An Outdoor Couples Retreat for Meaningful Connection
A strong relationship doesn’t happen by accident—it grows when couples intentionally create time and space to connect.
This retreat is designed to give you something most couples rarely experience:
uninterrupted time together, guided support, and meaningful shared experiences all with a side of adventure.
uninterrupted time together, guided support, and meaningful shared experiences all with a side of adventure.
Imagine…. waking up to crisp wilderness air and a stillness that brings calm energy. Instead of rushing through another busy day, you spend the day outdoors together intentionally connecting without your usual distractions. You challenge yourself to new things, perhaps stepping over the ledge for your first red rock rappel, building trust with your partner in the experience. Under a blanket of stars, you end the day in deep guided conversation by the campfire (s’mores not to be forgotten) and perhaps the howls of coyotes off in the distance….
Led by trained professionals, this semi-private retreat is designed for couples to reconnect, reset, and adventure together!
To ensure a high-quality, personalized experience, space is limited to 5 couples.
Our retreats are open to all couples in committed romantic relationships. You do not need to be married to attend, and we warmly welcome couples of all backgrounds, identities, and orientations.
Whether you’ve been together for a few years or several decades, our goal is to create a supportive, respectful environment where couples can connect, grow, and share meaningful experiences together. Healthy relationships come in many forms, and all couples deserve spaces that foster connection, adventure, and intentional time together.
The intention of this retreat is to help couples create and maintain healthy, connected relationships. It’s perfect for couples who don’t want to drift and who are looking to deepen connection through a unique and meaningful shared experience.
Some couples attend because they want to better understand themselves and their partner. Others are looking for a creative and engaging way to work through relationship hurdles such as communication, trust, emotional connection, or intimacy. Other couples join simply because their relationship is already strong, but they still want intentional time to grow, reconnect, and invest in each other…and it’s fun!
Because this retreat incorporates outdoor adventure experiences, couples who tend to enjoy it most are those who are open to trying new things and embracing a little adventure together. You should feel comfortable participating in moderate hikes or walks and be open to a variety of physical activities, which may include introductory canyoneering, rappelling, or climbing experiences.
Created & led by a couple for couples. Kami & Porter Macey have 3 kids and reside in Sandy, UT where they also own and operate a mental health clinic. Their companionship has lasted over 20 years and has included many of the same challenges that most relationships experience at some point. Beyond the professional perspective, they understand first-hand the stress placed on relationships, and how hard it is to find the time and space to get away.
Porter Macey, PhD, LMFT, is a licensed relationship professional. As clinic director, he supervises other mental health professionals while also seeing clients of his own. He specializes in romantic relationships, including intimacy, the complexity of affairs, and trust barriers in relationships. His background in wilderness therapy gives him first-hand experience with the impact outdoor experiential retreats have on relationships.
Kami Macey is an avid outdoor adventurer who volunteers as a guide with the local non-profit group Mt. Mamas. Her background in parks and recreation and event management, along with her business operations expertise, ensures each retreat runs smoothly so couples can focus on connection and adventure.
✔ 4 days professional programming
✔ 3 nights luxury glamping accommodations (private for each couple)
✔3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and 24 hr access to snacks and drinks
✔ Guided couples experiences led by a licensed therapist
✔ Practical tools for communication, emotional connection, and understanding
✔ Guided outdoor adventure experiences
✔ All equipment and safety instruction
✔ Couples connection materials and retreat resources
✔ Professional facilitation and support throughout the weekend
✔ Small group setting (limited to 5 couples)
❌Not included: Transportation to & from retreat, dinner the first night
Yes. While the retreat is designed to feel engaging, experiential, and approachable, the relationship programming is grounded in evidence-based principles and extensive clinical experience.
Our sessions incorporate research and strategies from respected relationship experts and approaches including the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and the work of Esther Perel. These approaches help couples strengthen communication, deepen emotional connection, increase understanding, and build healthier relationship patterns.
Rather than feeling like a traditional therapy office setting, the retreat blends research-supported relationship work with meaningful outdoor experiences, guided conversations, and intentional time together.
This retreat is not only for couples in crisis. In fact, many thriving couples attend because they want to stay connected, continue growing together, and be intentional about investing in their relationship before disconnection develops.
Because the retreat is intentionally limited to a small number of couples, each couple receives meaningful attention, support, and space for personal reflection and growth.
This means you will build your relationship by hands-on, active experiences. Each retreat focuses on being immersed in a wilderness location with a curated itinerary that includes a daily adventure activity like hiking, rappelling, or kayaking. Even our winter retreats will have a daily outdoor adventure that will be appreciated by complete beginners and experienced adventurers alike.
We intentionally limit each retreat to just four couples to create a deeply personalized and meaningful experience. Participating with other couples brings new perspectives, additional support, inspirations, motivation, and creates camaraderie amongst couples sharing the same goal.
The small group also allows us to offer more individualized attention and guidance, tailor insights to each couple’s unique dynamic, create a safe, trusting environment where vulnerability feels supported, and ensure balanced participation so no one gets lost in the group.
Beautiful outdoor locations in Utah set the backdrop for every retreat. From striking red rock deserts to high-elevation mountains and snow-covered peaks, Utah is truly nature’s playground—making the surrounding wilderness a memorable and meaningful part of your experience.
Don’t worry about figuring out what you need in order to adventure! Any adventure gear (ie: harnesses) will be provided. A packing list will be sent after registration to make preparing for your trip simple.
Meals are part of the experience! You can expect simple, delicious outdoor cooking—think campfire dinners, grilled meals, and relaxed breakfasts like pancakes, fresh fruit, and yogurt. Mealtime is always the right time to connect and unwind. We’re happy to discuss any dietary restrictions or needs.
Sleeping in the wild doesn’t have to be uncomfortable! Sleeping arrangements will typically be hosted in glamping locations where couples can enjoy cozy beds in a private tent or yurt with restroom facilities nearby, all while still enjoying the benefits of the wild outdoors.
We embrace the weather as part of the experience! Weather will not cancel the retreat, but may alter the itinerary. During adventure activities, safety is our highest priority. On our end, that means working with the adventure guides to find safe alternatives and locations.
This retreat is intentionally limited to five couples and requires advance planning and expenses. Because of this, we require a $500 non-refundable deposit at the time of booking in order to secure your spot. The remaining balance will be due in full 30 days before the retreat start date.
Your retreat reservation is giftable and transferable in full. Any transfers within two weeks of the retreat are subject to approval. Under some circumstances you can transfer the registration amount to a future retreat, subject to availability and organizer approval.
Cancellation/Refund Schedule
More than 30 days you can receive a full refund excluding the deposit
15-30 days prior to the retreat start date you can receive a 50% refund
Less than 15 days, no refund will be issued
If the retreat is cancelled by us for any reason, you will receive a full refund. We recommend getting travel insurance to protect against any unforeseen circumstances such as illness, emergencies, or travel disruption.
All cancellation requests should be made in writing to porter@ambercreekcounseling.com
After visiting our Upcoming Retreats page to get retreat details and dates, contact Porter directly at porter@ambercreekcounseling.com letting us know you would like to reserve a spot for the retreat. From there we will send you the registration form and invoice allowing you to pay the $500 deposit online. Paying the deposit will secure your spot. We will update the website when a retreat is sold out.
For retreat questions it is best to email porter@ambercreekcounseling.com. For any other questions you can call us at 801-455-0045 or email info@ambercreekcounseling.com