Alabama Couples Weekend Retreat: Valentine’s Weekend for Deeper Connection

Beyond the Wounds: Love’s Sacred Work

A sacred space for couples to speak, listen and heal

Register Here

 Find Your Way Back to Each Other…

Do you ever feel like you and your partner are talking, but not really connecting? Like you keep circling the same arguments, but never quite get to the heart of what’s wrong? Maybe you love each other deeply, but the spark feels buried under stress, distraction, or old hurts. What if this Valentine’s Day could be something different, a weekend to slow down, listen deeply, and rediscover the love you already share? Do you want to give your partner a gift that actually strengthens your bond, not just fills a day on the calendar? Are you ready to slow down, have the conversations you’ve been avoiding, and find your way back to each other?

Join us for Wild Grace: A Couples weekend, a Valentine’s weekend designed to help you step out of the noise, slow down, listen for God’s presence, and rediscover each other.  In the quiet, away from distractions, you will build skills for hard conversations that heal rather than hurt. Through guided conversations, moments of reflection, and practical tools for communication and forgiveness, you’ll learn how to slow down, listen without defensiveness, and speak and listen with honesty and grace. Together, you’ll learn to speak truth with love, to listen with compassion, and to see yourself and your partner the way God sees both of you, beloved and worthy.  This isn’t about perfection; it’s about finding each other again in the middle of real life. Come ready to pause, breathe, reflect, and begin rewriting the story of your relationship with fresh understanding, tenderness, and hope.

Our Heart Behind Wild Grace

At its core, Wild Grace is about learning how to have the hard conversations, the ones that matter most. But it’s also about something deeper: understanding the stories and wounds we each carry into our relationships.

Throughout the weekend, you’ll be invited to slow down and reflect on your own life, to notice the places of hurt, fear, and longing that began long before marriage, yet still find their way into your conversations and conflicts today. In that quiet reflection, healing begins.

Together, we’ll explore time-tested, research-based communication skills that help couples speak with honesty and listen with compassion. Each person will have the space to uncover and share pieces of what they discover about themselves, creating new pathways to empathy, trust, and connection.

Because knowing what you believe, value, feel, and think is the first step toward deeper intimacy, and true healing happens not only between partners, but within ourselves.

Who is Wild Grace for?

Wild Grace is for the couple who loves each other deeply but feel the distance that everyday life can create. You’re committed to your marriage, but between work, kids, and the constant pull of responsibilities, it’s hard to find time to truly connect. You long for TIME to have…deeper conversations, softer moments, and the kind of intimacy that comes from being fully known and understood. And you wonder if celebrating Valentine’s Day a little differently could create that.

This weekend is for couples who want to slow down, learn practical skills for having hard conversations, and practice listening with compassion and courage. Guided by two seasoned therapists with over a decade of experience working with individuals, couples, and families, you’ll learn tools that bring calm to conflict and warmth back to communication.

You know your marriage is worth investing in, because it’s the foundation of the love and family you’re building.

What You’ll Experience-

During Wild Grace, you’ll step away from the noise and into a rhythm of rest, reflection, and reconnection. Each session is thoughtfully designed to help you slow down, speak honestly, and listen with an open heart. Through guided conversations, movie clips, sacred ceremonies, experiential exercises, and time in nature, you’ll begin to see one another with fresh eyes and softened hearts.

You’ll learn practical tools for hard conversations, forgiveness, and emotional safety, skills you can take home and keep practicing long after the weekend ends. Between sessions, you’ll have space to breathe, learn new skills, and simply be together without distractions or demands.

Led by two experienced therapists who have spent over a decade walking with couples and families, Wild Grace offers more than insight; it offers experience, presence, and hope. This is a weekend to remember what first brought you together, to rediscover grace in your story, and to reconnect with the One who makes love new again.

When and where is Wild Grace?

Here are the details for the Wild Grace Couples weekend:

When: February 13 – 16, 2026- Valentine’s Day weekend!
Where: Alabama 4‑H Center, 892 4-H Road, Columbiana, AL 35051, nestled on forest land near Lay Lake, just about an hour from downtown Birmingham.

Contact for questions- WildGraceEncounter@gmail.com

How Much Is Wild Grace?

The investment for Wild Grace is $1,975 per couple.

Your weekend includes:

  • Two nights of lodging at the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana, AL

  • All meals and refreshments throughout the weekend

  • The complete Wild Grace curriculum and guided couples activities

  • Small-group teaching and private couple sessions led by two seasoned therapists

  • Time for rest, reflection, and reconnection in a beautiful natural setting

This is more than a getaway; it’s an intentional investment in your marriage. You’ll leave with practical tools, renewed hope, and a deeper sense of connection with one another.

Contact for questions- WildGraceEncounter@gmail.com


How Many Couples Will Be There?

Wild Grace is intentionally designed to be small and personal. We’re limiting the weekend to 10 couples maximum so that each pair has space to be seen, supported, and connected.

David and Sara believe that true growth happens in community, where couples can learn from one another, share honestly, and realize they’re not alone in the challenges they face. A group of this size allows for deep conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection, while still feeling comfortable and safe.

Meet Your Weekend Leaders

Wild Grace Couples weekend is led by Sara Hadgraft, LMFT, LPC, and David Muphree, LPC-S—two experienced therapists who share a deep passion for helping couples rediscover connection, healing, and hope. Together, they bring over two decades of combined experience walking with individuals, couples, and families through life’s most meaningful and challenging seasons.

In 2015, Sara and David first met in the rooms of Al-Anon—a recovery program for family members of those struggling with addiction. Each was there doing their own personal work, learning, healing, and growing through the hard but honest process of self-discovery. They soon realized they were both counselors and kindred spirits, united by a shared passion for helping others walk the path toward wholeness. Over the past decade, they’ve become trusted colleagues and friends, continually encouraging one another to keep doing the inner work that transforms not only our relationships but our lives. Along the way, a deep friendship has also grown between their families—Sara and her husband, George, and David and his wife, Lynn—rooted in their shared belief in the redemptive power of connection, grace, and community.

They created Wild Grace out of a shared belief that love is both beautiful and hard, and that the work of repair, forgiveness, and intimacy is sacred. They know that marriage takes courage: the courage to slow down, listen deeply, and speak one’s truth in love. Through their years in marriage, parenting, counseling rooms, encounters in nature, and other sacred spaces, they’ve learned that when couples create space for honesty and grace, transformation happens.

Their approach blends clinical insight with spiritual depth. You can expect laughter, real talk, gentle challenge, and moments of quiet reflection. Both Sara and David believe that we have deeper encounters with God in the honest places, the moments where we stop pretending, start listening, and remember the goodness that still lives inside us and our relationships.

Meet Sara Hadgraft, LMFT, LPC

Sara began her professional journey working with some of the hardest couples- those navigating divorce at her private practice, Sparrow Counseling. She felt deeply called to help families transition through that painful season with as much compassion and stability as possible, always keeping the well-being of the children at the center.

Over the years, Sara has continued to walk alongside families of divorce, but in recent years, she’s found renewed joy and energy in helping couples rediscover connection and intimacy through Couples Intensives. Teaching couples practical, real-world skills for having hard conversations has breathed new life into her work and reaffirmed her belief that repair and restoration are always possible.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 30 years of experience—as a mother, high school teacher, and now therapist—Sara blends warmth, wisdom, and faith to help couples slow down, speak honestly, and listen with love. She holds two master’s degrees, is a clinical supervisor for marriage and family associate counselors, a trained sex therapist, and is trained in both the Developmental Model for Couples and EMDR. When she’s not in the therapy room, you’ll find her reading, walking with her dog Sparrow, or spending time with her husband, close friends, daughters, and two beloved grandsons—who affectionately call her “Honey!”

Meet David Muphree, LPC-S

David believes that real change begins with courage—the courage to slow down, look inward, and trust that everything we need for healing is already within us, including the presence of the Divine. Before becoming a therapist, David spent over 15 years in the corporate world and 5 years as a business owner. As a therapist, his calling is to create space where people can do the deep, honest work of becoming whole. He focuses on each person’s possibilities, not their pathology, helping them move toward growth, peace, and a restored sense of self.

David often integrates nature, poetry, and mindfulness into his life and practice, believing that the natural world reflects the same grace and wisdom that can transform our relationships. His approach is both grounding and hopeful—offering practical tools and gentle truth-telling that help clients reconnect with themselves and the people they love. 

David is a Supervisor to associate counselors and is also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Lifespan Integration, and EMDR, approaches that help clients heal from trauma, manage emotion, and move forward with clarity and compassion. Born in California, now rooted in Birmingham, he loves hiking, CrossFit, quiet time in nature, and life with his wife, three adult children, and their Great Pyrenees, Sadie.

How to Register for Wild Grace

Ready to join us for the Wild Grace Couples weekend? We can’t wait to welcome you!

  1. Complete the Wild Grace Registration Form.
     Once you submit your form, we’ll reach out to confirm your spot and provide the next steps for payment.

  2. Submit your $500 deposit* to reserve your space.
    You can pay by mailed check or credit card with a 3% additional fee added (instructions provided upon registration)

  3. Final payment of $1,495* is due by January 13, 2026

 * Please note: Deposits are non-refundable unless we are able to fill your spot upon cancellation

Space is limited to 10 couples, and spots will fill quickly. We encourage early registration to ensure your place at this intimate weekend of rest, reflection, and reconnection.

Contact for questions- WildGraceEncounter@gmail.com

Register Here

You might have some questions….here are some answers!

We know that deciding to attend a couples weekend can bring up a lot of questions—especially when you’re already juggling busy schedules, work, and family life. Wild Grace was created with you in mind: the couple who loves each other deeply, but longs for more time, presence, and connection.

Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about the weekend—what to expect, what to bring, and how we’ll spend our time together. Our hope is that you’ll arrive feeling informed, cared for, and ready to rest while we handle the details.

This is your weekend to breathe, listen, and let grace do its quiet work.

  • That’s a great question, and an honest one. When you bring two experienced therapists into a room with couples who want to strengthen their communication and connection, the line between weekend, coaching, and therapy can naturally blur.

    Because both Sara and David are trained therapists, it’s likely that our work together will at times move into therapeutic territory. The conversations and experiences at Wild Grace are deeply personal, and our goal is to create a safe, ethical, and confidential space for that work to unfold.

    For this reason, each couple will sign an informed consent form acknowledging that while this is a weekend experience, aspects of therapy may occur. This ensures that we maintain professional ethics and honor the privacy, respect, and safety that true healing requires.

  • Wild Grace is rooted in a deep respect for faith and spirituality, drawing inspiration from the Christian story of love, grace, and renewal. For Sara and David, faith is about transformation, connection, and the sacred work of becoming whole.

    Throughout the weekend, spiritual themes and practices will be gently woven into your experience, through reflection, conversation, and quiet moments that invite you to slow down and listen for God’s presence.

    While the weekend is shaped by Christian values, it welcomes all who are open to exploring the spiritual dimensions of healing, forgiveness, and growth—wherever you are on your journey. Each person is encouraged to engage in ways that feel authentic and meaningful to them.

  • No. Wild Grace is open to couples in all committed relationships—married, engaged, or seriously dating—who desire to grow together. What matters most is your willingness to show up honestly, listen deeply, and invest in your connection.

  • You are welcome here. Wild Grace was created for couples who want to slow down and look honestly at where they are—whether you’re feeling disconnected, uncertain, or simply longing for renewal. While this weekend isn’t a replacement for long-term therapy, it can be a powerful step toward clarity, healing, and hope. Sara and David are both experienced therapists who will guide conversations with gentleness and care, honoring each couple’s unique story.

  • While we don’t want to give too much away, our hope is that you come ready to rest, reflect, and let us handle the details. We’ve designed the weekend so you can simply show up, breathe, and do the meaningful work of connection—without worrying about logistics.

    Here’s a general outline of our weekend together:

    Friday

    • 4:00–5:30 PM Registration & Check-In

    • 5:30-6:30 PM Dinner

    • 7:00–9:00 PM Session 1 — Opening Gathering & Teaching

    Saturday

    • 7:00–7:30 AM Morning Meditation with David (optional)

    • 8:00–9:00 AM Breakfast

    • 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Session 2

    • 12:00–1:00 PM Lunch

    • 1:00–4:00 PM Session 3

    • 4:00–5:30 PM Free Time (rest, walk, or connect privately)

    • 5:30-6:30 PM Dinner

    • 7:00–9:00 PM Session 4

    Sunday

    • 7:00–7:30 AM Morning Meditation with David (optional)

    • 8:00–9:00 AM Breakfast

    • 9:00–11:00 AM Session 5 — Closing Reflection & Sending

  • Not at all. We get it, no one wants to spend a weekend just talking about problems or walking on eggshells. Wild Grace is designed to be meaningful and enjoyable.

    Sara and David deeply believe in the power of laughter, lightness, and connection, right alongside the sacred work of reflection and growth. Throughout the weekend, you’ll have space for honest conversation, rest, good food, and shared laughter.

    We believe that healing doesn’t have to feel heavy—and that joy, humor, and grace are often the very things that help us open up, learn, and reconnect

  • We wish we could promise a magic formula—but real growth doesn’t work that way. There’s no quick fix or guaranteed outcome, because every couple and every story is different.

    What we can promise is this: if you show up with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be challenged in how you relate to one another, change can and will happen. Wild Grace is a space for honest reflection, practical skill-building, and courageous conversations.

    The more you lean in, the more you’ll discover. The invitation is simple—but powerful: How willing are you to show up?

  • Absolutely not. Wild Grace is built on safety, respect, and personal choice. You’ll always be invited—not pressured—to participate.

    We encourage couples to allow themselves to be stretched in ways they didn’t know was possible. We also honor that everyone has their own rhythm and pace for this kind of work. Our goal is for you to feel supported, not pushed—free to engage in ways that feel authentic and right for you.

    It is, however, our goal to keep the edges hot.

  • The Alabama 4-H Center offers comfortable rooms equipped with two queen beds, a mini-fridge, and a Smart TV. We know—that’s not exactly a “romantic getaway setup,” but we trust our couples can make it work with a little creativity and good humor!

    We encourage you to dress comfortably and warmly—think jeans, yoga pants, cozy sweaters, and puffy jackets. There’s even a space for an outdoor fire pit, so bring layers if you’d like to enjoy the crisp evening air.

    You’ll be provided with all the materials and curriculum you’ll need for the weekend. Just bring whatever helps you feel most comfortable and rested—your favorite pillow, blanket, or anything that helps you relax, be present, and fully engage in learning new skills together.

  • Yes! The Alabama 4-H Center can accommodate most dietary needs, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Just let us know your preferences when you register, and we’ll make sure the kitchen staff is informed ahead of time so your meals are prepared accordingly.

  • Sure! Our email address is WildGraceEncounter@gmail.com.