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Our Approach

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vision and mission

New Life’s mission is to provide support for anyone who wishes to cultivate their sustainable wellbeing. Since first being established in Thailand in 2010, we have helped more than 4,000 people positively transform their lives. After discovering a much greater need for our services than we first imagined, we opened a second wellness retreat and recovery centre in Portugal in 2022. In Thailand we have certified nonprofit status while in Portugal we follow a social enterprise model. People come to us from all parts of the world and we are proud to be an inclusive and diverse community that values each individual who comes through our doors.

our approach

Holistic and integrative, our approach to wellbeing operates at the intersection of engaged community living, mindfulness, compassion, physical self-care, counselling, life coaching, and nature. We know from years of research that we can shift our neurologically embedded patterns when we mindfully and compassionately bring awareness to our present moment experience – and then practice change. Studies also show that a key component of wellness comes from being part of a community: a sense of ‘meaningful belonging’ or feeling like you’re contributing in a purposeful way.

At New Life, we combine all of these elements in our wellness retreats. Here, you can expect to be both challenged, and nurtured. You will have opportunities to rest in beauty and quiet, or alternatively, be active and engaged. We support you in finding the perfect balance, so that you can make all the right shifts, in all the right places, for your specific goals.

why community?

Have you ever felt that there’s no one around who you can relate to? Or have you found it hard to open up because you’re afraid of being judged?

In a community setting like ours, you’ll discover many similarities between your own experiences and those of others. This is wonderfully effective in removing barriers and shame, leading to deep healing.

Giving and receiving support is an important part of being in the community. A lot of this is done through sharing stories. Listening to one another’s stories helps nurture our capacity for empathy and understanding. It helps us to be more compassionate towards others, and just as importantly, towards ourselves. At the same time, learning to accept support builds bridges and reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness. We stop feeling like we’re going through this alone.

Another advantage of community life is that you have the chance to contribute, whether through opportunities for service, sharing your story, or being a listening ear. All of these things help to build confidence and self-esteem.

You’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of your community experience even after returning home. Amongst other things, you’ll have the tools to ask for support when you need it, and to be an understanding listener when called for. You’ll view your relationships, and yourself, differently. And you’ll be able to approach challenges with a new kind of resilience that comes from the skills you’ve learned from your time within the community.

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counselling and coaching at New Life

Our counsellors and life coaches are skilled at utilising the community experience and our programming to support you. Key components of our model of care include:

Taking a non-pathologising, holistic, and integrative approach.

We believe you are already whole and have the answers you need inside you. We will help you to remove barriers to embodying this truth and provide opportunities for you to practice.

Evidenced-based and progressive modalities.

Our team utilises experiential and somatically oriented approaches. We have specialised training and experience in a wide variety of therapeutic modalities, such as Mindfulness, Compassion-Based Counselling, Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, Internal Family Systems, Relapse Prevention, Positive Psychology, and more.

Being informed about diversity and structural issues.

Our counselling staff recognise the contributing factors affecting many of us, such as trauma, gender, sexuality and relationship diversity, marginalisation and oppression, globalisation, technology, and/or environmental issues.

Recognising the importance of trauma-informed care

As trauma therapy is long-term, specialised work, we do not provide trauma treatment at our centre. However, our staff are trained in, and our programming is designed for, ‘trauma-informed care’. We use that knowledge to respect the boundaries of what can and cannot be safely done in our setting. This creates safe and supportive conditions for rest, learning, and growth.

Engaging in professional supervision and collaboration.

Our team receives weekly supervision to ensure the highest quality care. Additionally, our team members collaborate confidentially with other staff to ensure continuity of care.

Taking a non-pathologising, holistic, and integrative approach.
We believe you are already whole and have the answers you need inside you. We will help you to remove barriers to embodying this truth and provide opportunities for you to practice.
Evidence based and progressive modalities.
Our team utilises experiential and somatically oriented approaches. We have specialised training and experience in a wide variety of therapeutic modalities, such as Mindfulness, Compassion-Based Counselling, Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, Internal Family Systems, Relapse Prevention, Positive Psychology, and more.
Being informed about diversity and structural issues.
Our counselling staff recognise the contributing factors affecting many of us, such as trauma, gender, sexuality and relationship diversity, marginalisation and oppression, globalisation, technology, and/or environmental issues.
Recognising the importance of trauma-informed care
As trauma therapy is long-term, specialised work, we do not provide trauma treatment at our centre. However, our staff are trained in, and our programming is designed for, ‘trauma-informed care’. We use that knowledge to respect the boundaries of what can and cannot be safely done in our setting. This creates safe and supportive conditions for rest, learning, and growth.
Engaging in professional supervision and collaboration.
Our team receives weekly supervision to ensure the highest quality care. Additionally, our team members collaborate confidentially with other staff to ensure continuity of care.
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working meditation

Raking leaves, sweeping footpaths, feeding chickens – how can these mundane things be a form of meditation?

It’s not what you do, but how you do it.

Working meditation is an important part of our program. It gives you the opportunity to practice the skill of present-moment-awareness in everything you’re doing, whether planting vegetables, painting signs, or doing the recycling. You’ll learn to establish a habit of mindfulness in the most ordinary daily activities, even when having to juggle multiple responsibilities back at home means you don’t have time to sit on a meditation cushion or unroll your yoga mat.

Here at New Life we’ve found that several sessions of working meditation per week can greatly enhance your sense of ‘meaningful belonging’ by being a positive source of social interaction and connectedness, helping to increase self-worth, and reducing feelings of isolation. It’s a great way for you to foster sustainable wellbeing, far beyond your stay with us.

5 reasons to choose New Life Portugal

Benefit from engaged community living in a mindfulness-based setting.
No matter your experience, here in our community, you’ll find people you can relate to. It’s a space where you can truly open up without feeling judged or stigmatised. Being part of the community means you have the chance to contribute in meaningful ways, something which builds self-worth while reducing loneliness and isolation. You’ll develop skills for navigating boundaries and supporting others while being supported yourself – all valuable resources that you can take back to your daily life.
Excellent value for money
The daily rate you pay includes private ensuite accommodation, 3 healthy meals per day, use of our excellent facilities, and a research-driven program featuring a wide variety of therapeutic sessions and activities run by qualified staff – all set in a stunning location. As a social enterprise, your fees go directly towards the cost of establishing and running the centre, program improvements, and our social initiatives for improving human and environmental wellbeing.
Achieve your wellness goals with personalised programs combining a unique array of resources.
Our programming is designed to suit your individual goals for sustainable wellbeing. There’s nowhere else that you can access the same combination of resources that you will find at New Life: the mindfulness component, the therapeutic component, and the community component. We help you tailor your experience with our four customisable program paths. Counselling, coaching, community, service, nature, exercise, and mindfulness: each element works in harmony to support you as you make the changes you want to see in your life.
Enjoy exceptional facilities set in the spectacular central Portuguese countryside.
We are located in the Serra Da Estrela Natural Park, a certified UNESCO Global Geoparks site. The beauty of the surrounding natural environment is a restorative force in itself, providing you with the perfect setting to nurture your inner world. Practice meditation and yoga as you gaze out over our valley, or pamper yourself with a sauna or massage. Venture further and enjoy all the outdoor activities on offer in the surrounding region, including cycling, swimming, birdwatching, hiking, skiing, and kayaking.
Be supported by dedicated, qualified staff who are passionate about helping others.
Our experienced staff are active members of our community. They are deeply committed to the central values and ideals of our mission. Each staff member has their own contemplative practice and finds great joy in being part of the transformations that we see when people have the chance to truly rest and receive the support that they need. Our team members bring empathy, skill, and compassion to their work - as well as lots of fun and an appreciation for the things that really matter.
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Benefit from engaged community living in a mindfulness-based setting.
No matter your experience, here in our community, you’ll find people you can relate to. It’s a space where you can truly open up without feeling judged or stigmatised. Being part of the community means you have the chance to contribute in meaningful ways, something which builds self-worth while reducing loneliness and isolation. You’ll develop skills for navigating boundaries and supporting others while being supported yourself – all valuable resources that you can take back to your daily life.
Excellent value for money
Most of the daily rate you pay covers only operational costs and is less than the price of most private one-hour therapy sessions in Europe. The fee includes private ensuite accommodation, 3 healthy meals per day, use of our excellent facilities, and a research-driven program featuring a wide variety of therapeutic sessions and activities run by qualified staff – all set in a stunning location. The rest of the fees goes into a scholarship fund so that people in need of financial assistance can access our services.
Achieve your wellness goals with personalised programs combining a unique array of resources.
Our programming is designed to suit your individual goals for sustainable wellbeing. There’s nowhere else that you can access the same combination of resources that you will find at New Life: the mindfulness component, the therapeutic component, and the community component. We help you tailor your experience with our four customisable program paths. Counselling, coaching, community, service, nature, exercise, and mindfulness: each element works in harmony to support you as you make the changes you want to see in your life.
Enjoy exceptional facilities set in the spectacular central Portuguese countryside.
We are located in the Serra Da Estrela Natural Park, a certified UNESCO Global Geoparks site. The beauty of the surrounding natural environment is a restorative force in itself, providing you with the perfect setting to nurture your inner world. Practice meditation and yoga as you gaze out over our valley, or pamper yourself with a sauna or massage. Venture further and enjoy all the outdoor activities on offer in the surrounding region, including cycling, swimming, birdwatching, hiking, skiing, and kayaking.
Be supported by dedicated, qualified staff who are passionate about helping others.
Our experienced staff are active members of our community. They are deeply committed to the central values and ideals of our mission. Each staff member has their own contemplative practice and finds great joy in being part of the transformations that we see when people have the chance to truly rest and receive the support that they need. Our team members bring empathy, skill, and compassion to their work - as well as lots of fun and an appreciation for the things that really matter.
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