Selma Baćevac, MAPsychotherapist & GathererBook a free conversation
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Women laughing together on stone steps at a past gathering with Selma

You Belong Here

A retreat for Balkan women

You’re tired of explaining yourself.
And being the one everyone relies on.

Four days in the North Carolina mountains to rest, have honest conversations with other Balkan women, and explore the expectations that leave you carrying too much. Through guided workshops and time together, begin putting what you need into words and deciding what comes next.

April 8–11, 2027Whittier, North CarolinaNo more than 10 women

Book your free conversation with me

This retreat is by invitation. It starts with a 30-minute talk, just you and me.

Shared $1,257 · Private $1,775 · USD per person.
$500 non-refundable deposit. Payment plans available. View rooms & pricing ↗

Women at a past Balkan Sisterhood gathering.

For the woman who lives between two worlds

You built a good life here.
So why does part of you still feel so far away?

You have a good life here. You work hard. You have friends, a home, people who love you. Some days, you feel more like yourself here than you ever could in your family’s house.

And still.

You visit family in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or elsewhere in the Balkans, and you feel like a guest. You plan the trip, and the guilt starts before you book the ticket. You gather women around you, and you still feel like the one on the outside. You sit with friends who were raised so differently, and you leave out half of who you are, because it takes too long to explain.

You’re tired of leaving parts of your experience out because they take too long to explain.

Two women laughing and holding hands on a stone-lined street
A moment of laughter at a past gathering.

And on top of all that

There is the
other weight.

You are the one everyone calls. At work, you are the one who gets it done. At home, you remember every appointment, every birthday, every bill. Your parents call you first. Your friends bring you their problems. You built the career your mother could only dream of, and you still do everything she did, too.

You are good at it. That is the problem. Nobody sees how tired you are, because you never let it show. You sleep and wake up tired. You go on vacation and answer emails from the beach. Some mornings you sit in the car a few extra minutes before you walk inside, just to have something that is yours.

Some days, even thinking about work makes your stomach turn. You wonder whether you want to do this work anymore, and who you would be without it.

Burnout at work can sit alongside a much older expectation: that you must carry everything yourself.

A word for what you carry

Cultural bereavement

The grief that can come with losing a familiar home, language or way of life is sometimes called cultural bereavement. You may miss parts of your life there even while loving the life you have built here. If you grew up between cultures, you may recognize a longing for a place you knew through your parents or through summers there.

Missing those parts of your life does not mean something is wrong with you. There is room here to talk about what you miss and what you want to keep.

A word for the woman who does it all

Compulsive self-reliance

When needing help has felt unsafe or unreliable, doing everything yourself can become a way of coping. Sometimes described as compulsive self-reliance, this pattern can leave you carrying everyone and struggling to let anyone carry you. It can look like strength and feel exhausting.

Many of us recognize the messages: be strong, don’t complain, don’t make a scene. “What will people say?” Some of these expectations helped our families get through war and hard years. You can understand that history and still need more support now.

You want more than another thing to figure out alone

You have done a lot of thinking.
Now you want somewhere to bring it.

You may have read the books, gone to therapy and begun to understand your patterns. What you may still be missing is a room of women who recognize what you mean, with guidance to practice something different. This weekend gives you time for that work, and time to laugh, rest and enjoy being together.

Book your free conversation with me

Four days · Three nights · April 8–11, 2027

Four days in the mountains.
Nothing to explain. Nothing to translate.

We stay together in a mountain villa in Whittier, North Carolina. Every meal is made for you, with Balkan food on the table. You do not have to cook, clean or take care of the group. There is room to step away from work and let someone else take care of the weekend.

  • Somatic exercises & gentle breathwork
  • Compassionate Inquiry-informed group work
  • Family constellations
  • Light forest & mountain-trail movement
  • Morning & evening healing circles
  • Games, music & laughter throughout the day

On Friday and Saturday, morning and evening healing circles bring us together around the day’s work. We open with a circle on Thursday evening and close together on Sunday morning. Guided sessions, forest and mountain-trail movement, rest and shared meals leave room for spontaneous conversation, play and laughter throughout our time together. Arrival, departure and session times will be shared with participants.

Women sharing an evening around an outdoor table at a past gathering
A past gathering with Selma. This is not the North Carolina venue.

Thursday · April 8

Let someone else take care of the details.

Arrival · Settle in

Arrive without having to organize anything.

Put down your bags, find your room and take your time settling into the villa. The meals and weekend are already planned. Meet the women joining you, with room to introduce yourself beyond your work and responsibilities.

Before dinner · Somatic exercises & gentle breathwork

You can take a moment before joining in.

Begin with optional somatic exercises: noticing the support of your chair or the ground, looking around and exploring gentle movement. Guided breathwork invites you to notice your breathing and find a comfortable pace. You can keep your eyes open, breathe naturally, sit, stand or simply observe.

Dinner · Our first meal together

A place at the table, without a list of things to do.

Share a Balkan dinner you did not have to plan, shop for or prepare. Get to know one another through ordinary conversation, with space for both laughter and a quiet first evening. You do not have to tell your whole story to belong here.

Evening · Opening healing circle

What would you like someone to understand?

Our first healing circle begins with agreements about privacy, listening and respecting each woman’s right to pass. Share what has been taking too much from you and what you hope to make room for this weekend. We close with a gentle somatic practice, then make room for stories, laughter and time around the fire if weather allows.

What you will practice: Getting acquainted, choosing how much to share and noticing what helps you feel more comfortable.

Before we meet: We gather on Zoom a few weeks ahead, so you know the faces before you walk in the door. The date and joining details will be shared with participants.

You choose how you participate. You can speak, listen, pass on an exercise, or take time on your own. The guided work happens together in the group and in pairs. You can also keep necessary contact with your family while you are away.

What is included

  • Three nights in a mountain villa, in a shared or private room
  • All meals, from Thursday dinner to Sunday breakfast
  • Somatic exercises, gentle breathwork and healing circles
  • Compassionate Inquiry-informed group work and family constellations
  • Light forest and mountain-trail walks, conditions permitting
  • Paired exercises, music, games and time to connect
  • The group Zoom before the retreat

You arrange and pay for your own travel to and from Whittier, including flights and ground transport.

Your setting · Whittier, North Carolina

Your home for the weekend.

A mountain villa in Whittier, with shared meals, places to sit together and space to be on your own. Choose a shared or private room. We’ll talk through your room and any sharing arrangements before you book.

The timber and stone retreat villa in Whittier, surrounded by wooded hills
01 / The villaOur gathering place in the mountains.
A covered balcony at the Whittier villa overlooking wooded mountains
02 / The viewSomewhere to sit without an agenda.
A pond beside the grounds of the Whittier retreat villa
03 / The groundsSpace to spend time outside.
A bedroom at the villa with timber furniture, white bedding and doors opening onto a balcony
04 / An individual roomYour own bedroom and bathroom.
A king-size bed at the villa with a timber headboard, white bedding and bedside lamps
05 / A shared roomTwo women share one king-size bed and the room’s bathroom.

Photographs show the villa and example bedrooms. Your specific room and any sharing arrangements will be confirmed before booking. Some outdoor grounds are shared with another villa; foliage, views and weather vary by season.

April 8–11, 2027 · Four days · Three nights

Choose your room.

Both room options include your three-night stay, all meals from Thursday dinner to Sunday breakfast, the full retreat program and our pre-retreat group Zoom. All prices are in USD, per person. You arrange and pay for your own travel to and from Whittier.

Shared accommodation

Shared room

$1,257USD per person · Full retreat

Two women share one king-size bed and the room’s bathroom. We will discuss the sharing arrangement before you book.

$500 non-refundable deposit
Then two payments of $378.50

Single occupancy

Private room

$1,775USD per person · Full retreat

Your own bedroom and private bathroom. Enjoy time with the group and a room to yourself when you want to rest.

$500 non-refundable deposit
Then two payments of $637.50

Reserve with $500. Pay the rest in two installments.

If you are invited and choose to join, your $500 non-refundable deposit reserves your place and is credited toward the total price. The payment plan spreads the remaining balance across the two dates below.

Payment plan · USD per person
PaymentShared roomPrivate room
Deposit at booking$500$500
December 31, 2026$378.50$637.50
January 31, 2027$378.50$637.50
Full retreat total$1,257$1,775

The deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel on or before January 31, 2027, payments made beyond the deposit will be refunded. We will confirm your room and booking details before you pay. Read the full refund & cancellation policy.

Book your free conversation with me

Start with a private, 30-minute conversation. There is no payment or obligation to join when we talk.

Is this for you?

This retreat
is for you if…

You want space for the parts of your life you usually have to explain, and support for the things you are tired of carrying alone.

  • You live between two worlds, and some days you are not sure where home is.
  • You are the strong one, at work, at home and in your family. You are tired of being everything for everyone, and you cannot remember the last time someone took care of you.
  • You have already done some of the work through therapy, books or journaling. Now you want to practice what you are learning alongside other women.
  • There is a younger version of you who still shows up when life gets hard. She wants to pull away from everyone. You want to stop leaving her alone.
  • You are tired of “What will people say?” deciding your life for you.
  • You want to be with women who understand you without a translation.

It may not be the right time if…

You are in a crisis right now, or you are looking for therapy or treatment. This is a facilitated space to grow, not a replacement for care. If that is where you are, we can talk about a more appropriate next step.

Why it is by invitation

I keep the group small on purpose. Every woman in the circle matters to every other woman. So I talk with each of you first, to make sure this is the right gathering, at the right time, for you.

Book your free conversation with me

What women carried home

What happens after
four days together

On the last day of my last retreat, a woman held my hands and said:

Women sitting together outdoors in a circle at a past gathering with Selma
A past gathering with Selma.
“Thank you for the life you brought back to me.”

Women from my past retreats have stayed in each other’s lives for years. They have gone on family trips together and danced at each other’s weddings. Some left relationships that were hurting them. Some found their way back to the person they loved. Some finally moved out of their parents’ homes. Some had babies.

None of it happened over one weekend. For some women, the retreat was one place they began talking about what they wanted to change, in a circle of women who said, “Me too.”

These are personal experiences from past retreats. Each woman’s path, support and circumstances are her own.

Selma Baćevac smiling in her studio, seated with one knee up
Selma Baćevac, MA · Psychotherapist & Gatherer

About me

I’m Selma Baćevac.

I’m a psychotherapist, a mother of two and a gatherer of Balkan women.

I came to this country as a refugee. I know what it is to carry two homes in one body. I know the guilt, the loneliness and the quiet question of who you are now.

For years, I sat with women one on one. Then I saw what happens when we stop healing alone and start healing together. Now that is all I do. I gather us.

Education & clinical training

Selma holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies, a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health, and a postgraduate certification in Infant and Toddler Mental Health. She is a licensed psychotherapist, registered with the Florida Board, and a Florida Qualified Supervisor. Her training includes EMDR, Compassionate Inquiry, EFT, ACT, IFS, and Circle of Security Parenting.

Her background informs her facilitation. The retreat does not include every therapeutic approach listed here.

Book your free conversation with me

In their own words

Women’s experiences
with Selma

Reviews of earlier work and gatherings, shared as you consider whether this retreat is right for you.

Ten places · One circle

How to join us

Start with a conversation about where you are right now and what you hope for. There is no payment or obligation to join when we talk.

  1. 01

    Book a free 30-minute conversation with me.

    Complete the form to arrange our call. We talk about where you are right now and what you hope for.

  2. 02

    I hand-pick the circle.

    Within a few days of our conversation, I write to you personally.

  3. 03

    You hold your place.

    If you are invited and choose to join, a $500 non-refundable deposit reserves your place and goes toward the total. Payment plans are available.

Book your free conversation with me

Review room prices and payment plans before our conversation.

Before we talk

Questions women
ask me

You can bring your questions about the group, the cost and making time away work for your life. We will talk them through together.

I don’t know anyone. Will it feel awkward?

Most women come alone. We meet on Zoom first, so you will recognize faces when you arrive. Thursday dinner and our opening circle give you time to begin getting to know one another, at your own pace.

Is this therapy?

No. It is a facilitated space, held by a psychotherapist, where you explore patterns and practice alongside other women. It is not therapy or treatment, and does not replace individual mental health or medical care.

What are the rooms like?

In a shared room, two women share one king-size bed and a bathroom. A private room has its own bed and bathroom. We will confirm your room and any sharing arrangements before you book.

See the villa and example bedrooms ↗

How much does it cost?

The full four-day, three-night retreat costs $1,257 per person for a shared room or $1,775 for a private room, in USD. Both include accommodation, scheduled meals, the retreat program and the pre-retreat group Zoom. Travel to and from Whittier is separate.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is credited toward your total. Payment plans are available: two payments of $378.50 for shared accommodation or $637.50 for a private room, due December 31, 2026 and January 31, 2027. See room options and the full payment plan ↗

Do I need to speak Bosnian?

No. We speak English, and our languages from home live in the room too.

I feel guilty spending money and taking time away.

You can want this and still feel uneasy about what it costs or who will care for your children while you are away. Bring those questions to our conversation. Consider the retreat, travel and any care arrangements together so you can decide what is workable for your life.

Do I have to share or join every activity?

No. The guided work happens in the group and in pairs, and you choose what you share and whether you join an exercise. You can listen, rest, pause or take time on your own. You can also keep necessary contact with your family.

What is family constellations work?

It is an experiential group exercise for reflecting on how you experience family roles, relationships and expectations. What comes up is explored as personal perception, not evidence about relatives or family history. You choose whether to participate or observe, and you can pause at any time.

What if I have access or dietary needs?

Tell me about mobility, access or dietary needs, and any concerns about breathwork, movement or group participation, before booking. We will consider whether the villa and program can meet your needs. Forest and mountain-trail routes, pace and conditions will be discussed before participation. You can choose to rest at the villa instead of joining a walk.

What are the deposit and cancellation terms?

Your $500 deposit is non-refundable and is credited toward your total. Payment plans are available, with the remaining payments due December 31, 2026 and January 31, 2027. If you cancel on or before January 31, 2027, any payments you have made beyond the $500 deposit will be refunded.

From February 1, payments made are non-refundable if you cancel, except where required by law or agreed otherwise in writing. If we cancel the retreat before it begins, all retreat payments, including your deposit, will be refunded. Read the full refund & cancellation policy.

How do we stay connected afterwards?

There is time on Sunday to talk about how you want to stay connected. If you choose to exchange details, you can arrange calls or messages together. Continued contact is voluntary; an ongoing facilitated group is not included.

Which retreat is right for me?

You Belong Here · North Carolina, April 8–11, 2027: four days for no more than 10 Balkan women who live between two worlds and are tired of holding everything up for everyone.

Back to Our Roots · Bosnia and Herzegovina, June 9–13, 2027: five days, up to 20 women, in our homeland, for women anywhere in the diaspora.

We can discuss which experience fits what you need during our conversation. Explore Back to Our Roots ↗

April 8–11, 2027 · Whittier, North Carolina

For four days,
put it all down.

You have spent years translating yourself and holding everything up. For your work, your children, your parents. For everyone who calls you first.

Let someone else hold you for a change. You can talk about the life you have built here and what you still miss about home.

Ten places. One circle.
Your next step is a 30-minute conversation.

Book your free conversation with me

Just you and me

Book your free
conversation with me.

Complete the form to arrange a private, 30-minute conversation. We’ll talk about where you are, what you hope for and whether this gathering is right for you. No payment or obligation to join.

Your first step · Tell me a little about yourself

Please share only what is needed to arrange our conversation, without clinical records or payment details. Read the privacy notice. You can also email hello@balkanmamatherapy.com.

After our conversation, I will write to you personally. If you are invited and choose to join, you will receive the full price, payment plan and booking terms before paying your $500 non-refundable deposit.

You Belong HereNorth Carolina · April 8–11Book a free conversation ↗

Explore the setting

Whittier, North Carolina · Your stay