What we’re about
Conscious Girlfriend Academy is a global school and community for lesbians and queer women, meeting live on Zoom year-round, and hosting several in-person retreats each year. This is a place to make real friends, build community, and learn and practice skills for the healthy, happy relationship you want and deserve. (And yes, though we are not a dating site, some women do find love here, too.)
Combining cutting-edge neuroscience, relationship research and attachment theory with decades of lived lesbian/queer experience, the Academy provides a uniquely empowering dating and love education for lesbians ages 20s-80s. If you're ready to be done with heartbreak, falling for unavailable women, drama and pain, and discover the path to truly nourishing, joyful, lasting lesbian/queer love, we've got you covered.
We began with the Amazon-bestselling book, Conscious Lesbian Dating & Love, which has changed lives in 25 countries since it was published in 2015. Start reading the book free right here: https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/book
As demand grew, so did our program, becoming an online academy with weekly courses, groups and skill-building labs all year round. Communication, emotional intimacy, sexuality, compatibility, heartbreak healing, nervous system regulation, attachment, how to actually date as a woman-loving-woman of any age -- you can learn it all here, in programs designed to meet the unique needs of our community.
Lesbian relationships can be the best relationships on the planet -- but they can also be train wrecks, if you don't have the skills to both choose the right partner, and be the right partner. Here you'll get the clarity, confidence, mentorship and support to find and create the love of your dreams. While members often say they wish they'd found us years or decades ago, it is truly never too late.
Hear from some of our members:
“Now, from the Academy, I have a roadmap available to me to start me on the process of consciously dating, weeding out based on red flags and non-negotiables…. I have a toolbox to help me ascertain if someone is going to be a good fit… I have a boatload of new, conscious friends …I am more comfortable and confident being in the world.” – Marge, U.S.
“I am just so grateful for your teaching and guidance in getting through all the complexities of our triggers, trauma, longings for connection and the things that get in the way. Looking so forward to ongoing learning with you!" – JW, Canada
“In November 2018, I finished your 12-week Roadmap class. Prior to that I had been trying unsuccessfully to date for years, with over 100 first dates that never went anywhere. Your class made the difference. Six days later, I met Marci on a dating site. We dated for 15 months, then married. We’re an incredible match in so many ways that we can’t believe it ourselves… She is 68 and I just turned 71.” – Diana, U.S.
"I have found this class to be transformative. Can’t think of a better word to describe what I have experienced. I am definitely not the same woman who signed up for this three months ago!" – D., Australia
Check out our upcoming schedule of events here: https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/schedule
Learn more about our program here: https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/program
Read some of our happy love stories here: https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/lesbian-love-stories
Learn about our Conscious Lesbians 60+ group here: https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/lesbians-over-60-support-group
Learn about our support for Later In Life Lesbians here: https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/coming-out-support-group
Check out our next live retreat here:
https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/lesbian-retreat
Prefer 1:1 support? See our Conscious Girlfriend Academy Certified Coaches here.
https://www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com/coaches
Take a chance, check us out, change your life. Your lesbian/queer heart is worth it.
We are trans-affirming, diversity-celebrating, and provide scholarships where needed.
Upcoming events
2
- Network event
Lesbian Learning & Friend-Making Four-Night Florida Retreat
Location not specified yet4 attendees from 26 groupsWhat would it be like...
...To spend four nights and five days in a peaceful place on a river, surrounded by thoughtful lesbians who are curious about themselves and about you, building real community and friendships in a safe, supportive environment?
To feel accepted exactly as you are, whether you're in your 30s or your 80s, or anywhere in between... whether you've been out for decades, or are just coming out now... and have fun, go deep, and gain skills for your life as a woman or non-binary person who loves women?
Dancing. Walking. Swimming. Sun-bathing. Canoeing. Playing conversation games that help you really get to know people. And attending what some members have called "lesbian university," with classes that help you make lasting changes to create the dating and love life you really want.
For many lesbians, a retreat like this one is a dream come true, a chance to break out of isolation and make connections that will last for the rest of your life.
Here's what a few recent participants have said.
Our March 2026 retreat sold out so fast that we added this January retreat, and we're making it available to women* new to Conscious Girlfriend Academy, as well as existing members. (All of our work is open to all self-identified women and adjacent non-binary people who love women, or want to. Late-in-lifers are warmly welcome!)
For more info or to sign up, visit our retreat page here.
The Academy is a truly unique LGBTQ space, both online and offline. In a world that sometimes seems to have gone mad, full of disconnection and dysfunction, we create an oasis in our own lives and for the lesbian/queer community. We're the authors of the Amazon bestselling book Conscious Lesbian Dating & Love (start reading the book for free right here) and have changed lives in 25 countries.
Academy work is based on cutting-edge neuroscience and attachment research, combined with decades of real-life lesbian and queer hard experience. Our teachers and coaches have been through many trainings, including the "school of hard knocks," and we're dedicated to making YOUR journey easier.
Together, we shift isolation... into connection.
We transmute heartbreak... into healing and empowerment.
We help lesbians and queer women create the friendships and love we've always wanted.
And in the process, we make life better for all of us :)
Learn more at www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com -- and visit soon if you can, because annual memberships are on sale for 20% off through December 1.
Wondering if we're the right fit for you? Visit our retreat page to learn how to schedule a free 1:1 chat with our outreach director so you can get better-acquainted with our program. Do it today, and tomorrow you'll be glad you did :) - Network event
Conscious Lesbian/Queer Retreat In The Sunshine, March 2026
Dayspring Retreat Center, 8411 25th St E, Parrish, FL, US28 attendees from 26 groupsOpen-Hearted. Growthful. Fun. Friendship-Making.
Welcoming all women-loving-women and adjacent non-binary people.
Tampa Bay Area, Florida
March 8-12, 2026
Conscious Girlfriend Academy Retreats are for our members only. Learn more about the retreat, and about becoming a member, here.
FAQs About Conscious Girlfriend Academy Retreats
Q: What are Conscious Girlfriend Academy's lesbian retreats like?
Conscious Girlfriend Academy is the leading global online community and learning hub for growth-oriented lesbians, queer women and adjacent non-binary people. Our retreats are focused on heart connections and learning. These multi-day events invite you to:
- Connect with approximately 60 lesbians and queer women in open-hearted ways
- Experience a non-hookup, community-focused environment
- Explore workshops and conversations that support personal growth and authentic connection
For some, CGA retreats are their first time in a group of lesbians. It's a safe, welcoming space to step into community. For others, CGA retreats rekindle the joyful spirit of past decades of lesbian gatherings.
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Q: What is the setting of this retreat?
Dayspring is a warmly welcoming 97-acre retreat center on the Manatee River, with kayaks, trails, gardens, wetlands, a labyrinth, great food and cozy retreat lodging. It's about 45 minutes from the Tampa International Airport. Temperatures in March should be in the mid-70s to low 80s during the day, and low 60s at night.
Q: Who are Conscious Girlfriend Academy retreats for?
CGA retreats are especially for single lesbians and queer women seeking community and friendship, though couples are warmly welcome, too. Each retreat brings together approximately 60 attendees.
- Most attendees are ages 30s-80s.
- Women who are just coming out, are bisexual or are exploring their queer identity are embraced here.
- Longtime lesbians looking to reconnect with lesbian culture and community will feel like ducks in water :)
It’s the perfect space if you’ve been longing for meaningful connection without the pressure of a bar or dating scene and if you are a growth-oriented woman-loving-woman who wants to hang out with and/or date people committed to conscious, healthy relationships.
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Q: What can I expect to experience at the retreat?
At our Conscious Girlfriend Academy retreats, you can look forward to:
- Workshops for self-discovery and personal growth
- Morning meditation or mindful walks
- Structured opportunities to make new friends and go deep
- Evening gatherings that foster joy and belonging, including campfires and maybe even s'mores (gluten-free for some of us)
- Fantastic meals
- Time to relax, reflect, and recharge in warm-hearted company, welcoming to introverts, extroverts and everyone in between
Many participants say the true magic is in the friendships and confidence they take home with them. And yes, some conscious romances have begun at our past retreats, too :)
Learn more about the retreat and membership at www.consciousgirlfriendacademy.com
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Q: I’m just coming out. Will I fit in?
Absolutely! This retreat is crafted for inclusivity and comfort, offering a gentle landing for those:
- Newly coming out
- Exploring their lesbian or queer identity
- Seeking their first connection with lesbian community
You’ll be surrounded by growth-oriented, open-hearted women who will support, uplift, and welcome you exactly as you are.
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Q: What makes this lesbian retreat unique?
Unlike a larger event or party-focused weekends, Conscious Girlfriend Academy retreats offer:
- A non-intimidating, community-first atmosphere
- Workshops and activities that prioritize self-acceptance, learning, and authentic connection
- Opportunities to bond with other single lesbians without the pressure of a hookup or dating-focused event
- An opportunity to meet in person with your past, present or future classmates in the Conscious Girlfriend Academy, the world's only online school and community devoted to helping lesbians and adjacent queer people live our best lives, date wisely and love well.
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Q: Why do you have to be an Academy member in order to attend?
- Academy membership creates a culture based on being conscious, compassionate and curious, and this container transfers over to our retreats, making them both richer and more relaxed. When you're at a Conscious Girlfriend event, you can expect genuine warmth, not a frenzied focus on "meeting someone." You will definitely "meet someone" -- lots of someones! That said, all of our retreats yield friendships, and some of those, in the fullness of time, also turn into romantic relationships.
- Most Academy members find that the Academy dramatically uplevels their capacity for higher-quality, authentic friendship and relationships. So it's a special perk to be able to spend F2F time with those women you've previously seen in the Zoom squares, and see what blossoms.
- Learn more about the retreat and membership here.
1 attendee from this group
Past events
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