Youth & Parent Retreat
Providing tools for youth and their parents as they navigate LGBTQIA+ issues while staying grounded in traditional faith & family values.
July 25-26, 2025
Best Western Plus Sandy
Registration Information
$154/person
(for the first 2 people in a family)
$120/additional parent or youth
Registration fee includes:
- 1 hotel room (Friday night) per family*
- Dinner Friday Night
- Breakfast, Lunch on Saturday (Dinner is provided at the North Star Social for free)
- Retreat Materials
- Snacks throughout the conference
*Additional hotel rooms can be purchased as add-on items during registration and will be offered at our discounted retreat rate of $125/night.
About the Retreat
The goal of our retreat is to provide tools which foster and increase communication within families as they navigate LGBTQIA+ issues while saying grounded in traditional faith and family values. The retreat will include sessions on boundaries, communication, trauma, and emotions.
Participants, both youth and parents, will learn how to regulate their emotions by understanding where they came from and listening to the messages they carry, allowing them to move through those emotions with awareness and intention. We will learn what true boundaries are and how to set healthy ones. Participants will also be taught a communication tool for clean and clear communication that can be used in any relationship.
Throughout the weekend there will be times when the youth and parents are separate and other times when both groups will be together. Even when apart, youth and parents will be learning similar tools. There will also be organized games and activities for the parents and youth to connect in fun and meaningful ways.
The parent portion of the retreat will also provide opportunities for discussion and connection with other parents navigating similar issues.
The youth portion of the retreat will provide a safe environment where they can discuss their feelings and feel supported and connected with other youth facing similar challenges.
We hope to join us for this incredible weekend!
About the Facilitators
- licensed therapists
- certified life coaches
- authors
- parents of LGBTQIA+ individuals
- individuals who experience same-sex attraction yet have been happily married to individuals of the opposite sex for several decades
- wives of men who experience same-sex attraction and have been married for several decades
Click below to learn more about our facilitators.
further details
The retreat will begin at 1:00pm on Friday afternoon and continue through Saturday evening at 5:00pm.
Attendance
We ask that everyone attending the retreat stay onsite throughout the duration of the retreat. This will be an experiential retreat, which means that each session will build upon the session before it. For this reason, we ask that you be on time, plan to attend the entire retreat, and spend the night at the hotel. By doing this, you will increase the effectiveness of what you learn during the retreat. Of course, you are welcome to leave the retreat at any time, however, doing so, will effect your experience and the experience of other attending participants.
Meals
We will provide dinner on Friday, lunch on Saturday, and breakfast Saturday morning is provided by the hotel. North Star International will be hosting a summer social Saturday evening at a near-by park and we encourage everyone that can, to join us there for a free dinner and lots of fun.
Fun & Connection!
Friday night we will have some fun games for everyone to participate in and further connection between family members and other attendees. Additionally, the hotel does have a hot tub and pool, so don’t forget your swimsuits!
Confidentiality
Upon arrival we will ask that everyone sign a confidentiality agreement. Not all who participate are open about their affiliation with the LGBTQIA+ community and therefore will we ask everyone to keep the identities of other participant confiential. You are welcome to share with others your experience from the retreat, but we ask that you keep names of other participants private.