About the Collective
“I didn’t create the Compassion Collective just to host pretty events.
I created it to provide healing experiences for successful, brilliant Black and Brown women who were silently struggling under the weight of all they carried.
A place for women like me.”
Born from Esther Boykin’s two decades of clinical work with high-achieving Black women, the Compassion Collective exists to create culturally rooted, luxuriously restorative wellness spaces where women of color can set down their armor, rediscover joy, and return home to themselves.
Blending clinical insight, communal care, and experiential luxury, we offer more than retreats; we offer sanctuary. A place to discover a new way of being that carries you forward long after you leave.
Our signature retreats anchor the Compassion Collective's mission, while our virtual gatherings, Salons, and Soft Life Suppers provide access to curated wellness experiences throughout the year in a variety of formats.
Whether you gather with us for intimate, thoughtfully curated conversations at The Salon, or savor sumptuous flavors alongside authentic sister-talk at a Soft Life Supper, every Compassion Collective offering is a preview of our retreat ethos: radical self-compassion paired with rich communal care.
Scroll down to learn more about our offerings…
SOFT LIFE SUPPERS
Luxury you can taste; sisterhood you can feel.
Intimate dinners that weave nourishment, joy, and intentional conversation into an evening of community care. Designed to mirror the retreat experience, these suppers are a preview for those curious about our work, and a homecoming for those already part of the Collective.
With candlelight, good wine, laughter, and honesty, these evenings reflect the heart of the Compassion Collective: luxury as a path to healing, and connection as a way back to self.
THE SALONS
Intimate conversations for expansive living.
Curated in-person gatherings that blend intellectual exchange, emotional depth, and communal care. Designed to spark insight and foster meaningful dialogue. Inspired by the intellectual salons of Harlem and Paris and the conversations found in Black hair across the globe, these are spaces to think, feel, and expand in good company.
Offered in-person in DC and other select cities, each themed Salon is a unique opportunity to experience the depth and intimacy of the Compassion Collective in an accessible, community-focused format.
“What differentiates the Compassion Collective is the continued support.
Knowing I have a supportive community and ongoing resources inspires me to dive deeper and commit more fully to my growth.”
VIRTUAL GATHERINGS
Where shared insight becomes daily practice
Engaging virtual sessions designed to keep you connected to yourself and the Compassion Collective community between in-person gatherings. These guided conversations and practices offer a chance to pause, reflect, and integrate our core frameworks- no matter where you are.
Offered monthly, this is how we turn episodic self-care into intentional self-compassion and consistent self-devotion.
RETREATS
Culturally rooted; luxuriously restorative respite.
Our flagship offering, retreats are multi-day immersive experiences that blend restoration, cultural attunement, and transformation. Never more than 8 women for true intimacy and a personalized approach.
This is where deep work happens.
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There were three big reasons. First, I wanted to create a space that allowed me to reach people in a more expansive way than just one-on-one sessions.
Second, I kept seeing the same pattern in my clients: Black women, especially the high-achieving ones, were hitting major career milestones… and feeling lonelier, more depleted, less seen. They’d done all the “right things” - therapy, coaching, personal development- and still something was missing.
And lastly, I saw a need for community. I would finish one session and think, “If only I could connect this woman to the one I just talked to.” The Compassion Collective was born from my longing to curate a space that could hold both success and softness, both healing and joy for the women who rarely get that.
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Compassion Collective is intentionally designed to center and celebrate the lived experiences of Black women and women of color, offering a space where you can fully be yourself without explanation or performance. That said, if our mission resonates deeply with you, you're welcome to apply and attend regardless of race.
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This was literally designed for women who’ve done all the things- and still felt like it wasn’t enough. The women who join the Compassion Collective are not new to self-help. They are women who are ready for more. Our programs are created for women who already have deep self-awareness and need a transformative space that goes beyond strategies and techniques. A place to build community and truly experience care.
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That’s completely understandable, and you won't have to if you don’t want to. Compassion Collective is about honoring exactly who you are. There's no expectation for you to perform vulnerability or emotion. Many women are surprised to find that trust naturally emerges in a group that truly “gets it,” but your experience and boundaries are always respected first.
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With over 20 years as a licensed therapist, I carefully curate experiences that balance deep emotional safety with meaningful connection. You'll be gently supported through complex emotions while learning practical ways to integrate these insights into your daily life, making this more than just a retreat, it's a lasting transformation.
Some frequently asked questions…
