The Story Behind Resilience Rise

For years, I’ve walked alongside young people and their families through some of the darkest, most vulnerable moments of their lives. As a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Child and Youth Mental Health Service, I’ve sat in emergency departments with parents overwhelmed by fear, listened to adolescents who’ve lost hope in themselves, and witnessed firsthand how the growing mental health crisis is affecting our teens—not just at school or online, but in their very sense of self-worth and connection.

But this story isn’t just about my professional journey. It’s personal, too.

As someone who has carried the weight of trauma and learned how to rise from it—resilience isn’t just a word for me. It’s a lived experience. I know what it feels like to keep showing up even when your world feels heavy. I know what it means to carry hope for someone else when they can’t see it for themselves yet. And I know the quiet strength it takes to start again, even after being knocked down.

Resilience Rise Retreat was born from a deep knowing: our teens need more than therapy sessions and diagnosis codes—they need space.

Space to breathe.

Space to reconnect with who they are outside of school pressures, digital noise, and mental health labels.

Space where they’re not just “patients” or “problems to solve,” but whole human beings—creative, capable, and courageous.

Over the years, I began to notice a pattern in the young people I worked with. Many were highly intelligent, sensitive, and self-aware—but they lacked the tools to manage emotional pain, handle failure, or regulate their nervous systems when life became too much. Their parents, meanwhile, were doing their best but often felt lost, burnt out, or afraid of “doing the wrong thing.”

At Resilience Rise, adolescents learn how to cultivate resilience through various activities and workshops.

That’s when the idea came to me—what if we created a space where healing could happen outside the clinic?

A space that blended the science of mental health with the soul of human connection.A space that included both teens and their caregivers—because resilience isn’t built in isolation; it’s built in relationships.

And so, Resilience Rise Retreat was born.

This 3-day, 2-night all-inclusive experience was carefully crafted through the lens of clinical expertise, cultural understanding, and personal compassion. It’s a space where emotional intelligence is nurtured, nervous systems are reset through nature, and teens leave not just with insight—but with tools they can actually use in real life.

We integrate evidence-based strategies like Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, somatic practices, and strength-based coaching—all delivered in a format that’s engaging, respectful, and real.

Teens build resilience through workshops, nature-based experiences, and creative expression. Teens gain clarity, confidence, and connection. And together, they leave more aligned, more resourced, and more hopeful.

This retreat isn’t a magic fix—but it’s a powerful beginning.

It’s for the teen who feels like they’ve lost their spark.

For the parent who’s doing everything they can and still feels like it’s not enough.

For the family who just wants to breathe again.

Resilience Rise is more than a retreat.

It’s a commitment to growth, a celebration of strength, and a bridge back to each other.

From my heart to yours—thank you for being part of this story. I hope it helps your family rise, too.

Warmly,

Fabie Ismael

Founder, Resilience Rise Retreat

Clinical Nurse Consultant | Coach | Mental Health Advocate