A Weekend for Men, Women & Couples

We are never just in relationship with another person.

We are in relationship with our history, our defenses, our desires, our fears and the parts of ourselves we have learned to hide.

The Art of Partnership is an immersive weekend for singles, individuals, and couples who want to create relationships with more honesty, intimacy, freedom, and aliveness.

Through experiential exercises, embodied practices, honest conversation, and guided work with Vince and Karen, you’ll begin to recognize the unconscious patterns shaping how you love, communicate, fight, withdraw, pursue, and connect.

This weekend is for you if you want to:

• Stop repeating the same relationship patterns.

• Understand what happens beneath conflict and disconnection.

• Communicate with greater honesty and less defensiveness.

• Deepen intimacy, attraction, and emotional connection.

• Explore masculine and feminine dynamics without rigid roles.

• Take greater responsibility for the relationships you create.

• Become more available for the love you say you want.

Come alone. Come with a partner. Come curious.

You do not need a relationship problem to attend.

You simply need the willingness to look honestly at how you show up in relationship.

The relationship changes when the people inside it change.

Your Leaders

After years of respective trial and error, Vince Chafin and Karen Strassman have come together to co-create a partnership far beyond what either of them dared to imagine. They create containers where people are seen, heard and loved and where trust is built through personal responsibility. 

Their work invites humans into a form of partnership where security, intimacy, and mutual respect are not ideals, but practiced skills

The Facilitator Intensive (optional)

Sunday Evening–Tuesday Noon (October 18-20th)

For the first time, we are offering an additional post weekend offering. This is for facilitators, coaches, therapists, practitioners, and leaders who want to go beyond participating in transformational work—and learn how to hold it.

This advanced add-on begins Sunday evening and continues through Monday and a half day Tuesday.

Working directly with Vince and Karen, you’ll step behind the curtain of the weekend experience and explore what makes deep facilitation effective.

You’ll learn how to:

• Read what is happening beneath the words.

• Track individual and group dynamics.

• Work with resistance, emotion, and activation.

• Know when to intervene—and when to stay out of the way.

• Ask questions that open rather than direct.

• Create safety without rescuing.

• Stay grounded when the room gets intense.

• Use your own presence as part of the facilitation.

This is not another collection of techniques.

It is an opportunity to develop the most important instrument you bring into the room:

You.

Expect teaching, demonstration, practice, feedback, and real-time facilitation.

Come ready to sharpen your craft, deepen your presence, and become more capable of holding the moments where transformation actually happens.

Less performance. More presence. Better facilitation.

Click here to add the facilitation intensive to your weekend.

Location

The Bear Ranch is located in the California foothills within a massive, beautiful nature conservancy. The nearest city is Bakersfield. If flying, we recommend Burbank or LAX. Bakersfield has a limited amount of flights, so it is worth checking. 

Due to the location, we will be shuttling people up at scheduled times.

We will officially begin our weekend on Thursday at 6pm and kindly ask that everyone is present by this time. We will conclude our weekend by 12pm on Sunday. There is an optional facilitation Intensive from Sunday evening until Tuesday noon (details below).

Accommodations

There are a number of different options for your stay at the Bear Ranch! Please see below for details and pricing.

Please note that all participants will have access to shared kitchen space, indoor & outdoor shower & indoor and outdoor bathrooms.



Camping Spots (20 available) ~ $795
We offer car camping spots on the property. Camping equipment is available (please reach out).



Indoor Cots (Five Available) ~ $895
These are indoor cots in the sunporch of the participant house. Bedding is available (please reach out).

House Bedroom (One available, Can Sleep up to Two) ~ $995 per person

Decent sized bedroom in the participant house (please note the bedroom has shared doors with the rest of the house) with a queen sized mattress and bedding.



Glamping Tent (One Available, Can Sleep up to Four) ~ $1,299 per person

Beautiful canvas clamping tent with queen sized mattress and bedside table. Can be reconfigured for a larger group (up to four people).

Tepee (One Available, Can Sleep up to Four) ~ $1,300 per person

The always coveted and oftentimes already booked tepee is available. It will be filled with cozy blankets, pads and pillows. A truly special and very unique way to enjoy the Bear Ranch.




Dining


We are pleased to offer a unique, exceptionally well sourced and prepared culinary experience throughout your stay at the Bear Ranch. Spearheaded by Chef Loghan Call of Planted Cuisine, participants will enjoy lunches and dinners in family style fashion, along with a simple breakfast spread each morning. Additionally, coffee, tea and snacks will be available throughout each day.

The culinary portion is woven into the weekend with the intention of using meal times to deepen connection, understanding and community. 

Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice.