Policy

Retreat policies

Safety-First Screening Protocol

Retreat attendance is contingent on screening. While meditation's benefits to mental health are well-documented and can be profound, it may also surface difficult emotions or experiences. For some people, these experiences can last hours, days, or longer. We discuss this topic in detail in this blog post.

Our Commitment to Safety

We recognize the trust that retreat participants are placing in us, and we take our responsibility for each attendee's safety and well-being seriously. As part of this responsibility, it is important to be explicit about how we can and cannot support participants on retreat.

Important Note: We do not provide medical support on our retreats.

We are comfortable referring participants to mental health professionals if desired, but the team may not always include a psychotherapist or clinical psychologist.

Screening Process

We require all attendees to:

  1. Share information about their mental health histories during the retreat sign-up process.
  2. Sign required agreements including the Participation Agreement and authorization for protected health information (PHI).
  3. Participate in a pre-retreat call, if deemed necessary.

This information helps us provide the appropriate level of support.
Attendees who don't provide this information will not be able to join us on retreat.

We also consider attendees' overall readiness and suitability for the retreat experience, and we reserve the right to ensure that each attendee is well-suited for the retreat environment.

Exclusion Criteria

We believe the risks may be greater for individuals with a history of certain mental health issues. We are following criteria inspired by Imperial College London's exclusion criteria for psychedelic research, which includes:

  1. Current dependence to alcohol or illicit substances
  2. Lifetime history of or current psychotic disorder/mania (schizophrenia, bipolar, drug-induced psychosis)
  3. One or more immediate (1st degree) family members with a current or previously diagnosed psychotic disorder
  4. History of suicide attempt that required hospitalization or presence of suicide/serious self-harm risk
  5. Current use of psychotropic medication (e.g., antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, etc.), but excluding psychotropic antidepressants and ADHD medications used as prescribed.
  6. Diagnosed or symptoms of borderline personality disorder or complex-PTSD in the last 3 years
  7. Diagnosed eating disorder with active purging
  8. Diagnosed dementia

Note on Antidepressants: We've had people join us successfully in the past while on antidepressants. We'll reach out to discuss if we cannot support you in this case.

Fasting & Substance Use on Retreat

For safety reasons, fasting and the use of recreational drugs, psychedelics, or alcohol are not permitted during our retreats. Participants who violate this policy will be asked to leave without a refund.

Questions?

If you have any questions about how this policy might apply to your particular situation, we're happy to discuss it with you. Please reach out to us at retreats@jhourney.io.

Cancellation Policy

Online Retreats

  • 21+ days prior to start date: 100% refund
  • 8–20 days prior to start date: 50% refund
  • 7 days or fewer before start date: No refund available

In-Person Retreats

  • 46+ days prior to start date: 100% refund
  • 31–45 days prior to start date: 50% refund
  • 30 days or fewer before the start date: Unfortunately, due to significant fixed logistical costs, we're unable to provide a refund

Reservation deposits

Your reservation deposit is the first installment toward a scheduled retreat and follows the cancellation schedule above.

Interest deposits

Collected to gauge interest in a potential retreat before it's confirmed. These are non-refundable and can't be transferred.

Refund Processing

  • Refunds are processed within 10 business days of cancellation
  • All refunds go to the original payment method only
  • You will receive an email confirmation once your refund has been processed

Special Circumstances

Screening & Participation Decisions

If we decline your participation for any reason at any time, you will receive a 100% refund of all amounts paid, regardless of the cancellation timeline above.

Retreat Changes by Jhourney

If we cancel a retreat or make material changes to dates, location, or program structure, you may choose either:

  • Transfer to another available retreat, or
  • Receive a 100% refund of amounts paid

Note: We are not responsible for any travel costs, accommodations, or other expenses you may have incurred.

EU/UK Participants

For in-person retreats sold to EU/UK residents that include both accommodation and retreat programming, you have the right to transfer your booking to another person up to 21 days before the retreat start date. The transferee must complete our standard screening process and meet all program requirements.