For people seeking positive change
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Design Your Own Journey invites you to shape your life with joy and ease, to consciously face challenges, and to openly explore new paths.
In a world full of opportunities, Design Your Own Journey represents the active creation of your own life path and the embarkation on positive change and personal development. To start your individual journey, build change competencies, leverage your strengths, and take immediate action, we apply methods based on systemic coaching, design thinking, positive psychology, resilience, and horse-assisted co-creation.
If you were to act autonomously now, what would your next step be?
Change begins with yourself
Retreats

Step into a world of experimentation, learning, and inspiring exchange – welcome to the 4-day retreat by Design Your Own Journey!
Our goal is to accompany and support you in building change competencies as you design your own path.
Embarking on Change
3 elements guide you through the process
1
Well-founded methods
With a strong foundation in systemic coaching, design thinking, positive psychology, and resilience, we set sail for your creative journey. Our goal is to provide you with the tools you need to actively work on your own well-being and to immediately create positive changes in your life.
2
Experiential learning
Immerse yourself in the world of co-creation with our unique companions – the horses. They create a space of trust where creativity flourishes and emotional awareness is nurtured. Through guided interactions, you gain valuable insights into your thinking, feeling, and behavioral patterns, explore new avenues, and experiment directly.
3
Inspiring environment
In the idyllic surroundings of La Miana, surrounded by the majestic beauty of the Pyrenees, we focus on living in the moment and enjoying the splendor of nature. Here, you'll find the tranquility, an appreciative atmosphere, and inspiration needed to fully concentrate on your personal growth.
Design Your Own Journey supports you in shaping your life holistically, both professionally and personally.
Become part of a community to exchange experiences, find support, and inspire each other on your journey of personal growth.
The itinerary of our 4-day journey
Empathy and self-awareness

Only you can design your own journey towards an authentic life centered on change and growth. However, it requires awareness and acceptance of where you currently stand in life and what your key needs and resources are. This allows you to craft a coherent journey and pursue what inspires you.

Possibilities for change
Building on the needs and insights gained on Day 1, envision the goal of your journey and define concrete opportunities for change along the way. To gain confidence in your actions, you'll train skills and activate resources to enable changes on your journey.
Ideas and prototypes
On this day, the focus is on developing ideas to implement the change opportunities you've identified. As a community, we support each other through diverse perspectives, and you select what best fits as a prototype for your coherent journey. You experience your 'best possible self' on your journey.
Goals and accountability
To bring about change on your journey, it requires strong commitment and taking responsibility. We will set our Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for the first three months so that we can take immediate action. As a community, we will meet virtually for check-ins during this period and conduct a retrospective. You are ready to embark on your journey!

Locations & Dates
Welcome to our historic retreat, a juwel from the 11th century nestled amidst the breathtaking landscapes of La Garrotxa, Catalonia. Here, you experience the beauty of the past and the splendor of nature in perfect harmony. The refuge can be reached by car from Barcelona in 1 hour 50 minutes and from Girona in 55 minutes.
Welcome to Monte Barrão, an idyllic estate in Portugal, well-known as a famous breeder of Lusitano horses and a producer of fine wines. Nestled in a picturesque landscape of rolling hills and expansive fields, the estate offers the perfect blend of nature, agricultural heritage, and relaxation. The retreat is just a 2-hour drive from Lisbon, and transfers can be arranged upon request.
Welcome to San Jon, a serene retreat in Switzerland's Engadine valley, offering horseback riding adventures and outdoor activities amidst stunning Alpine landscapes. Perfect for nature lovers, it combines sustainable tourism with an authentic Alpine experience.
Our events are conducted in small groups of 6 to 8 participants to foster a personal atmosphere where collaboration and co-creation can thrive. Through experiential learning in both indoor and outdoor settings, we employ well-founded methods and equine-assisted interventions to build change competencies and promote personal growth.

The horses we work with live in herds and are highly sensitive to our emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns. Through their empathetic presence, they reflect the dynamics of co-creation and offer us valuable insights on our journey of personal growth. During the retreat, there is no riding involved; instead, each day we spend half a day interacting on the ground.

We are experts in supporting change and growth processes, both for people and horses. With our experience and expertise, we support you in achieving your goals and developing your full potential. Welcome to an unforgettable journey of experimentation, learning and co-creation!

Details
Participants arrive individually on Thursday afternoon. Each day, we engage in workshop-style activities for and spend time interacting with the horses. There is no riding involved; instead, guided interactions on the ground are conducted, followed by reflection sessions.

Design Your Own Journey is designed for individuals who are open and curious to learn and try new things, reflect on themselves, and seek respectful exchange with other participants to build change competencies and grow personally. Mental and physical health are prerequisites for participating in the retreat.

The price includes 3 nights of accommodation with full board, as well as facilitation, materials, and the involvement of horses in the Design Your Own Journey retreat.
Design Your Own Journey - 1'390 € - April 10 - 13, 2025 San Jon, Switzerland (Engadin)
Design Your Own Journey - 1'290 € - May 1 - 4, 2025 Can Jou, Spain (Catalonia)
Design Your Own Journey - 1'490 € - May 15 - 18, 2025 Monte Barrão, Portugal
Design Your Own Journey - 1'290 € - August 28 - 31, 2025 Can Jou, Spain (Catalonia)
Design Your Own Journey - 1'290 € - November 6 - 9, 2025 Can Jou, Spain (Catalonia)
Booking inquiry
Which retreat would you like to participate in? What is your motivation?
We accompany you
Enthusiasts and advocates of the humanistic worldview. We view humans as autonomous beings capable of shaping their own lives, rather than merely reacting to external circumstances."
  • Christiane
    Currently, she works as a Senior Expert in Change & Transformation Management at the University of Basel. Previously, she held various leadership and management positions at Axpo Group, UPC (Liberty Global), and Coca-Cola Hellenic. She holds a degree in Economics (Diplom-Volkswirtin) from the University of Essen and a Master of Science in Money, Banking & Finance from the University of Birmingham, and she is qualified in Change Management (IMD), cultural development, and systemic coaching. As a certified equestrian professional (Pferdefachwirtin), she is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and lives with her family in Zurich.
  • Corinna
    "For me, the horse is like a mirror – it reflects our feelings just as they are. It engages with us clearly and honestly." Corinna trains young horses to become trustworthy and reliable trail riding horses for our experienced partner Panorama-Trails, who pioneered trail riding in Catalonia 30 years ago. She emphasizes building relationships with horses based on trust to create deep and harmonious bonds. In addition to her professional work with horses, she holds a Master of Tourism Management & Planning from the Universitat de Girona and lives with her three dogs and her partner in Girona.
Contacts
We look forward to meeting you and are happy to answer your questions.
Phone: +41 78 843 08 43
Mail: christiane@designyourownjourney.com


Currently, we are in the process of expanding our business and are happy to discuss individual requests in the areas of leadership development and team building. In addition to our location in Spain (Catalonia), we also have venues available in Germany and Switzerland (Zürich and Engadin).
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Email: christiane@designyourownjourney.com

Impressum
Design Your Own Journey GmbH
Christiane Wetzel
Eidmattstr. 30
8032 Zürich
eMail: christiane@designyourownjourney.com
VAT identification number: CHE-190.742.895


EU Dispute Resolution:
The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR), which you can find at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. Our email address is located above in the imprint. We are not willing or obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

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