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August 16-23, 2026  |  Starting at $5000

Black Elk Retreat

Healing Through Horses

Interest Form

What is Black Elk?

+Faith, Therapy, and Horses

Breakthroughs in therapy don’t have to take months.

Three top therapists from CatholicPsych, two priests and an equine therapist have created Black Elk, a intensive, week-long, therapeutic retreat to help you become yourself.

Fifteen spots only. August 16-23, 2026.

For Catholics ready to unpack wounds, trauma, grief, anxiety and unlock flourishing.

Black Elk is…..

+An invitation to healing, renewal, flourishing, and deeper union with God

+5 consecutive days of small group therapy, equine therapy, individual therapy, spiritual direction and recreation

+Rooted in the integration of deep prayer and psychology

+Guided by the equine–human relationship as a pathway to greater self-awareness, vulnerability, and interior freedom

+Oriented toward deeper understanding of relationships with others and with God

+Grounded in the silence and beauty of God’s creation, alongside His majestic creatures

A Typical Day

+Guided Morning Prayer and Mindfulness

+Nourishing Breakfast

+Psychoeducation led by one of CatholicPsych’s top mentors or therapists

+Break into small groups of 5 retreatants and 1 Licensed Therapist from CatholicPsych

+Equine Assisted Therapy in your small group led by an exceptional equine professional

+Group Therapy in your small group led by one of three top CatholicPsych Clinicians

+Lunch, curated for wellness

+Individual therapy sessions, spiritual direction or confessions

+Elective time for mindful hiking, fishing, journaling, or trail riding (guided)

+Daily Mass and Adoration

+Wellness-focused Dinner plated by our executive Chef

+Time to unwind and process the day

Who Are We?

Dr. Greg Bottaro

Dr. Greg Bottaro, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and director of the CatholicPsych Institute, where he pioneered the CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism (CPMAP) to integrate Catholic anthropology with modern psychological practices. He earned his Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences at Divine Mercy University. Prior to his career in psychology, Dr. Bottaro spent four years as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal under the mentorship of Fr. Benedict Groeschel. He is dedicated to creating a Catholic standard for mental health, offering therapy, mentoring, and resources that promote authentic human flourishing through faith-aligned approaches. Dr. Bottaro also hosts the Being Human podcast, exploring the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and everyday life. He's now married with 8 kids under 12.

Fr. Sam Kachuba

Fr. Sam Kachuba is a Catholic priest and a CatholicPsych Institute–certified mentor, trained in the CPMAP model integrating Catholic anthropology with psychology. He brings fifteen years of priestly ministry experience and holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Dr. Bryan Violette

Dr. Bryan is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in mental health assessment and therapy grounded in Catholic principles. He earned his Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences at Divine Mercy University. Dr. Violette serves as Chief of Staff at the CatholicPsych Institute. He is committed to helping individuals achieve emotional healing and personal growth through faith-aligned psychological approaches. He is also a husband and father.

Misty Sherbondy

Misty is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master's in Social Work from Newman University, Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner, and Animal Assisted Therapist. She specializes in trauma-informed, integrative, and experiential modalities, working with youth and adults.

Dr. Gerard McNicholas

Dr. Gerard McNicholas is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and serves at the CatholicPsych Institute as Training Director, where he teaches and supervises students completing CatholicPsych’s Model of Applied Personalism (CPMAP) program. He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Divine Mercy University and his BS in Mental Health and Human Services from Franciscan University of Steubenville, with a minor in Philosophy.

He brings experience from a range of clinical settings, including community mental health and inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and his research centers on integrating philosophical psychology with contemporary clinical approaches, including CPI’s Integrated Daily Dialogic Mentorship (IDDM). His work is especially shaped by Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy, narrative psychology, and a Catholic Christian anthropology, emphasizing meaning, relationship, and accompaniment as central to human healing and formation.

Lauren Gentile

A mom of seven and recent graduate of CatholicPsych’s mentorship program, Lauren is our retreat facilitator. She is available for mentorship before or after Black Elk for those looking to go even deeper.

Fr. Louis Mersone

Father Louis Wesley Merosne is a Haitian-born Catholic priest, ordained in 2011, who serves as pastor of the Cathedral of Sainte Anne in Haiti. A passionate evangelist, he earned a Theology drgree from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

A sought-after preacher, he is the founder and president of Mission to the Beloved, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) Catholic nonprofit dedicated to serving God's beloved poor through works of mercy, education, liturgical life, and pastoral outreach. He also serves as a mentor with the CatholicPsych Institute, guiding individuals in integrated Catholic human and spiritual formation.

At his core, Fr. Merosne aspires to become a saintly priest, fully conformed to Christ and devoted to His Church.

Inspiration

This retreat grew out of years spent observing how the wilderness, daily Catholic prayer, and work with horses consistently draw people into deeper reflection and growth. Again and again, our Ranch became a place where individuals slowed down, engaged their faith more intentionally, and encountered insights that stayed with them long after they left.

Black Elk was created to enter more deeply into that realtiy. Black Elk is a retreat formed by experience, faith, and its careful integration.

Learn More

“Faith, reason, and science are not in conflict — they point to the same truth: God. A truly Catholic psychology begins with who we are as human persons, created in the image of God, and then brings in the science to help us heal.”

— Dr. Greg Bottaro

“Horses do not ask, demand or expect anything from us; they just want to feel safe, comfortable and get along. … Horses can make humans feel good about who they are, and they have enabled some people … to become more confident, more trusting and to feel love for themselves and others.”

— Tim Hayes, Equus Magazine

https://equusmagazine.com/behavior/horses-heal-28963

“Therapy isn’t just about coping mechanisms — it’s about transformation, and that’s where faith and psychology truly intersect.”

— Dr. Gerard McNicholas

Why “Black Elk” ?

Black Elk (c. 1863–1950) was an Oglala Lakota holy man whose life bridged Indigenous spirituality, the drama of the American West, and Catholic faith. Born into a lineage of medicine men, he experienced his famed “Great Vision” as a child, an event that shaped his lifelong sense of responsibility for the spiritual well-being of his people and the natural world. As a young man, he witnessed defining moments of the Plains wars, including the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee, before joining Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show, where his horsemanship and deep love for the land carried Lakota culture across America and Europe. In later life, Black Elk embraced Catholicism while continuing to honor Lakota sacred traditions, serving as a catechist, healer, and cultural bridge. His life embodied reconciliation—between land and spirit, suffering and hope—which makes him a powerful and fitting patron for a Catholic equine-assisted therapy retreat rooted in healing, reverence for creation, and integration of the whole person.

Accommodations

+Integrating Mind and Body

Set at Hawkeye Ranch, surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation and the quiet strength of His creatures, this retreat offers a space for genuine healing and growth.

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+Situated along the exclusive South Fork of the Shoshone River, in one of Wyoming’s most spectacular and uncrowded landscapes.+

+Immersed in pristine wilderness just outside Yellowstone, offering rare proximity to untouched natural beauty.

+Exceptionally remote and tranquil, providing an atmosphere of deep privacy and restoration.

Hawkeye Ranch in Cody, Wyoming

+with transportation to and from Cody International Airport

+An executive chef curates vibrant, nourishing plated meals, designed to restore and reward your body after a long day of work.

August 16-23, 2026.

Only 15 spots available

$5000 per person

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

+Comfortable private bedrooms with shared bathrooms, accommodating one to four guests per cabin, each guest enjoying their own individual sleeping space.

Black Elk

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Cody, Wyoming

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