ABSTRACT
This case study is about the therapeutic lifestyle retreat Yarra Valley Living Centre, which is run by the Gawler Foundation established in 1983. Information for this case is derived from interviews with staff employed at the Yarra Valley Living Centre, a site visit and secondary data. The Yarra Valley Living Centre is located on a 15 hectares property, near Yarra Junction, a small settlement with 1740 residents in Victoria, Australia. The township is situated 55 km east of Melbourne’s central business district. A broad range of residential lifestyle-based, self-help programmes are conducted at this Centre, primarily designed for people with cancer and their carers. In 1983, the Gawler Foundation was co-founded by Ian Gawler and his first wife Grace. In addition to five and ten-day retreats for people with cancer, Ian Gawler and George Jelinek developed a retreat programme for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2002. While the Foundation’s main aim is to support people with serious illnesses, it also offers a series of ‘wellness’ retreats for the ‘worried well’; people who are interested in preventative-based lifestyle interventions and want to learn how to lead healthier lives. Additionally, The Gawler Foundation runs annual conferences on integrative health and well-being and is involved in training health professionals.
