Grief is an Island
Grief Is An Island is a compassionate support space created for those living with loss, bereavement, and the emotional changes that grief can bring. Rooted in care, understanding, and professional experience, it offers a quieter, more supported environment where grief can be acknowledged without judgement or expectation.
Curating retreats within the natural beauty and slower rhythm of Ibiza, our retreats are designed for people processing grief in all its forms. Whether your loss is recent, long held, anticipated, or difficult to name, you are welcome here. We recognise that grief is deeply personal and often isolating, and our intention is to offer a space where people feel held, supported, and less alone in their experience.
This is not a space that asks people to move on from grief or find quick answers. Instead, we support people in learning how to live alongside loss with greater steadiness, self awareness, and self compassion through online group meetings, therapeutic practices, reflective workshops creating community and meaningful connection with others who understand.
Alongside our retreats in Ibiza, Grief Is An Island also offers workshops, group support, online gatherings, and carefully curated resources designed to support people through different stages of grief. Whether your loss is recent or something you have been carrying for some time, this is a space to pause and be held, find practical tools to support your wellbeing, connect with others who understand, or simply allow your grief to exist without explanation. You are welcome here.
About Us
Grief Is An Island was created from a shared understanding that grief changes every part of us. It can alter the way we move through the world, how we connect with others, and how safe we feel within ourselves. In the midst of loss, many people are left searching not only for support, but for spaces where they can simply be as they are, without pressure to explain, fix, or move beyond what they are feeling.
Founded by Leah Timmins and Danielle Sadler, Grief Is An Island brings together lived experience, professional expertise, and a deeply compassionate approach to bereavement support. Together, they have created a sanctuary where grief is met with care, understanding, and gentleness. A space where people can rest, reconnect with themselves, and feel supported through the complexity of loss.
Their work is grounded in the belief that grief is not only emotional, but physical, mental, and deeply embodied. Through a carefully held blend of therapeutic support, somatic practices, mindful movement, reflection, and community connection, they offer an approach that honours the whole person, body, mind, heart, and soul.
Leah Timmins
Leah Timmins is a Somatic Therapist and Trauma Informed Mind Body Specialist with more than fifteen years of experience supporting people through grief, trauma recovery, and personal transformation. Her work combines evidence based understanding of the nervous system with intuitive somatic practices, creating compassionate spaces where people can reconnect with themselves gently and safely.
Leah’s path into this work was shaped profoundly by the loss of her sister Rachel. Through navigating her own grief, she turned towards yoga, breathwork, hypnotherapy, and body based practices rather than conventional therapy as a way to help process her loss, reconnect with herself, and find moments of steadiness, an anchor within her own grief. What began as personal healing became the foundation of her life’s work after studying a Masters degree in Somatic Therapy.
As the founder of Stretch Ibiza, Leah guides individuals and groups through retreats, workshops, and one to one sessions that support emotional wellbeing, nervous system regulation, and self connection. Through Grief is an Island Leah’s approach is warm, grounded, and deeply compassionate, blending professional expertise with lived experience in a way that allows others to feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported allowing those she works with to be met with gentleness, safety, and care.
Danielle Sadler
Danielle Sadler is a Bereavement Specialist Nurse and Yoga Teacher with almost twenty years of clinical experience in the NHS supporting individuals and families through some of life's most difficult moments. Alongside her professional expertise, Danielle also brings her lived experience as a bereaved mother, offering a depth of understanding that is both compassionate, maternal and deeply human.
Her work centres around creating safe and supportive spaces where grief can be explored without fear or judgement. Through trauma informed yoga, mindful presence, and therapeutic support, Danielle helps people reconnect with a sense of balance, steadiness, and meaning in life after loss.
Danielle's approach is grounded, nurturing, and compassionate, offering practical support alongside emotional understanding. She believes that grief deserves time, tenderness, and community, and that no one should have to navigate it alone.
A Shared Vision
Having both experienced devastating loss and the profound impact of grief in their own lives, Leah and Danielle understand how isolating bereavement can feel. Their shared experiences, alongside their professional backgrounds, inspired them to create Grief Is An Island as more than simply a retreat. It is a supportive and evolving community space for those navigating loss in all its forms.
Together, they offer a unique blend of grief support, somatic expertise, therapeutic guidance, and compassionate care. Every retreat, workshop, and online gathering is created with intention, offering people the opportunity to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and feel supported by others who understand.
Their mission extends beyond providing a restorative experience in Ibiza. It is about building a compassionate community where grief can be spoken about openly, held gently, and experienced without shame or expectation. Through retreats, workshops, online support spaces, and shared resources, Grief Is An Island offers ongoing support for those processing bereavement, whether their loss is recent or something they have carried quietly for many years.
At the heart of Grief Is An Island is the belief that healing does not mean forgetting or leaving grief behind. It means learning how to carry loss with greater compassion, connection, and support. Above all, it is a reminder that no one has to walk through grief alone.
Retreats
Our next Grief Is An Island retreat takes place from 11th–15th October in Santa Gertrudis, Ibiza, offering an intimate and restorative space for those navigating loss, bereavement, and life after grief.
Hosted within a private luxury villa surrounded by nature, each five-day retreat provides a calm and carefully held environment where guests can step away from the demands of everyday life and focus on rest, support, and emotional healing.
Grief can feel deeply isolating, leaving many people carrying emotions that are difficult to process alone. Our retreats are built on the belief that grief does not need to be fixed, rushed, or overcome. Instead, it deserves to be met with compassion, understanding, and gentle support.
Over five days, guests are guided through a thoughtfully curated programme designed to nurture both emotional and physical wellbeing. Combining therapeutic support with restorative practices, the retreat creates space to reconnect with yourself, feel held in your grief, and begin to process what may have been carried within the body for some time.
Each retreat includes daily movement and nervous system regulating practices, one-to-one grief support, guided workshops, breathwork, mindfulness, sound therapy, and creative experiences such as ceramic arts sessions. Alongside these offerings is the healing presence of community, connection, and the opportunity to be alongside others who understand the realities of living with grief.
Grief Is An Island is more than time away. It is an opportunity to pause, reconnect with yourself and others, and feel supported through one of life's most challenging experiences. Our intention is that each guest leaves feeling more grounded, emotionally supported, and equipped with gentle practices, meaningful connections, and resources to carry forward into daily life.
Whether your loss is recent or many years old, you are welcome here.
The Villa
Guests stay in beautifully designed private or shared rooms, all with their own ensuite. The villa is modern, full of natural light, and thoughtfully styled with warm bohemian interiors, generous indoor and outdoor living spaces, peaceful gardens, terraces, and a swimming pool.
Thoughtfully curated for those navigating the complexities of grief, your time at the villa provides both comfort and connection, with peaceful surroundings and quiet corners to simply breathe, be still, and reconnect with yourself and nature.
Throughout your stay, every detail has been considered to create a sense of safety, softness, and ease. From nourishing shared meals to slow mornings under the Ibiza sun, the retreat encourages rest for both the body and mind, allowing space for reflection, grounding, and gentle healing.
Just a short walk from the local village and close to nearby stables and horses, the villa offers the perfect balance of seclusion and connection. Whether you wish to spend time in nature, connect with others, or simply retreat into stillness, everything has been thoughtfully created to support you during your time at our sanctuary.
The Programme
Across five days and four nights, the retreat follows a gentle rhythm that balances guided therapeutic work with spacious time for rest and integration. Each element has been thoughtfully curated to support emotional processing while allowing moments of calm, privacy and renewal.
Daily practices include:
Trauma informed yoga and somatic movement.
Guided grief workshops and reflective practices.
Breathwork and nervous system regulation.
Sound healing and meditation.
Individual support sessions.
Time for rest, nature and personal reflection.
Walking / Hiking with Balearic Outdoor Adventures.
A creative art and ceramic workshop in Kintsugi.
Our programme is intentionally small and personalised, ensuring each guest feels supported while maintaining autonomy within their own process.
Grief Is An Island welcomes anyone navigating loss, whether recent or long held. You may be grieving a loved one, a relationship, a life transition or a change in identity. No previous experience with therapeutic or wellness practices is required. Our retreats are held with sensitivity, professionalism and respect for each individual's pace and personal story.