divine feminine and creative ritual. Her presence mid-week adds a deep artistic anchor, helping you begin your final piece from a place of embodied inspiration.

Each day begins with meditation, yoga, and chakra-focused journaling. From there, you’ll move through workshops in drawing, painting, poetry, and voice activation. Evenings close with soft group circles.

For those called, there’s the option to engage in a safe, supported micro-dosing experience with plant medicine—deepening your access to subconscious insight and inner guidance.

The Heart of the Retreat

What makes Catharsis truly unique is its marriage of the mystical and the tangible. You’re not only engaging in inner work—you’re making something with it. Your pain is painted. Your truth is performed. Your healing becomes visible. And through that visibility, something beautiful happens: you reclaim your voice.

Whether you’re someone who’s been carrying the weight of unspoken trauma, or someone yearning to reconnect with your joy and creative spark, this retreat offers a bridge. A way to move forward with clarity, energy, and purpose.

You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll paint. You’ll write. You’ll be seen—and you’ll see yourself, perhaps for the first time in a long while.