What is Anchored Together Retreats?
Anchored Together Retreats give couples structured, experiential time to step out of daily life and reconnect at a deeper level. Through guided exercises and intentional conversation, partners strengthen communication, rebuild emotional safety, and rediscover a more grounded way of being together.
Teaching
We begin with brief, accessible teaching that helps you understand key relationship patterns, communication dynamics, and connection skills. This content is designed to be practical and easy to apply, offering insight without overwhelming or academic language.
Our retreats incorporates evidence-based principles from the Gottman Method to help couples strengthen communication, deepen friendship, and navigate conflict more effectively.
Relationships thrive by being intensional. Small, intentional actions can strengthen connection, improve communication, and help couples weather life’s challenges together.
Exercises are structured and guided activities that help you and your partner put ideas into practice in real time. These moments are designed to build awareness, strengthen connection, and create new shared experiences together.
Exercises
Reflective Conversations
Reflective conversations are intentional, supported dialogues between you and your partner. They create space to slow down, listen deeply, and explore what matters most in your relationship in a safe and structured way.
Our exercises are both conversational, reflective and written. We also like to have some fun and we will be offering some engaging exercises that will have you laughing out loud!
Our Events
Offering workshops and retreats throughout the year
Anchored Together Retreats offers relationship-focused workshops and retreats throughout Eastern Canada and online. We create welcoming spaces for couples to slow down, reconnect, and invest in each other.
2 Day Couples Workshop
Strengthening Connection, Deepening Understanding, and Building Lasting Love
Join us for a transformative two-day couples retreat designed to help couples strengthen their friendship, improve communication, navigate conflict more effectively, and create a deeper sense of connection.
Grounded in the research-based Gottman Method, this retreat offers practical tools, meaningful conversations, and guided exercises that you can begin using immediately in your relationship.
Whether your marriage is thriving or facing challenges, Anchored Together provides a supportive and engaging environment where you and your partner can reconnect, reflect, and invest intentionally in your future together.
What You'll Learn
Throughout the retreat, you'll discover how healthy, resilient couples:
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Build and maintain strong friendship and emotional connection
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Increase appreciation, fondness, and admiration
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Recognize and respond to bids for connection
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Navigate conflict without damaging the relationship
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Understand the difference between solvable and perpetual problems
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Use gentle communication and effective repair attempts
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Explore the deeper dreams and values underneath recurring disagreements
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Create meaningful rituals of connection that strengthen intimacy over time
What to Expect
This retreat combines engaging teaching, real-life examples, private couple exercises, reflection, and practical application.
Couples work primarily with each other throughout the weekend. Participants are never required to share personal information with the larger group, creating an atmosphere of safety, privacy, and respect.
The retreat balances education, practice, and connection without feeling overwhelming, allowing couples to leave with tools they can confidently apply at home.
Light refreshment, coffee, tea and water will be provided at the breaks. Lunch is not included. We’ve created a dedicated lunch break for couples to leave the space together and use this time as an opportunity to connect and enjoy one another.
Retreat Highlights
Day One: Building Connection
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The Sound Relationship House framework
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Building Love Maps
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Fondness and Admiration
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Trust and emotional connection
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Shared meaning and relationship rituals
Day Two: Navigating Conflict and Creating Lasting Change
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Understanding conflict and relationship patterns
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The Four Horsemen and their Antidotes
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Repair Attempts
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Dreams Within Conflict
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Stress-Reducing Conversations
Take Home Resources
Each couple will receive a comprehensive retreat workbook including:
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Love Maps question bank
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Appreciation exercises
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Four Horsemen reference guide
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Stress-reducing conversation tools
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Rituals of connection planner
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Weekly relationship meeting template
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Personalized action planning worksheets
$400-600 per couple
Is This Retreat Right for Us?
This retreat is ideal for couples who want to:
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Strengthen their relationship
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Improve communication
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Deepen emotional connection
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Learn practical relationship tools
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Invest intentionally in their marriage
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Create a stronger foundation for the future
No matter where you are in your relationship journey, you'll leave with renewed hope, practical skills, and a clear plan for staying connected long after the weekend ends.
Space is limited. Reserve your spot today and invest in the relationship that matters most.
Date Nights in Annapolis Valley
Treat yourselves to a memorable evening out
This intentionally designed evening is a guided date night with playful exercises, and conversation starters designed to help you connect and strengthen your bond.
This special evening out we will focus on Strengthening Love & Friendship – Using a Gottman Approach. Anchored Together Couples Retreats is all about bringing couples closer by. The workshop is facilitated by highly skilled couple's therapists.
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Lasting Takeaways: Exercises and conversation prompts that can continue at home
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Exclusive Experience: Limited seats, intimate setting, in-person, led by experienced therapists.
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Relationship Skills: Learn a few high-impact skills from research-backed methods (e.g., Gottman Method).
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Fun & Connection: Engaging exercises that spark laughter, intimacy, and deeper conversation.
Facilitators: Kathleen Murphy RSW, MSW (Local Marriage Therapist) and Merel Voth RSW, MSW, Gottman Certified therapist from BC.
May 2026 (Wolfville, Kentville and Waterville)
Feb 2027 (Wolfville, Halifax, and Berwick specific dates to be announced.)
Free Webinars
Curious about the Anchored Together Couples Retreat?
Join us for a free webinar:
September 11,2026 6 Hours to a Better Relationship 12:00PM Atlantic Time
September 16, 2026 Love Maps 7:30PM Atlantic Time
September 23 2026 Fondness and Admiration 12:00PM Atlantic Time
All registered participants will receive the Zoom link 24 hours prior to event.
Join us for one of our complimentary 60-minute relationship webinars and experience our approach firsthand.
These engaging online sessions introduce practical, research-based relationship tools inspired by the Gottman Method and the same principles we teach in our retreats. Each webinar focuses on a specific topic such as strengthening friendship, improving communication, managing conflict, or creating deeper emotional connection.
Whether you're looking to enrich an already strong relationship or navigate a challenging season together, these webinars offer valuable insights, practical exercises, and a chance to get to know facilitators Kathleen Murphy and Merel Voth before committing to a retreat.
Leave with one or two tools you can begin using immediately—and discover how small changes can create meaningful improvements in your relationship.
About Us
Merel and Kathleen's journey to create Anchored Together Retreats began with a shared vision and a deep passion for community connection. Their friendship inspired them to combine their efforts to offer practical and meaningful spaces for couples slow down, connect, and invest in their relationship. Anchored Together is not just a project for them; it's a heartfelt mission to support couples and marriages.
Strengthening Relationships, One Meaningful Connection at a Time.
Meet Your Retreat Facilitators
Merel Voth, MSW, RSW
Merel is a Registered Social Worker and Certified Gottman Therapist who has been supporting individuals and couples since 2007. Her work focuses on helping people navigate life transitions, relationship challenges, anxiety, and personal growth while building stronger, more meaningful connections. Merel is known for helping people get “unstuck” and move forward with clarity and purpose.
Originally from Holland and has spent more of her adult life in British Columbia. In 2025 Merel and her family relocated to the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. She has been married for 14 years and is the proud mother of two children. Her work is grounded in the belief that even the most difficult relationship challenges can become opportunities for growth, deeper understanding, and renewed connection. Merel owns and operates Lakeside Counselling and Coaching.
Kathleen Murphy, MSW, RSW
Kathleen Murphy is a Clinical Social Worker who supports individuals, couples, and parents. Her work focuses on helping people navigate relationship challenges, emotional stress, and patterns that feel hard to shift, while building stronger, more meaningful connections. Kathleen specializes in couples work and women’s mental health, and is known for helping people gain clarity and move forward with intention.
Kathleen lives in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, where she owns and operates Norwood Counselling. She is married, a parent of two, and a foster parent, bringing both professional and lived experience into her work. Her approach is grounded in the belief that even the most challenging seasons can become opportunities for growth, deeper understanding, and renewed connection.
FAQ's
Is this like couples therapy?
This is not couples therapy, though it is informed by relational and therapeutic principles. Think of it as a guided, educational, and experiential space focused on connection, communication, and strengthening your relationship. If you are in therapy, this can complement that work; if not, it still stands alone as a meaningful relationship experience.
Do we have to share personal things in front of others?
No. While the experience may include group reflections or shared learning, you will never be required to disclose personal or sensitive details in front of others. Most of the meaningful work happens privately between you and your partner.
What happens during a retreat or a workshop?
Each retreat or workshop is a guided, structured experience designed to help you reconnect and strengthen your relationship. You can expect a mix of facilitated teaching, reflective exercises, and intentional conversations with your partner. Some moments are shared as a group, while many are private between you and your partner. Everything is designed to feel supportive, grounded, and accessible, no prior experience needed.