One Elm at Horton Bay

One Elm at Horton Bay offers an intensive healing experience that can drive personal and relational transformation. It is a place that offers true privacy for one individual, one couple or one closely related small group at a time. One Elm is a sanctuary where one can come, stay and address lingering effects of childhood, adolescent and life trauma. 

 

One Elm is tucked away on twelve wooded acres between Lakes Charlevoix and Walloon in the far northern reaches of Michigan. For many years this area has been known as a place of spiritual energy and restful grounding. It is Hemingway country. The author cherished his childhood summers fishing here and described it as one of the most beautiful and serene places on earth.

 

In 2008 One Elm founder, Arch Wright, was a die-hard 12 Stepper with over twenty years of sobriety, a former U.S. Ski Team member and financier. While successful in many ways including maintaining long-term chemical sobriety, Arch still struggled with issues involving relationships, spending and anger. After years of self-study, individual and marriage therapy, and work in several different 12 Step programs, Arch realized that his shame and fear of abandonment from early childhood and adolescence were at the root of his lingering feelings of unhappiness and futility as a husband, father, friend and colleague. As had happened with his chemical addictions years before, he had become sick and tired of being sick and tired. He was in pain. He needed more. 

 

Arch then began a sixteen-year journey on a road with many unexpected twists and turns including divorce, death of a family member, remarriage and relocation. Arch realized that finding the solution to his feelings of dissatisfaction in life would require deepening his understanding of his own unresolved childhood trauma. He pivoted sharply both personally and professionally and dreamed of launching a destination trauma-healing program. 

 

One Elm founders, Arch and his wife Julie, met in a 12 Step meeting in Park City, Utah. Both had highly achieved in their own ways at certain times in life, stumbled and nearly lost all, dug deep, let go, trusted experts and worked hard to persevere. They wanted to share what they had learned about trauma healing with others and together held the dream of a destination healing center. 

 

In Horton Bay Arch and Julie found what was to become One Elm or perhaps, One Elm found them.