Aussie couples flock to romantic intimacy retreats to help sex lives

Couples are flocking to intimacy retreats around Australia to revitalise their sex lives. Here’s what happens at them.

Janet McGeever. Picture: Supplied

Australian couples are forking out thousands of dollars for retreats in a bid to reignite their sex lives.

The events aimed at enhancing intimacy are held around the country with attendees ranging from young adults to people in their 80s.

Janet McGeever runs the six-day Making Love Retreat in Noosa.

She has been hosting retreats on the Sunshine Coast for years, and said the program involved mindfulness-based practices that helped people relax.

“I focus on that emotional intimacy and then the sex becomes the by-product of that,” she said.

“The retreat just provides a platform where you can actually have intelligent conversations about sex.”

Each retreat, which costs almost $6000 per pair including accommodation,has up to 10 couples.

Ms McGeever said the attendees tended to be in their 40s to 60s, but there had been couples ranging in age from their 20s to 80s.

“You’ve got couples who’ve been together (many) years and the kids have left — it often just reaches this point where they’ve found that it’s just become this brother sister (like) relationship,” she said.

“But we also have couples who’ve just started relationships.”

Gold Coast couple Tess and Craig Godfrey, who have been married for more than three decades, went on the retreat last year.

Craig and Tess Godfrey. Picture: Supplied

Ms Godfrey said after kids, intimacy had become “something of a chore”.

“I took no pleasure in it anymore really,” she said.

“We just got to a point over the last few years, with menopause specifically for me, where I had zero interest.

“I kind of just thought I was broken.

“(But) I knew very deeply in my heart that I want my husband and myself to have a wonderful relationship.”

Mr Godfrey said he was “absolutely petrified” prior to the retreat and really did not know what to expect.

He said slowing down and remembering the things that brought the couple, now aged in their 50s, together was eye-opening.

Ms Godfrey said while previously intimacy had been an “elephant in the room”, they did a “180 degree” turn on the retreat.

Jacqueline Hellyer at the Blue Mountains couples retreat

Sexologist Jacqueline Hellyer holds three-day LoveLife Couple Retreats in the Blue Mountains several times a year which were all about “connection” and “heightening intimacy”.

“Our society is completely sexually dysfunctional,” she said.

“We don’t even talk about it.

“Intimacy, of which the sexual intimacy is a very important part, is obviously fundamental to having a good quality relationship.”

Ms Hellyer said misconceptions about retreats included it would be some kind of “swingers’ fest”.

The retreat costs $2550 per couple, excluding accommodation.

Ms Hellyer said guests learned about managing their nervous system, the elements of a good sexual relationship connection, sensual touch, and communication.

“It’s about connecting through pleasure,” she said.

Both the Noosa and Blue Mountains retreats’ websites include reassurance there is no nudity.

“Please be assured that, as with all my workshops, this couples retreat is completely classy and sleaze-free,” Ms Hellyer’s website said.

Originally published as Aussie couples flock to romantic intimacy retreats to help sex lives