Caledon teacher to hold EmPowerHer women’s retreat

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Natalie Masucci is the founder of Empowered Life Coaching Foundation, but many may recognize her from her 35 years of teaching at St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary School here in Bolton.

Over her three decades of teaching in Ontario, Masucci witnessed the impact of the pandemic on mental health and overall well-being, and wanted to do something about it.

Masucci wanted to help not just her students but everyone, and so she went back to school and got a degree in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

“There was so much fear and anxiety and then when the students came back, even after COVID, then there were all kinds of other issues and even not just for the kids but the parents, the teachers, none of us were exempt from it,” says Masucci. 

She adds that she not only wanted to give back, but so many people were coming to her for counselling that she felt coaching was the right next step for her, moving from helping her students to also helping adults.

She founded Empowered Life Coaching Foundation three years ago, a non-profit organization that offers life coaching to individuals seeking empowerment, regardless of their financial circumstances.

“My heart has always been that if someone can't afford to help, I want them to still be able to get the best help possible,” says Masucci. “That's why we're a registered charity. We offer subsidized life coaching for qualifying clients…I thought it was a win-win where I could help people who really wanted it but couldn't afford it.”

Aside from her one-on-ones and programs, Masucci offers women's retreats through her foundation.

2026 will be the third year consecutive year she's offered the program.

This year's retreat, titled EmPowerHer 2026 Women's Retreat, is a space for women to invest in themselves for the day.

Masucci adds it's a day of self-love, self-care, and empowerment.

This year's retreat will feature coaching sessions, healthy meals, forest walks and a meditation circle, an equine therapy session, and stretching and strengthening under the trees.

“It's also about alignment and clarity and vision and just really tuning in,” explains Masucci.

She also invites other professionals to her retreats, such as physiotherapists and chiropractors.

The retreat will be held at Sherwood Farm Retreat on June 6 and October 3, 2026, dates chosen specifically to ensure equine therapy would be possible.

She shares that equine therapy has been extremely popular at her recent retreats and remains one of the attendees' favourite parts.

“Horses have this way of seeing you and being able to see right into your soul, it's so powerful,” says Masucci.

Holding the retreat on Sherwood Farms' 70 acres, Masucci says, allows for many different places to create moments for each and every person.

She aims to keep her numbers low for the retreats, ensuring she can connect and touch base with every woman throughout the day, creating a positive and safe space.

From past retreats, she says many leave at the end of the day with a brand new group of friends.

She encourages every woman to consider investing the time in themselves, and sign up for the day.

“Especially women we don't take as good care of ourselves as we should, we put everyone before ourselves, we're always last and this is just one day to get away and say, ‘I'm just going to recharge my battery, I'm going to spend a day with other women,'” says Masucci. “We'll go through these beautiful things like gratitude and meditation, just to help them with their clarity and their alignment, they leave empowered.”