In the heart of Sedona’s mystical red rock landscape, a unique approach to personal renewal is designed to change lives one person—and one couple—at a time. Unlike many typical group retreats, Sedona Soul Adventures offers a different path: fully customized retreats tailored to each individual’s or couple’s specific needs, challenges and aspirations.
Founded by Debra Stangl, whose own journey from an unhappy divorce attorney to spiritual entrepreneur testifies to the power of personal awakening, Sedona Soul Adventures seeks to provide an individualized experience for those exploring personal change.
A Different Approach to Spiritual Renewal
“Every individual has a unique journey with specific blocks, wounds, challenges and gifts that can become transformative when given individualized attention,” explains Stangl.
This philosophy forms the foundation of the Sedona Proven Process, developed by Stangl over two decades of working with thousands of clients. Unlike group retreats, Sedona Soul Adventures creates a custom sequence of one-on-one sessions with expert practitioners to address each person’s needs.
Many clients describe experiencing meaningful shifts in perspective, emotional healing and lifestyle changes that continue well beyond their time in Sedona. Stangl is a perfect example of these transformations. When she came to Sedona in 1999, she was a stressed-out, burned-out divorce attorney, in an emotionally abusive marriage, $50,000 in debt from her then-husband’s business decisions, and over forty pounds overweight. She left her law practice and embarked on a three-year personal healing odyssey in Sedona. In 2002, she moved there and started Sedona Soul Adventures.
Stangl says that by using the teachings and principles at Sedona Soul Adventures, she now lives her life purpose, lost over 40 pounds in five weeks without diet or exercise, and, eight years ago, found and married the man of her dreams. These stories and the philosophy of Sedona Soul Adventures are in her book, “The Journey To Happy: How Embracing The Concept That ‘Nothing Is Wrong’ Can Transform Your Life.”
The Science of Transformation
What makes this strategy so effective? Research shows that individualized approaches have better results than group work alone. When practitioners focus on one person or couple, they can dive deeper, respond in real time to emerging insights, and create a safe space for vulnerable exploration.
“For many, the one-on-one format fosters a sense of psychological safety that can be harder to achieve in group settings,” says Stangl. “Most people don’t feel safe enough to explore their deepest secrets in front of strangers. This safety is a prerequisite for deep vulnerability that leads to profound change. This is one of the reasons we’ve been named ‘Best of Sedona’ for retreats.”
Each retreat begins with an in-depth consultation to understand the client’s current challenges, past experiences and future hopes. From there, a personalized sequence of sessions is crafted, potentially including energy healing, spiritual counseling, heart healing, meditation, sound healing or other modalities drawn from a network of over 60 Sedona practitioners. “Inner Journey Breath is one of our foundational sessions,” says Stangl. “That [breathwork] process changed my life over 30 years ago and continues to help our clients.”
Relationships Transformed
On Trustpilot, a Denmark-based online consumer review platform, Sedona Soul Adventures has earned an average 5-star rating from nearly 1,000 clients. Its Couples Retreats have been recognized as “Best Marriage Retreats” in the US by Guidedocs and “11 Best Marriage Retreats in the World” in 2023 by Brides Magazine.
The Couples Retreats follow the same personalized approach as individual retreats, with some sessions conducted together and others separately. This balanced approach allows for individual healing and relationship repair to occur simultaneously.
“We recognize that relationship healing requires both individual wholeness and connection skills,” Stangl explains. “When each person can heal their own wounds and reconnect with their authentic self, they bring that wholeness back to the relationship. It heals and transforms that third entity, which is the relationship.”
Beyond the Retreat
The most compelling aspect of Sedona Soul Adventures may be the lasting impact reported by participants.
Sarah, an executive from Chicago, describes her experience: “I came to Sedona feeling completely burned out and disconnected from my purpose. The retreat gave me tools to reconnect with myself, but more importantly, it helped me identify and release core wounds and limiting beliefs I didn’t even know I was carrying. Two years later, I’ve completely restructured my life around what truly matters to me.”
This longevity of impact stems from Sedona Soul Adventures’ focus on sustainable practices and ongoing integration. Each retreat concludes with integration sessions plus coaching designed to help participants incorporate their insights into daily life, and follow-up support helps the momentum continue after returning home.
The Future of Wellness
As the wellness industry continues to evolve, Sedona Soul Adventures’ success points to a growing desire for deeply personalized experiences that address the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. While group retreats and digital wellness platforms serve important purposes, the transformative power of custom-designed, one-on-one healing experiences fulfills a distinct and vital need.
“Everyone deserves to be seen in their uniqueness,” Stangl emphasizes. “True transformation happens when we honor each person’s journey as distinct and sacred.”
This individualized approach intends to offer something increasingly precious: the opportunity to be fully seen, deeply understood, and expertly guided toward a more authentic, connected way of living.
As Stangl’s own journey from unhappy attorney to spiritual entrepreneur demonstrates, sometimes the most powerful transformations begin with the simplest realization—that another path is possible and that with the right guidance, anyone can find their way to a more fulfilling life.
Photo from Debra Stangl, Founder and Owner, Sedona Soul Adventures
