Her Spirit Story Summit:
Renew, Restore, Reawaken
August 24 - 28, 2025
Chaminade Resort & Spa, Santa Cruz, California
Refresh your spirit and ignite your creativity at our one-of-a-kind writing retreat, just for women.
Imagine...
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Inspiring days filled with transformative workshops by today’s leaders in film, television, publishing, and platform.
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Rejuvenating hikes among California’s majestic redwoods.
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Seasonal cuisine with views of Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay.
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And, most of all, a supportive community of like-minded women who share your passion for all things story.
Unlike other writing retreats, Her Spirit is your time to restore your soul, honor your inner voice, and tap into your creative flow.
For the first time, Her Spirit will take you to the historical Chaminade in Santa Cruz, California, a place of immense natural beauty.
Nestled in the mountains but just minutes from the beach, this award-winning resort affords spectacular surroundings that will help you escape your day-to-day worries and sink into serenity and peace. It’s the perfect place to unwind and create!
If you’ve been looking for a chance to exhale with other creative women, join us for a journey of self-discovery, sisterhood, and profound renewal. It's time to connect deeply with your spirit and let your authentic self shine.
Step away from your hectic routine and re-connect with your voice, your passion, your purpose.
This is our third Her Spirit event. And while we’re giving the retreat its own “refresh,” it remains true to its roots as a gathering of open-hearted women, uniquely designed to celebrate the spirit within you that prompts you to share your message with the world.
It’s time to write, to share, to collaborate … to refresh.
If you’ve been part of Her Spirit before, please join us again! And if you're coming to Her Spirit for the first time, we can’t wait to welcome you to the beauty of Santa Cruz—the perfect place to reimagine your Self and your writing.
Our faculty is here for you
We carefully select our faculty based on three characteristics: success in their field, the ability to teach, and a heart for women and their voices.
Because Her Spirit is designed to build community, you’ll not only be learning from our faculty, you’ll be lunching with them, too. Participants and mentors are all part of group sessions, meals, breakout sessions, and impromptu activities. You may get to know a favorite bestselling author at lunch or an award-winning screenwriter on a walk through the redwoods.
In addition, we’re extending this year’s schedule to include a pitch fest on the final morning of the retreat. We’ll have an entertainment agent and two literary agents with us to hear live pitches, so you’ll have the opportunity to have a conversation with an agent and make a connection about your work.
We're delighted to add Lara Love Hardin to our Her Spirit faculty!
New York Times Bestselling Author, The Many Lives of Mama Love
Managing Director, Story Summit, and NYT Bestselling Author
Executive Director, Story Summit, and Bestselling Author
Comedian, Host, Creator of One Funny Mother, and Author
NYT Bestselling Author, The House of Eve
We'll be announcing additional faculty soon. Please watch our Story Summit Facebook page and newsletter for the latest information.
Note: Faculty is subject to change.
Meet the Sound Bath Facilitators
Writer, MA, LMFT and Mindfulness Practitioner
Sound healer, and certified yoga instructor
Sound Bath: Experience the transformative power of a sound bath, a holistic approach to relaxation and healing. Our sessions use crystal Himalayan singing bowls to produce soothing sound waves that calm your nervous system and balance your body. These pure, resonant tones facilitate a shift in your brainwave state, effortlessly guiding you from normal waking consciousness (beta state) to a relaxed state (alpha), and potentially into a meditative state (theta). Immerse yourself in this ancient practice and discover a profound sense of peace and rejuvenation.