Praise for Passion and Presence
“I have only positive feedback on the structure. Beginning with mindful grounding each day was great. There was never too much frontal learning, and the slides were excellent. It was pretty easy to remain attentive and focused. Thank you also for the materials ahead. It helped to meet you both, understand what we would be doing, and be ready to dive in.”
“I honestly loved everything about this retreat. The combination of listening, activity, reflection time, sharing, and breaks was well-paced. The retreat unlocked a new level of communication between my partner and me. We have notes and tools to lean on to help us.”
“The retreat guided us to attend to an area of our lives that we were pretty much writing off and adapting to. We have more hope now. Thank you!”
“I most appreciated the retreat’s clear structure, the lovely energy from the presenters, and the beneficial insights and exercises.”
“I recommend this workshop to any couple, whether they are struggling or flourishing. The tools gained and the community experienced in just two days were much more significant than we imagined possible. Maci’s work is incredible. She and Julia are attuned, compassionate guides.”
“My spouse and I have enjoyed a robust and satisfying sex life for 45 years. This program gave us new ways to expand that satisfaction and find even deeper intimacy. We learned new ideas and practices to increase our awareness of our enjoyment and also how to communicate with each other to continue enhancing our lives together.”
“The compassion and focus from Maci and Julia set the tone for all of us, and the container was just beautiful and well-maintained throughout—so much respect, love, and kindness. I loved being with other couples struggling, sharing their stories, exploring, holding, and being held. We have only been in couples therapy and found the group format enormously beneficial. I enjoyed all the tools and was grateful to receive a “toolbox” of materials we can continue to use and practice with.”
“We both went into the mini-retreat a little nervous and not knowing what to expect! But in the end, we felt like we made an excellent choice for our relationship’s development. We’d been struggling in the communication department for years – and really, what is the cornerstone of intimacy but that – and felt that we gained some tools to practice and grow our relationship positively for years to come.”
“I went into the retreat a little anxious, not knowing what it would be like and wondering if I would like it or if my partner would. We loved every minute and left with great tools to help us continue building a solid relationship. Glad we took the time to do this!”
“The Passion & Presence mini-retreat was the best gift we gave ourselves in our relationship. Maci and Julia are so thoughtful and skillful, fantastic leaders and facilitators, and they put together a digestible program with a profound impact. Practicing mindfulness with my partner and learning ideas and tools that left us feeling more connected and hopeful for the future was very meaningful. We are so thankful for the two-day retreat and look forward to having an “anything is possible” mindset!”
“The material was fantastic and transformational. The safety in the space is amazing. Work like this couldn’t take place without it!”
“Although we love each other very much and remain committed to our marriage, the vitality and sexuality in our relationship had been lacking. Both my husband and I had a huge “aha” while practicing the exercises. We were able to slow down and connect in a deeper, more meaningful way. In one of the last sessions, a fellow participant came over and said, ‘I can’t stop looking at your faces, you are both so radiant!’ This is exactly how we felt”
“Your honesty, transparency, presence, mindfulness and encouragement has opened up the universe for us. We so valued how you held a loving, safe investigative space where we could honestly and courageously look at ourselves and our relationship.
I continue to be pleased and gifted by the possibilities you offer about being in relationship. I am so grateful for who each of you are. Your beauty and commitment to live and love inspires me.”
“The combination of lecture, exercises, discussion and demos keeps it interesting. I really appreciate the presence and attention you both give to participants. I am grateful for your offerings and passion for this work. It has already made a huge impact on our relationship.”
“Homework was directly relevant to expanding our erotic repertoire. Wonderful to hear about the humanity in it all. The leaders read the group energy really well.”
“Great, open, tender container from the start. Modeled relaxed loving presence with a nice amount of humor and lightness.”
“We’ve been friends for 19 years, and lovers for 11, and we’re seeing each other in new ways. We came home with a strong feeling of connectedness and a renewed sexual spark.”
“So appreciated the chance to slow down and savor my relationship/partner. I am leaving feeling really connected.”
“You provide the map and allow us space to explore the territory. I accessed so much in such a short time with you and felt my awareness build and deepen over the course of the weekend.”
“The program has been huge to us in not just improving the way we look at sex, but also in how we approach and see our marriage.”
“I really loved this workshop. I felt you both “walked your talk” about what it really means to embrace relationship in a spirit of mindful co-investigation. The workshop reinforced my heartfelt desire to allow myself to be fully in the world with all my parts. ”
“I especially appreciated the sensitive, mindful and loving responses you both gave to each participant who shared his/her experience with the group. I witnessed how helpful, practical and reassuring this was. ”
“Excellent facilitation of group dynamic. Very tender and insightful coaching of individual participants. Very clear presentation of information. ”
“Maci and Halko do a fantastic job of navigating the tricky waters of our most intimate dynamics, handling the group with a combination of compassion, presence and skill.”
“It is heartening to know that the passion and love that I felt for my husband during our initial romance is still accessible through the mindful practices taught in the workshop. ”
“You were both “in the moment” and very helpful when a need showed up for us individually and as a couple.”
“It is rare to have a female role model who is both extremely professional, yet also expresses her sexuality and vulnerability. It is also rare to have such a male model as Halko, who is both full of wisdom and laughter. We have so few male role models who are wise, yet not arrogant — easy in the power they carry within themselves.
Maci and Halko provided a missing experience for my partner and I. Even though we did not come with what we thought of as ”major problems,” the retreat opened doors to a much wider field to play and experience ourselves in.”
“Maci and Halko, your wisdom is exquisite. Love you both.”
“This was a beautiful journey. I got to see my husband (and myself) at a depth I have never before experienced.”
“A life-changing, healing and transformational model. I feel nourished and hopeful about keeping my love relationship re-invigorated.”
“The tools we have gained over the past year have allowed us to face life circumstances as a team vs. separate and further wounded. It has allowed more compassion and passion as a couple. We are most grateful.”
“This workshop has improved my erotic connection with my partner. After 10 years, I feel the relationship is new and fresh.”
“I was in severe relationship despair when I walked in the door and I am leaving as a person who loves her husband again and has genuine hope for our future. I have had a transformational shift in understanding the power of acceptance versus resisting, suppressing, fighting against our own and our partner’s wounded parts. You all provide the space, skill, wisdom and LOVE to help us dive deeply and gather the information we need for healing and creating corrective emotional experiences. I am usually efforting, striving, seeking in my life to find something that feels missing. In this moment I feel still, content, deeply satisfied – all is well!”
“Appreciated that you created a very safe, accepting and supportive space where we can explore deep parts of ourselves and deal with difficult impasses. Appreciated how attuned you were to where we were emotionally and that you provided support when it was needed. ”
“Halko and Maci are wizards of personal interaction. Their caring, loving way of handling such “taboo” topics and teaching of mindfulness are something every couple should experience.”
