At Serenity Peak Retreats, we honor the timeless spiritual wisdom of the Twelve Steps—a framework that has helped millions find freedom from addiction, reconnect with their higher power, and build a new way of life rooted in purpose, humility, and grace.
While we are not a licensed treatment center or affiliated with any 12-Step fellowship, the PEAK Process at our California recovery retreat is deeply inspired by the spiritual essence of the Twelve Steps. We believe these principles offer a profound path to inner transformation—what the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous calls a “psychic change” necessary for sustained recovery.
The Twelve Steps are more than a program—they are a spiritual design for living. At Serenity Peak Retreats, our guests are invited to engage with these principles through self-inquiry, journaling, peer sharing, ritual, and guided exercises that encourage emotional honesty and a deeper connection to something greater than themselves.
The PEAK Process integrates many of the Twelve Step themes, such as:
This isn’t about rigidity. It’s about creating space for spiritual experience and emotional recovery in a supportive, non-dogmatic container.
Serenity Peak’s signature program—the PEAK Process—complements the 12-Step journey by offering a somatic, nature-based, and spiritually integrated path to self-discovery. While the Steps offer a framework, the PEAK Process at our 12-step immersion retreat deepens the work through:
Many of our guests arrive at our West Coast wellness retreat already familiar with 12-Step recovery. Others are brand new to the language of the Steps. Either way, we meet each person exactly where they are and create space for authentic exploration, without pressure or performance.
Modern neuroscience supports what recovering people have long known: the Twelve Steps change lives. According to research published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, individuals engaged in 12-step programs demonstrate increased activity in brain regions responsible for emotional regulation, empathy, and decision-making (Blum et al., 2015).
Practices like confession (Step 5), making amends (Steps 8–9), and spiritual connection (Step 11) stimulate positive neuroplastic changes—building new thought patterns, increasing self-awareness, and creating long-term behavioral shifts essential to lasting recovery.
At Serenity Peak Retreats, we recognize that the 12 Steps are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but their spiritual core resonates deeply with our mission. Guests are not required to “work the Steps,” but are offered opportunities to explore 12-Step themes in a personal, embodied, and soulful way.
We provide:
This process isn’t religious. It’s not institutional. It’s not rigid. It’s a sacred invitation to return to your truth and experience the kind of deep inner shift that makes a new way of life possible.
“The 12 steps didn’t just help me stop drinking—they gave me a framework to rebuild my life from the inside out. Watching my grandfather Frank walk this path, and then taking the same steps myself, taught me that recovery isn’t about perfection—it’s about honesty, connection, and spiritual transformation. These principles continue to shape the heart of what we offer at Serenity Peak.”
— Paul Olbrantz, Founder of Serenity Peak Retreats
If you’re in recovery and want to go deeper, or you’re just beginning your journey and feel called toward a spiritually immersive experience, Serenity Peak Retreats offers a space to explore the Twelve Steps in a new light—alongside holistic healing, nature-based practices, and a community rooted in love and transformation.
Contact us today to learn more about how the PEAK Process and Twelve Step principles come together to create a life-changing experience at our integrative recovery retreat.
Serenity Peak is a place to reconnect—with your health, your purpose, and your peace of mind. Let us welcome you home.
Serenity Peak Retreats is a peaceful spiritual sobriety immersion retreat offering support, healing, and a safe environment for lasting recovery.
