Not because anything is wrong. But because you want to get it right.
A four-day premarital counselling retreat for six couples.
Ngama Tented Safari Lodge, Hoedspruit, Limpopo · 18–21 February 2027
R25 000 per couple, all-inclusive. A portion of the counselling may be claimable from your medical aid.
When
18–21 February 2027
3 nights, 4 days
Where
Ngama Tented Safari Lodge
Hoedspruit, Limpopo
Couples
Just 6 couples
The whole lodge, nobody else
The premise
You don't need to be in trouble to do this.
Most couples who come to this retreat are doing well. They're in love, they're excited, and they're about to make the biggest commitment of their lives with a handful of conversations still unhad.
Premarital counselling isn't repair work. It's the conversations most couples only get to after the first real crisis — about money, family, expectations, conflict, sex, faith, what you each assume "normal" looks like — had early, on purpose, with someone whose job it is to make them safe.
You're not fixing anything. You're building the thing properly the first time.
Share the lodge. Never the room.
Six couples. The whole lodge. Nobody else.
We take over Ngama Tented Safari Lodge entirely for the four days — no other guests, no strangers at breakfast. Each tented chalet is completely private; the only shared spaces are the dining area and the pool, and even there it's only eleven other people who booked this for the same reason you did.
Your counselling sessions are private, always — just the two of you and me. You will never be asked to share anything in front of another couple, and every group activity is optional and yours to opt out of with no explanation needed.
How it works
Five sessions, built around you
Three at the retreat itself, plus one before and one after — not an itinerary, a programme shaped by what you tell me before you arrive.
Before you arrive
You'll each complete a detailed questionnaire, individually. I read both — where you're aligned, where you're not, and what neither of you has said out loud yet.
Your three days are built around that: your specific patterns, your specific gaps, the conversations you two actually need to have. Worksheets, exercises and reading are chosen for you, not printed in bulk.
We also meet online before you travel, so you're not sitting down with a stranger on your first evening in the bush. You'll receive a detailed itinerary before you arrive.
At the retreat
Three private counselling sessions, staggered across the days, shaped by what your questionnaire told me. Just the two of you and me.
Any group activities or workshops are optional — we discuss them beforehand and you opt in or out, no explanation needed.
The rest of the time is yours.
After you go home
A follow-up session two weeks later, for what's come up since — so you're not left alone with the difficult conversations you started here.
And your Personalised Couples Growth Plan, which arrives after the retreat.
One online session before you travel
So we've met properly.
Three private sessions during the retreat
Built around what you need.
One follow-up session two weeks after you're home
For what surfaces afterwards.
Is this for you
Who this retreat is for
This retreat is for you if
You're engaged, or planning marriage, or simply want to understand each other more deeply and grow together. You don't need to be in trouble — most couples who come are doing well and want to do better.
Not the right fit if
You're in acute crisis, if there is abuse in your relationship, or if one of you is coming reluctantly. Those situations need a different kind of care, and I'd rather help you find it than have you spend four days in the wrong room. Get in touch and I'll point you in the right direction.
Every couple has a conversation with me before booking is confirmed. Not a sales call — a short chat to make sure this is genuinely right for you. If it isn't, I'll say so.
Who's facilitating
I'm Sumarie Engelbrecht.
Registered Counsellor with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, registration number PRC 0042480. I run Wholistic Mental Health Care, and premarital and couples work is what I do.
My approach draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, IMAGO counselling principles and person-centred counselling — helping you understand each other's patterns, needs and triggers, in a space where both of you feel heard.
BA Psychological Counselling
Completed at UNISA in 2019.
BPsych Registered Counselling
Honours Equivalent — completed at SACAP in 2022.
HPCSA Registered
PRC 0042480 — registered in 2023.
What clients say about counselling with Sumarie
As my fiancé and I prepare for our wedding in June, it has always been important for us to be as prepared as we can for the marriage. Our first session with Sumarie was wonderful and she actively listened throughout our session. As much as it was a session to get to know one another, there was so much that came out of the hour. My partner and I look forward to an exciting journey ahead, with the support and guidance from Sumarie.
From the first session my Partner and I had Sumi welcomed us. Sumi always engaged, managed the session well and provided very valuable insight as to where we had challenges etc. She took the time to explain when we had questions and often provided more info. My Partner and I look forward to our sessions with Sumi!!
Sumarie is a fantastic counsellor who is very patient and friendly. She explains everything clearly and brings good insight into problems. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who wants couples counselling. Every session is helpful and you get a new perspective on the situation.
The days
Four days that look like this
Experience South Africa’s wildlife.
Your own tented chalet — private and separate from the rest.
Fully catered, for the whole retreat — you'll be well fed.
The waterhole at dusk, and the pool whenever you want it.
A couples massage in the privacy of your own room — just the two of you, and time to unwind.
A private, romantic picnic for two.
Turndown, done properly.
It doesn't stop when you leave
Your Personalised Couples Growth Plan
Compiled after the retreat, from everything I've learned about you. It's a blueprint for continuing the work you started here — not a certificate, a working document.
- An individual analysis for each of you
- An analysis of you as a couple
- Your conflict styles, and how they interact
- Your attachment styles, and what that means in practice
- The specific pitfalls to watch for in your relationship
- Your growth areas, named clearly
- Exercises chosen for where you are
- The conversations worth returning to
And the door stays open — if you'd like to keep going, additional sessions are available at a preferential rate for retreat couples.
What's included
What R25 000 covers
Most retreats hand every couple the same programme. This one doesn't.
Investment
R25 000 per couple, everything above included
Securing your place
A 50% deposit (R12 500) confirms your booking. The balance is due by 15 January 2027.
Medical aid
A portion of the counselling may be reimbursable. This depends entirely on your plan type, your available benefits, and your remaining funds. Some couples recover part of the counselling fee; some recover nothing — it is not guaranteed and should not be assumed when you budget. If your medical aid does reimburse the full R3,500 counselling component, your effective out-of-pocket cost is R21,500. I issue a practice invoice after the retreat that you submit yourself.
Cancellation
The deposit is non-refundable — your place is held exclusively and cannot be resold at short notice. Cancellations 30 days or less before arrival are subject to a 100% cancellation fee, in line with the lodge's own terms.
Transfers
If your circumstances change, you're welcome to transfer your booking to another couple at no cost, provided you let us know before the balance due date.
On your own time
Optional add-ons
Your days between sessions are your own. These can be arranged and settled directly with the lodge.
Game drive on Guernsey Private Nature Reserve
1½–2 hrs
Guided bush walk
1½–2 hrs
Sundowner / night drive on Guernsey
1½–2 hrs
Extend your stay
Bed, breakfast and dinner included
With twelve of us, several activities and transfers drop to the lodge's group rate — let us know what you'd like when you complete your questionnaire and we'll book them together so everyone pays less.
Travel
Getting there
Ngama sits in the Guernsey Private Nature Reserve, about 23km south of Hoedspruit on the R40.
Coming up the R40 from Nelspruit you reach the Guernsey turn-off before Hoedspruit, so that route is shorter than the town distance suggests. From Gauteng you come through Hoedspruit and turn back south.
The last stretch is gravel — a normal sedan manages it, but a higher-clearance vehicle is more comfortable.
Flying in: Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport is about 40 minutes away. A once-off conservation fee of R165 per vehicle is payable at the reserve gate on arrival.
February in the Lowveld runs 23–35°C. It's a low-risk malaria area — worth a conversation with your doctor about whether you want precautions.
You'll receive full arrival details and your itinerary before you travel.
Everything you share is confidential. Your questionnaire and session notes are seen only by Sumarie, as a registered counsellor, and held under the same confidentiality that applies in a regular consulting room. Records are never shared with the lodge, with other couples, or with anyone else without your written consent.
Read the full privacy policyQuestions? Talk to me directly
I'm Sumarie, and I'm the person who'll answer
Not an assistant, not a booking desk. Message me on WhatsApp, or jump on a free 30-minute call to work out whether this retreat is genuinely the right fit for you and your partner.
Bookings close 15 January 2027, or when all 6 places are taken
Good to know
Questions
This retreat is built for couples preparing for marriage, but many of its conversations matter just as much early in a marriage. If you're newly married, get in touch and we'll talk through whether it's the right fit.
