About Us
We believe in emotional connection, open communication, shared values, and intentional partnership.
Your Retreat Founders and Facilitators
Hi, we're Angela and Lisa.
We're a married couple, partners in life, and licensed mental health professionals who share a passion for helping couples build stronger, more intentional relationships.
Lisa Buning, M.A., Ed.S., is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Emotionally Focused Couples (EFCT) Trained Therapist who emphasizes the role of attachment in her work with clients.
Angela Koivula, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist, Financial Coach, and EFCT-trained clinician whose background includes behavioral health, trauma therapy, and burnout recovery and prevention.
Together, we've built a life grounded in many of the same principles we teach: emotional connection, open communication, shared values, and intentional partnership. We share two adult sons, a beloved dog, and a love of travel and new experiences.
Our work as clinicians, our own experience as partners, and our training in EFT inspired us to create this retreat. We’ve also spent years building solid processes around our financial goals and shared rich life and ultimately know that we are stronger together. We know that strong relationships require time, attention, and care and that stepping away from daily life can create space for meaningful connection. Our hope is that every couple leaves feeling more connected to each other and more intentional about the life they're building together.
Meet Lisa
Lisa is a couples therapist who's built her career around one simple belief: connection is everything. As co-facilitator, she brings that same warmth and community-oriented spirit to every retreat, helping couples feel closer and more understood. Outside of work, she's usually on a long walk, curled up with a book, or making time for the people—and workouts—she loves.
Meet Angela
Thoughtful, clinically trained, and endlessly curious, Angela blends her background in psychology and trauma work with a passion for helping people rewire their relationship with money. A lifelong traveler and fitness enthusiast, she designs experiences that create real, lasting change—not just a good week away.
What Sets Us Apart
Complimentary Strengths
Lisa brings a grounded expertise in couples therapy and the emotional patterns that shape relationships. Angela brings a psychological lens with a deep understanding of behavior, money, and how financial stress and structure impact connection. We come from different angles, but toward the same purpose: helping couples grow, communicate more clearly, and build relationships that feel secure and aligned. What connects us is a shared belief in people’s capacity for change and growth.
Lived Experience
As an interracial, married, queer couple managing shared finances, we’ve experienced firsthand how easily differences in saving and spending can surface in relationship. Our own work in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy has shown us that these moments are rarely just about money—they’re about deeper needs for safety, security, and connection.
Intentional Direction
We don’t arrive with fixed answers or a single path forward. Instead, we hold intentional structure that supports clarity, connection, and forward movement—guided by what is most alive and meaningful for each couple.