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Elle Wellness Retreats
Elle Studio + Wellness, in partnership with the beautiful and one-of-a-kind Mother Lion Airbnb in Bay View, offers intimate weekend Wellness Retreats designed as a true pause from the demands of everyday life. These retreats are thoughtfully curated to support mental and emotional well-being, deepen connection, and create space for meaningful rest, reflection, and renewal.
Each retreat is created and facilitated by licensed therapists and rooted in the values of trauma-informed care, presence, and authentic connection. Entirely local to Milwaukee, every element of the experience is provided by women-owned and operated small businesses—from the setting to the nourishment to the practices offered throughout the weekend.
Our retreats are designed for close friends who are seeking a shared experience—whether you’re navigating a life transition, celebrating a milestone, or simply craving time together that feels restorative and intentional. Over the course of the weekend, you’ll be gently guided through experiences that support nervous system regulation, emotional insight, and moments of joy and ease.
→ Weekend Wellness Retreat Inquiry Form
Elle Studio + Wellness
Emily Keeling
Elle Studio + Wellness is a mental health therapy clinic rooted in compassionate care. Within the Elle studio, retreat members arrive for a private, day-long wellness experience guided by a licensed Elle psychotherapist. The experience unfolds through intentional moments of grounding, reflection, and gentle self-inquiry, all held in a beautiful, calming space designed to nourish emotional well-being.
Elle Studio + Wellness is lovingly led by founder Emily Keeling, a licensed psychotherapist whose years of clinical experience shape the studio’s trauma-aware, heart-centered approach to healing.
Mother Lion in Bayview
Paress Huebner Rees
Mother Lion is a serene rest and retreat space in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, designed for slowing down, reconnecting, and restoring. This cozy, art-filled home invites reflection, healing, and meaningful time with loved ones. The space includes two bedrooms with queen beds, one bedroom with twin beds, a welcoming dining room and kitchen, and two bathrooms—one with a clawfoot tub and shower. A private backyard features an outdoor hot tub and barrel sauna, offering a deeply relaxing, restorative escape.
Mother Lion is lovingly stewarded by Paress Huebner Rees, who offers this space as a sanctuary for care, connection, and renewal. Paress is a mother of two, real estate agent, and active community member dedicated to creating spaces of care and connection.
Retreat Chef
Krysta Hutton
Simple Eats MKE offers thoughtfully crafted, chef-prepared meals made with care, intention, and uncompromising ingredient quality. Each dish is designed to nourish—balancing flavor, freshness, and nutrition—so busy individuals and families can enjoy homemade food, without the effort.
Behind Simple Eats is chef and founder Krysta Hutton, whose background in restaurant management and event planning informs a refined, detail-oriented approach to every meal. From vibrant grab-and-go lunches to comforting freezer staples, Krysta prioritizes fresh, high-quality ingredients and mindful preparation, ensuring each offering feels both satisfying and sustaining.
Simple Eats MKE exists to elevate everyday eating—making nutritious, beautifully prepared meals not just accessible, but genuinely enjoyable.
Wellness Practitioners
Stephanie Gibart
Stephanie is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in trauma-informed care through EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and art therapy. With a deep belief in the mind/body connection and the creative process as gateways to healing, Stephanie helps clients access and process emotions that often live beyond words.
Her approach blends evidence-based techniques with intuitive, expressive tools—supporting individuals in moving through trauma, reconnecting with themselves, and finding resilience. In her one-on-one sessions, Stephanie creates a compassionate, grounded space where growth and integration can unfold. In retreat settings, Stephanie brings her unique blend of clinical expertise and creative facilitation to guide participants into deeper self-awareness and emotional clarity.
Stephanie’s retreat: The Art of Inner Strength
Kristen Pesature
Kristen is a somatic psychotherapist, yoga instructor, and certified circle facilitator with over a decade of experience in embodied healing. Her journey began in New York City, where a yoga class first revealed the power of guiding individuals into collective presence—a moment that shaped her path forward.
Trained in restorative and yin yoga, and certified through The Wild Woman Project, Kristen integrates movement, mindfulness, and therapeutic insight in both individual and group settings at Elle Studio + Wellness. In her retreats, she creates grounded, intentional spaces for reconnection, rest, and inner clarity.
Kristen’s retreat: The Wild Woman
Katie Sukowaty
Katie partners with Stephanie in the Art of Inner Strength Retreat to offer somatic bodywork. Katie is in her final year of graduate school for somatic psychotherapy. Her path toward becoming a therapist herself was inspired by the integration of her previous vocations: 15 years as a yoga instructor, mindfulness coach, and becoming a birth doula and childbirth educator in 2021. She has managed Elle’s therapy clinic and clientele since its inception.
Katie’s therapeutic approach is as individualized as each client she works with. Through personalized mindfulness practices and breath work, she supports clients in developing greater awareness of their body’s language. This embodied awareness fosters a mindset that is grounded, resilient, and confident, allowing clients to engage in deeper healing and sustainable personal growth.
Massage Therapists
Aissa Zielinksi is the owner and licensed massage therapist behind Good Land Therapeutic Massage. She is a graduate of The Soma Institute for Clinical Massage Therapy and has been practicing since 2015, working alongside chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists to support integrative care. Her training includes Usui/Holy Fire Reiki® III Master certification, Divine Feminine Healing, and Spiritual Coaching, allowing her to offer both therapeutic and energetic approaches to healing. Aissa is a member of the ABMP and is committed to providing personalized, intentional bodywork in a calm and supportive environment.
Sharissa Colon has been a massage therapist for the past 14 years with a focus on healing and self-care. A travel massage therapist and the owner of Therapeutic Unity, Sharissa has a focus in Swedish, Therapeutic, and Deep Tissue massage.