Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
Answered briefly and clearly

Safety Retreat was developed by a team that combines medical experience and personal concern:

• Doc Jay has over 25 years of medical experience .

• Rolf , alternative practitioner, knows the challenges from the perspective of relatives.

• Since Doc Jay herself suffered from ME/CFS (Bellscore 10) and long COVID from 2020 to 2022, she can clearly relate to the experiences of many participants. For those affected, this means feeling understood without having to explain everything.

• Different perspectives combined: medical background knowledge, personal experience and coaching methods come together

• Practice-oriented structure: 24 video lessons, a detailed workbook and a clear didactic structure

• Instead of a flood of information on social media, you get a common thread – the many pieces of the puzzle are put into a comprehensible order.

• We combine approaches from neuroregulation with current scientific concepts such as mitochondrial research – presented in an understandable way.

• Optional: Live subscription and the possibility for individual coaching

The program is deliberately designed so that you can implement the content in small steps . The goal is to create clarity and structure – especially if you've already gathered a lot of information and want a clear path.

Safety Retreat combines medically sound background knowledge with personal experience and modern neuroscientific concepts – making them understandable and usable for everyday use.

You'll gain a structured approach to physical connections—from the nervous system and cellular processes to aspects such as stimulus processing and recovery. This includes insights from Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory and the concept of the Cell Danger Response developed by Prof. Robert Naviaux.

The program is complemented by prompts and reflection exercises based on the principles of neuroplasticity, psychoneuroimmunology, and self-awareness. This provides guidance and suggestions on how to gradually deepen your understanding of your body and strengthen your self-regulation.

Important: Safety Retreat is a self-help program. It is not a substitute for medical treatment or diagnosis and is aimed at people who desire more knowledge, structure, and support in dealing with chronic stress.

The Safety Retreat is aimed at people who suffer from persistent physical stress symptoms or regulatory disorders – for example, in connection with Long COVID (post-COVID condition), ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and post-viral exhaustion.

Also for symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, muscle and nerve pain, tinnitus, POTS, MCAS, MCS or electromagnetic sensitivity.

Relatives of people with Long COVID or ME/CFS can participate if they want to better understand the disease and support those affected in their daily lives.

For clarity, we use colloquial terms like "CFS" and "Long COVID" in the program. ME/CFS stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). "Long COVID" refers to the official post-COVID state.

Prerequisite for participation is that the symptoms have been medically evaluated beforehand and that there is no acute or untreated underlying condition. The program is not designed as medical treatment, but rather as structured self-help. Safety Retreat is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or therapy. In cases of persistent, newly emerging, or unclear symptoms, we recommend seeking medical evaluation before participation.

Many affected individuals report that although they have already gathered a wealth of information, they lack a clear guiding thread. At the same time, questions often remain unanswered or topics are only touched upon superficially. Our program aims to provide guidance in this regard: It conveys neurobiological connections – down to the cellular level – in a format that is understandable for laypeople.

The aim is to enable a better understanding of such connections so that the content and exercises taught can be built on a clear foundation.

The Safety Retreat is for you if you are open to learning new things and taking small steps at your own pace.

Maybe it is not yet the right moment when

• you just can't believe that change is possible, even though we can understand this attitude,

• you are convinced that progress is possible for others, but not for you – this can make it difficult to commit to the process,

• you are not ready to gently question your own habits or perspectives. Our approach invites you to explore old thought and reaction patterns and, if appropriate, change them.

• You want an immediate solution without getting involved yourself. Our suggestions can be implemented even with limited resilience, but they require your active participation. Progress is individual and not always straightforward.

If any of these points apply to you, it might not be the right time yet—and that's perfectly fine. We'll be here when you're ready.

If you're ready, we'll give you plenty of inspiration, tools, and a clear structure—only you can implement it. We'll guide you step by step, while you go at your own pace.

If you're currently feeling particularly exhausted or stressed, you can progress through the program in small steps—as suits you best. Many participants initially focus on the short summaries at the end of the videos or on key points from the workbook.

You can also use the content as audio only, or get support from another person if needed. The program is designed for multiple use—with each repetition, new perspectives open up and the content becomes even more deeply ingrained.

Implementing these impulses is entirely up to you. You decide what works for you, which small steps are possible at the moment, and at what pace you proceed. There is no right or wrong—only your own path counts.

Our goal is to offer you a safe environment in which you can better observe yourself and take your first steps toward greater self-regulation – even if your energy is currently limited.

Note: This program is not a substitute for medical or therapeutic treatment. Please consult a doctor before starting any persistent or unclear symptoms.

Every development is different – even in situations of chronic stress.

If you have been living with symptoms or stress reactions for a long time, you often have a lot of experiential knowledge that can help you classify new impulses and make them useful for you.

It's not the duration alone that determines how well you can implement content for yourself. What's much more important is your current state, your personal path—and whether you're open to integrating new perspectives into your everyday life.

Important: This program is not a medical or therapeutic option. Please consult your doctor beforehand if you have persistent or unclear symptoms.

Everyone brings something different—different experiences, symptoms, and prerequisites. Over the course of the program, you'll have the opportunity to delve deeper into your body, your stress patterns, and your reactions.

You'll receive inspiration that can help you better understand physical processes —for example, with regard to stress regulation, stimulus processing, or energy management . You decide for yourself what you want to try and integrate into your daily life.

During the program, some participants gradually develop a different perspective on symptoms and stress patterns. Whether and when you notice this change depends entirely on your individual circumstances. Your path determines the pace—the program can support you.

Important: Safety Retreat is a self-help program designed to improve your health literacy. It is not a substitute for medical or therapeutic treatment. In cases of persistent or unclear symptoms, we recommend seeking medical advice.

Safety Retreat does not provide individual therapy or product recommendations. In some lessons, you will find clearly presented information about micronutrients , metabolic processes, and other supportive measures—based on publicly available, scientifically sound sources.

The program also includes a phase-specific concept that explains how the need for certain micronutrients can change during different exercise phases . This content is intended solely as a general guide and does not replace medical advice.

Whether and to what extent you implement something from this for yourself is up to you and your own responsibility.

If you have any questions about dietary supplements, medications, or therapeutic measures, please consult a healthcare professional.

Our live calls aren't about analyzing symptoms in detail or focusing on them indefinitely. We want to avoid you focusing too much on stress during the conversation – without ignoring your own experiences.

Instead, we focus on how you deal with everyday challenges: how you can sharpen your perception, recognize patterns, and expand your scope for action. The focus is on self-observation, self-regulation, and everyday stimuli – always at your own pace and without pressure.

Important: The calls are not a medical or therapeutic exchange and do not replace professional advice.

ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is considered a complex chronic syndrome. Typical symptoms include persistent fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), unrefreshing sleep, cognitive impairment, and orthostatic intolerance, which persist for at least six months.

In medical practice, the diagnosis is usually made by exclusion – based on internationally recognized criteria, such as the Canadian consensus criteria or the IOM definition.

Important: The diagnosis of ME/CFS should be left to qualified medical professionals. Our program content is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical evaluation or treatment.

In medical terms, a distinction is made: Long COVID describes symptoms that persist for more than four weeks after infection. Post-COVID syndrome is generally referred to when symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by other illnesses.

For the sake of simplicity, we use both terms together in some places in our program – in the awareness that they are medically defined conditions.

Our content is intended as general self-help for persistent exhaustion or stress symptoms following infections. It is not a substitute for medical evaluation or individual diagnostics.