We recently connected with Liberty Henderson and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Liberty , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
For much of my life, I was searching for where I belonged and for my purpose – though I didn’t entirely realize that’s what I was doing. I spent so many years running around the globe, chasing adventure, meaning, and a sense of belonging. I worked a wide range of jobs, each one different from the last—always hoping that maybe this next thing would be “it.” From one country to another, one career to the next, I gathered stories, experiences, and skills like souvenirs, but deep down, I felt a quiet restlessness that became louder with time. I was constantly asking myself: Where do I truly fit? What am I meant to do with this one life I’ve been given? Then, one day, everything changed. I walked into a prison as a volunteer for the first time—and something inside me immediately recognized my purpose. In that unlikely setting, surrounded by people who had been written off by much of society, I saw raw courage, vulnerability, and transformation. I realized that this was the work my soul had been circling toward all along: holding space for healing, for truth-telling, and for the possibility of change.
All the wandering, all the jobs, all the restless searching—it wasn’t wasted. Every experience, every detour had been preparing me for this. I had to see the world before I could understand what really matters to me. I had to try on a hundred different versions of myself before I could meet the one who feels most aligned, most alive, and most at peace. My purpose wasn’t something I found out there—it was something that revealed itself the moment I stepped into a place where I could finally be of service in a way that felt deeply human and real.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m the founder of Far North Retreats & Events, a wellness and grief-support community that offers retreats, workshops, support groups, and advocacy training. Through this work, I strive to hold space for people navigating deep life transitions—loss, trauma, grief—and help them reconnect to their own strength, meaning, and capacity to transform. What’s special about Far North is how it blends vulnerability, nature, and community. Our retreats and workshops often take place in natural settings, where participants can step away from the noise of everyday life, slow down, and open to profound healing. In our support groups, people find a place where their stories are met with compassion rather than judgment. Our Advocacy After Homicide training program is another core part of our mission: equipping those impacted by violent loss with tools, connection, and hope to find agency in their lives again. (thefarnorthretreats.com)
The work of Far North is deeply personal to me. My brother was murdered in 1997, an event that forever changed the course of my life. His death—and the years of grief, silence, and searching that followed—ultimately led me to this path. Everything I do now is rooted in honoring his memory and in walking beside others who are navigating the unimaginable. Whether inside a prison, within a retreat circle, or in the quiet of a grief group, my purpose is to hold space for truth and transformation—for both victims and offenders, and for everyone whose life has been altered by loss.
Through Far North, my goal isn’t just to host events—it’s to nurture a living community of compassion, resilience, and possibility. I want people to know: whether you join a retreat, attend a support group, or simply find a moment of connection through our resources, you are seen, you matter, and there is room for your healing, your story, and your transformation.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I’d say the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are resilience, empathy, and the ability to hold space for others. Resilience was born out of necessity. Losing my brother to homicide shattered everything I thought I knew about the world. For years, I had to learn how to keep showing up for life, even when it didn’t make sense. That resilience became the foundation for everything that came after—it’s what allows me to walk beside others in their darkest moments without losing hope. My advice to anyone early in their journey is to let resilience be something you build slowly, not something you expect to have overnight. It grows through small acts of courage, through choosing to get up one more time than life knocks you down.
Empathy came from learning to see people beyond their circumstances—whether it’s families navigating grief or people serving time in prison. True empathy means being willing to listen without needing to fix, to understand without needing to agree. For me, it has opened doors to connection and healing I never could have imagined. To strengthen empathy, practice curiosity over judgment. Ask questions. Listen deeply. Assume there’s always more to someone’s story than what you can see.
And finally, the ability to hold space—to create an environment where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable—has been essential. It’s not something I learned in a classroom; it came from years of being present with pain, both my own and others’. Holding space is about presence, humility, and trust—it’s about believing in someone’s capacity to heal, even when they can’t see it themselves. For anyone developing this skill, start with yourself. Learn to sit with your own emotions without rushing to fix or numb them. The more compassion you extend inward, the more capacity you’ll have to extend it outward.
These three qualities have guided me not only in my work with Far North, but in life itself. They remind me that healing isn’t about having the right answers—it’s about showing up with an open heart, again and again.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes, I’m always open to meaningful collaboration—especially with people and organizations who share a commitment to healing, restoration, and community connection. Through Far North Retreats & Events, much of my work centers on grief support, trauma healing, and restorative dialogue, but we also do fun events like historical walking tours of local cemeteries. Collaboration allows us to widen the networking circle and create spaces where transformation can happen in new and unexpected ways. I’m particularly interested in partnering with wellness practitioners and restorative justice advocates who want to bring their gifts into retreat or workshop settings. I also welcome collaboration with corrections professionals, survivor advocates, and community organizations working to bridge the gap between those who have caused harm and those who have been harmed. Together, we can design experiences that honor both accountability and healing.
If you’re reading this and feel a sense of resonance with this work, I’d love to connect. You can reach out through email at [email protected]. I believe the most powerful collaborations grow out of shared intention and heart—and I’m always open to conversations that begin there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefarnorthretreats.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefarnorthretreats/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefarnorthretreats
