Strategic Planning & Self-Care Retreat for Therapists — Dhigurah Island, Maldives

This wellness retreat for therapists and practice owners takes place on Dhigurah Island in the Alif Dhaal Atoll of the Maldives. Over six nights and seven days, it pairs strategic business planning with self-care, rest and time in the water. It is led by Nicole, who offers each participant one-on-one customized business coaching.

The group is deliberately small, with ten participant places, and partners or friends can come along as a Plus One. It suits therapists who feel overwhelmed, are entering a season of growth, or want time to think more intentionally about their practice and their life.

What to Expect

The work centers on a personalized 12-month strategic plan. Sessions cover vision and future planning, capacity planning, sustainable growth, expanding or diversifying income, and aligning the business with your values. A second thread looks at practice performance: key metrics and KPIs, client retention, capacity and utilization, revenue and profitability, and how to make informed decisions from them.

Alongside the business planning is a self-care thread built on guided reflection, journaling, conversation and time in nature. You consider what matters in this season, what you have outgrown, what gives you energy, and how to approach boundaries, rest and recovery. Each participant leaves with a personal wellbeing plan, a strategic plan, a workbook and 10 continuing education credits.

A sample day begins at 7:00am with gentle movement, a beach walk or guided reflection, followed by breakfast at 8:30am. A two-hour workshop starts at 9:30am, with an optional 30-minute coaching and Q&A session after it. Lunch is at 12:30pm, and the afternoon from 2:00pm to 6:00pm is free for snorkeling, excursions, journaling, the beach or rest. Dinner, evening connection and a sunset gathering begin at 6:30pm. Excursion days may shift with weather and marine life sightings.

Included excursions are a whale shark excursion, a manta ray excursion, a nurse shark and turtle excursion, a sandbank experience, underwater photography, group drone footage and cultural experiences on Dhigurah. Partners are welcome on these.

About Nicole

Nicole leads the retreat and the business coaching within it, meeting with each participant one on one to tailor the planning to their own practice.

The Setting

The group stays at the Whaleshark Beach Hotel, a boutique hotel on the local island of Dhigurah in the South Ari Atoll. The island is known for its clear water, white sand and year-round whale shark sightings, and the hotel is just steps from the beach, which runs along one of the longest stretches of sand in the Maldives. The organizers chose it over overwater villas to keep the retreat accessible while still offering comfortable rooms and good hospitality.

Breakfast and dinner are served daily at the hotel, with one hosted off-site lunch. Dietary needs can be accommodated with advance notice, though allergen-free conditions cannot be guaranteed. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. February brings warm, sunny weather, calm seas and daytime temperatures of roughly 28 to 31°C (82 to 88°F).

Before You Go

Rooms are either private or shared. The retreat includes six nights of accommodation, daily breakfast and dinner, one group lunch, roundtrip speedboat transfers from the airport, harbour shuttles, the workshops, guided self-reflection and self-care sessions, the workbook and planning materials, the excursions above, and networking and mastermind discussions. Participants fly into Velana International Airport.

Dhigurah is a local Muslim community. Alcohol is not permitted on the island or in the country, and modest dress is appreciated in the village, while swimwear is fine at designated beach areas and on excursions. Payments are non-refundable and non-transferable, so travel insurance with cancellation and interruption coverage is strongly recommended. Payment plans are available.