C.L.E.A.R. means CULTIVATE. LEARN. EMBODY. ALIGN. RENEW
There is something particular about being in a room full of people who understand — without you having to explain — the weight of confidentiality, the invisible labor of attunement, the loneliness of holding stories you can never share.
ABOUT THE RETREAT
What if perimenopause isn't simply a hormonal transition... but an invitation to become the next version of yourself?
The years surrounding perimenopause are marked by tremendous change - including far more than shifting hormones. Major metabolic, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal changes are also often at play. This physiological evolution often coincides with profound life transitions—children leaving home, aging parents, shifting relationships, evolving careers, changing identities, unexpected grief, and, perhaps, a growing awareness that the strategies that once sustained us no longer do.
At the very time our patients are looking to us for guidance, many of us are quietly navigating these same challenges ourselves. This retreat is your opportunity to understand the science of the perimenopausal transition more deeply, while also developing the resilience, clarity, and inner capacity to move through it with greater wisdom, purpose, and vitality—for ourselves and for the women we serve.
C.L.E.A.R. A transformative experience that will improve both your clinical competence and your personal resilience. With clarity that will serve you in both priorities, long after our time together.
This retreat is designed for women healthcare professionals interested in the intersection of neuroscience, trauma biology, and the perimenopausal transition.
This is not a conference. It is not another training to check off your list. C.L.E.A.R is an invitation — to pause, to breathe, to remember yourself — all among colleagues who understand, without explanation, what it means to do the work you do.
Set on a beachfront in Costa Rica, C.L.E.A.R weaves together evidence-informed learning, mindfulness practices, embodiment practices, creative exploration, and open time to simply be. The schedule offers both facilitated sessions and generous space to walk on the beach, receive a spa treatment, journal, or sit in silence with the sound of the Pacific.
You will be guided gently, not to fix yourself, but to remember yourself. Not to become someone new, but to renew the value of who you already are. And when you leave, you will carry with you simple tools and a different way of seeing, communicating, and creating, because what happens here does not end when the retreat does
The retreat is designed for licensed mental health professionals — therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and coaches. It offers up to 8 CME hours so that your professional development and your personal renewal can finally be the same thing.
Our retreat is intentionally alcohol-free to support full presence and connection.
C.L.E.A.R your busy schedule to clear yourself.
ABOUT US
KARINA ZILBERMAN
Group Dynamic Facilitator, Singer, Community Builder
Group Dynamic Facilitator, Singer, Community Builder
Karina's presence and her capacity to embrace each participant's process are the roots of the C.L.E.A.R. container. She is co-founder of Breathtaking Retreats in Costa Rica, where C.L.E.A.R. hosts the week she facilitates.
She builds spaces where people stop performing the right answer long enough to hear the one they already have — working through movement, image, nature, music, and play. She also picks up her guitar and leads singing circles, letting voice open a doorway the spoken word can't.
KARINA ZILBERMAN
Group Dynamic Facilitator, Singer, Community Builder
As a facilitator, she knows when to step in and when to step back, working in the invisible structures that shape a room — pacing, sequencing, unspoken permissions — building trust first, structure underneath, and surprise on purpose. Participants often can't explain what happened. They just know they feel lighter, more alive.
Her training spans relational psychology and group facilitation, drawing on thinkers from Martin Buber to Esther Perel. She spent ten years as a Director at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and co-created the Live Up! Playing Cards and Live Up! Mapping with her sister, Debora Zilberman.
TRACY HARRISON
Founder of The School of Applied Functional Medicine
Tracy Harrison’s vision and values are the roots of the entire SAFM experience. A scientist who left the high-tech corporate world in 2007, Tracy built a wildly successful, multi-modality practice utilizing functional medicine principles. In 2011, she founded The School of Applied Functional Medicine.
Tracy is a powerhouse of applied functional medicine insight (among other talents), which she generously shares with SAFM students and public audiences. Her energy, authenticity, and relatable analogies demystify the complexities of medicine making learning fun and engaging.
As a dynamic speaker and natural teacher, Tracy drives health practitioners to a level of clinical savvy on systems “interconnectedness”, empowering and inspiring the capabilities and confidence that distinguish AFMC practitioners from the rest.
A scientist and systems engineer at heart, Tracy holds three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and further graduate education from Bridgeport University and The Institute for Functional Medicine.
What C.L.E.A.R stands for
ABOUT THE RETREAT CENTER
Azul Hotel & Retreat is a hidden treasure amidst the lush vegetation and stunning coastline of Guanacaste. Our Rooms are a world of comfort and tranquility. Each room and villa is a private sanctuary with impressive views to unforgettable sunsets, feeling the smooth breeze of the Pacific Ocean. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning and ceiling fans.
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
Nestled in Central America, Costa Rica is a renowned sanctuary for peace and natural wonder, famously home to the "Pura Vida" spirit; a local philosophy that embodies optimism, gratitude, and a simpler way of life . A global leader in environmental conservation, this lush country protects over 25% of its territory as national parks and reserves, holding an astonishing 5% of the world's biodiversity . This extraordinary landscape, from misty cloud forests and active volcanoes to pristine Pacific and Caribbean beaches, creates the ultimate backdrop for rest and rejuvenation . It is a place where the rhythm of life slows down, allowing you to reconnect with yourself amidst the soothing sounds of nature
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Five days designed to help you pause, learn, unwind, and be taken care of.
The experience
Daily guided meditation sessions
Daily awareness and embodiment practices — methods for heightening perception and personal presence
Free time for rest, beach walks, spa treatments, or simply doing nothing
The learning
Up to 8 CME hours provided by The School of Applied Functional Medicine —credits and accreditation ↓
Comprehensive course manual included
Live UP! Mapping Tool and Cards — experiential tools for deepening connection with yourself and others
The care
Beautiful accommodations with private bathrooms
All meals — vegetarian and fish, locally sourced, with gluten and dairy-free options
Access to a fully equipped gym
Group transfer from Hilton Garden Hotel in Liberia to the retreat center and back
Concierge support from start to finish
Basic gratuity included
Given its rich continuing education value, this retreat may be tax-deductible as a business expense.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Airfare
Travel insurance (Mandatory)
The hotel stay at the Liberia airport the night before the start of the retreat
Optional Spa treatments
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Each day follows a gentle, nourishing rhythm. Below is a sample of what a typical day looks like.
The first and last days follow a different rhythm to honor arrival and departure.