About a two and a half drive north of Toronto you’ll find Camp Heartbreak, a five-day retreat that blends traditional camp activities with group therapy to help adults who are navigating a break up. Just a few hours after opening up slots for the fall session (starting at $1,598 a camper) I spoke to founder Greg Chociej about the business.
Why start a camp for people experiencing heartbreak?
Almost everyone goes through heartbreak, but we’re often left to deal with it alone. I wanted to create a space where people could process those feelings in a supported way. You’re closer to the woods than the Four Seasons, and that’s part of the therapy: nature is the most powerful healing tool we have. It’s all about giving people the tools, connection, and community to move forward feeling less alone and more hopeful.
Can you run me through a regular day?
The program we use is The Next Chapter, which is designed for heartbreak. Its co-creators, Jennifer Donison and Ellen Feldman, run group sessions for campers every day, and beyond that we have all the activities you would have experienced at camp growing up. I do think we’ve really nailed the food: I would call it elevated camp, and we partner with Pilot to bring in great coffee. Last year, Louise Upperton came by for a sound bath and Eamon McGrath performed a private concert as part of our evening programming. We’re trying to bring in boardgames from Snakes and Lattes this year.
What was the response to your first spring session, and what learnings are you taking into the fall?
It was a huge success and our exit questionnaires came back extremely positive. It’s the granular stuff that trips you up: pairing people up in cabins, helping them find their way around, and creating programming that’s inclusive and flexible. This fall we have later wake-ups, more free time, and a bit less therapy. If you overload people, it’s too just much. Oh, and physical maps. We learned a lot and we’re coming back stronger.
I read an article in the Wall Street Journal this week about the rising popularity of overnight camps for adults. What do you make of that?
We're living in crazy times and I think we need each other more than ever. So many people are not getting the support they need, and I feel like we’re always waiting for governments to build emotional infrastructure, but they never will. I wanted us to be at the front of this wave of connecting people without technology and creating support structures. By day two of the last camp, someone said it was ‘better than Mexico,’ and in a sense that is my prime competition. Sure you can go get drunk, you can go to the beach, go to Vegas, but you’re going to come back tired and more confused. This is an opportunity to have a great time and come back feeling rested and more resilient.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length from two conversations.