Midlife Reimagined

A comprehensive five-day midlife review

26–30 April 2027

13–17 September 2027

Sunset over a field of tall grass or reeds with the sun near the horizon, casting a warm orange glow.

Step out of everyday life and give your life the time and attention it deserves.

A person with short hair and glasses sitting outdoors on a bench watching the sunset, with trees in the background.

What matters most to you now?

How do you want to live in the years ahead?

Expert guidance and support to transform your life and shape the decades to come.

Midlife Reimagined is a five-day residential retreat for people navigating midlife.

Work may be changing, retirement coming into view, children leaving home, relationships changing, or you may simply be questioning who you are now at this midlife point, and what the next chapter of your life might look like.

Back of a person with long blond hair tied in a ponytail walking on a forest trail surrounded by green trees and foliage

Looking back. Living forward.

Drawing on more than twenty-five years of Life Story expertise, Karin and Alison guide you through a creative and reflective midlife review that engages mind, body and heart.

Over five days, you’ll look back at what has shaped you, take stock of where you are now and what matters most, helping you find a clearer direction — and a plan — for what comes next.

Life Story work can take us into some of the deeper parts of our lives. The Midlife Reimagined programme is not therapy. You decide where you want to go with the work, what feels important to explore and what you choose to share.

You can read more about our approach here.

“Feeling so pleased and grateful that I allowed myself this time to focus on me. When booking I thought it was self-indulgent but now I realise that it was absolutely the right thing to do at this point in my life. As I leave, I feel peaceful, calm and reflective. I have a better idea of what really matters to me and what I plan to do next with my life and for those I love and value.”

— Midlife Reimagined attendee

Five days to shape the next stage of life.

Our week together takes place at the Coach House on the internationally recognised Sharpham Trust estate in South Devon, surrounded by 550 acres of woodland and river paths.

For five days, this becomes home to a small group of twelve people.

Accommodation, meals and the rhythm of the week are taken care of, so you don’t have to think about the practicalities.

A bright sunroom with wooden beams on the ceiling and large windows showing a garden with trees, bushes, and a stone building. Inside, there are chairs arranged in a circle, a table with papers, and a bookshelf with books.

Five days to make space for what matters now.

Five days matters.

Stepping away from the demands and responsibilities of everyday life gives you something increasingly rare: time.

The Midlife Reimagined programme gives that time a focus, with each day building on the one before.

What seemed important may become less so; something you had overlooked may come into view.

Away from the usual distractions and pulls on your attention, you have time to weigh things up and become clearer about what really matters.

Throughout the week, we live as a small community. We share meals, conversations and time together, alongside time for yourself — to walk, rest and reflect.

The week makes room for both.

Four people sitting on a grassy hill, overlooking a scenic landscape with trees, a river, and hills in the distance on a sunny day.

“This week has been nourishing for the mind and the body. It has allowed me to slow down, think, put things into perspective and consider my future in a measured and slowed-down way.”
Midlife Reimagined attendee

Scenic view of a rural landscape with rolling hills, green fields, trees, and a partly cloudy sky during sunset or sunrise.

The Shape of the Week

Monday
Arrive by 3pm, settle into your surroundings and come together.

Tuesday
We begin by looking back at the turning points that have shaped your life, reflecting on the stories we tell about ourselves and finding new perspectives from where you are now in midlife.

Wednesday
We make space for what has been asking for your attention — the thoughts, questions and parts of yourself that don't always get the time they need in everyday life. You choose what feels important to explore, and what you want to share.

Thursday
We turn towards the future, considering possibilities, choices and values, and how you want to live in the years ahead. We bring what you have discovered into a clearer sense of direction and a plan for what comes next.

Friday
We bring the week together, reflecting on what you want to take with you or let go as you return to everyday life. Depart at 1pm.

“The beautiful surroundings, careful structure with time to rest as well as creative ways to explore our individual life stories made this programme absolutely unique.”
Midlife Reimagined attendee

Two women smiling for a selfie outdoors with a scenic landscape of rolling hills and cloudy sky in the background.

About Karin and Alison

Midlife Reimagined is designed and led by Karin Diamond and Alison O’Connor, drawing on more than twenty-five years of professional Life Story practice, leading retreats and learning programmes with people at significant points of change.

Their work is informed by years of research and learning about midlife. And as people in midlife themselves, they understand the complexity and possibility of this important stage of life.

You can read more about Karin and Alison on the About Us page.

“This week has come at the right time for me, in so many different ways. Thank you for holding the space for all that has needed to emerge and become clear.”
Midlife Reimagined attendee

A man and woman sitting on a wooden park bench under a large tree with green leaves, facing each other, in a lush green park with a grassy field and distant trees on a sunny day.

Who Attends?

People come from all walks of life. Some arrive with clear questions they want to explore. Others simply know they need space to pause and take stock.

People who attend are usually in their 40s, 50s and 60s, although this is not fixed. The common thread is a willingness to give thoughtful attention to this stage of life and the questions it can bring.

Midlife Reimagined welcomes people of all genders and sexual orientations, and neurodiversity is understood and respected. We want everyone to be able to take part as fully and comfortably as possible, so if you have any access, sensory, communication or dietary needs, please let us know. We will work with you to understand what would be helpful.

If you have any questions about the retreat or whether it might be right for you, you are very welcome to get in touch.

“My life has been changed for the better this week. I leave lighter, brighter and full of hope.”
Midlife Reimagined attendee

A lush green outdoor scene with tall trees, rolling hills in the background, and various small flowering plants in the foreground.

The Setting

Midlife Reimagined takes place at the Coach House on the beautiful Sharpham Trust estate in South Devon, surrounded by 550 acres of woodland and river paths.

The Coach House is designed around easy access, with all of our group spaces, facilities and bedrooms on the ground floor.

You’ll have your own comfortable en-suite bedroom, with an accessible en-suite bedroom available. Nourishing, organic meals are freshly prepared for our group three times a day.

It is a remarkable place to step away from everyday life — spacious, peaceful and surrounded by nature.

Dates and Booking

26–30 April 2027

13–17 September 2027

£1,250

The retreat includes the full midlife programme, private en-suite accommodation and all meals.

To register your interest or ask a question, please get in touch.