Recovering from Chronic Fatigue & Burnout | Scott Richards
Silver Hills Guest Lecture Series
Recovering from Chronic Fatigue & Burnout
A weekend with Scott Richards — who went from healthy to bedridden in 2013, found his way back, and has been fully well for over a decade. Three lecture sessions for anyone navigating chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, burnout, or the long road of an illness no one can name.
All-inclusive — meals, three sessions, accommodation & amenities
From $449 CAD / person (double) | $549 CAD (single)
If you've been there, you already know.
The exhaustion that doesn’t lift no matter how much you rest. The labels that pile up — chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, POTS, adrenal fatigue, chronic Lyme — without ever turning into a real direction forward. The frustration of being told “everything looks normal” when nothing feels normal.
These are some of the hardest illnesses modern medicine struggles to name, let alone treat. People often spend years collecting diagnoses without ever being handed a map.
Scott Richards has been there. In 2013, he went from healthy to housebound in a single month. What he discovered over the next year was a path back. He’s been fully well — without a single relapse — since 2014.
Over a weekend at Silver Hills, he’ll share what he learned.
Three sessions. A weekend together. A direction forward.
Friday Evening · Aug 14
Understanding Chronic Illness
Why these conditions are so difficult to diagnose, what they have in common, and why the standard medical pathway leaves so many people stranded.
Saturday Evening · Aug 15
A Story of Recovery
Scott’s own journey: how he got sick, what he tried, what didn’t work, what eventually did — and what he learned about the body in the process.
Sunday Morning · Aug 16
The Path Forward
The challenges of recovery, and the resources Scott has spent a decade compiling — the people, programs, and frameworks that have helped thousands of others walk back to wellness. Followed by lunch together before you head home.
A direction — not just information
You won’t leave with another stack of articles to read. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of what these conditions actually are, what recovery looks like, and what step is next for you.
Years of curated resources
The people, programs, and frameworks Scott wishes someone had handed him on day one. Years of research, distilled into the resources that have actually helped others recover.
Hope grounded in real recovery
Not the hollow kind. The kind that comes from sitting in a room with someone who’s been where you are — and is now, demonstrably, on the other side.
Everything is taken care of. Including you.
Your Weekend Guide
Scott Richards
Scott Richards spent most of his career as a high school administrator. In 2013, chronic illness brought it all to a stop. He went from fully healthy to bedridden in the space of a month — eventually diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, with a prognosis so poor he assumed he would be sick for the rest of his life.
Drawing on a background in health education and a refusal to accept that diagnosis as final, he spent the next year researching the work of people who had recovered from the same condition. He found a path. He walked it. He has been fully well, without a single relapse since 2014.
Scott is not a doctor and doesn’t pretend to be. What he brings is something harder to find: a recovered patient’s understanding of what this journey actually looks like from the inside, and a curated set of resources he wishes someone had handed him at the start. He believes everyone can heal, and he has spent more than a decade pointing people toward the answers that helped him.
What Makes Silver Hills Different
Come as a guest. Leave as family.
If you’ve spent years being told everything looks normal when nothing feels normal, Silver Hills will feel different from the moment you arrive. Our staff takes the time to listen,actually listen to understand what you need, and to adapt your experience accordingly. Helpful conversations. Thoughtful adjustments. The kind of attention that guests say they haven’t experienced anywhere else.
This is what 40 years of caring for people looks like. Since 1984, when Phil and Eileen Brewer moved out of their own bedroom to welcome their first guest, Silver Hills has been a place where strangers arrive and family leaves. Where healing happens not just through food and education, but through genuine human connection.
A note from Scott
The worst experience I have had in my life is when I was deathly Ill and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. Multiple doctors told me that there was nothing wrong with me or that I was depressed or even worse that it was just in my head.
My health got so bad that I couldn’t even travel to get further evaluations by medical specialists so I laid at home feeling like no one understood and there was no way to get help. That feeling of helplessness and isolation with no path forward made me commit to doing whatever I could to help others if I ever found a way out of that pit.
Thankfully I did find my way out and I’m honoured to share what I’ve learned with whoever will listen. I have since discover many others who have recovered from Chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Multiple chemical sensitivities, Long covid and more.
I'm not a doctor but I understand what the problem is and what to do about it. Although every person walks a slightly different path there is a common thread that runs through every recovery and that is what I would like to share along with some resources that I wish I had had when I was sick.
That's what I'm bringing to Silver Hills this August. Three sessions to walk you through what I learned, what's worked, and where to go from there.
— Scott
A note from Scott
Reserve your weekend.
All-inclusive — three sessions, two nights, every meal, and full access to the centre. Bring a friend and save $100 per person.
We are fully booked for this session.
You can still register to place your name on a waiting list.
Chronic Fatigue & Burnout Weekend
If you've been waiting for a sign, this is the sign.
Three sessions. A weekend at a quiet retreat in the BC mountains. Someone who’s been where you are, sharing what helped him find the road back. If you’ve been telling yourself “someday” — what if someday was August 14th?
Our guesthouse holds 12 rooms — specialty weekends tend to fill
Questions you might have
The schedule is built with rest in mind: Friday evening session, Saturday evening session, Sunday morning session. There is plenty of open time — nap, read, sit on the deck, walk a bit, or do nothing. There’s no pressure to attend everything, and no judgment if you need to rest during a session or skip one entirely. If you can travel here, you can do this weekend at your own pace.
No. Scott is not a doctor and does not diagnose or treat anyone. What he brings is a recovered patient’s understanding of these conditions and a decade of curated resources that helped him and others. Silver Hills is a wellness retreat, not a medical facility. You’ll leave with practical knowledge and direction — not a prescription. We always encourage you to share what you learn with your own healthcare provider.
Yes — emphatically. Many people who attend a weekend like this are supporting someone they love. Understanding what these conditions actually are, how recovery works, and what real support looks like is just as valuable for the people walking alongside someone as it is for the person who’s sick. Double occupancy pricing makes it easy to come together.
You’re not alone in feeling that. Most of the people who’ll be in the room have tried more things than they can count. What Scott offers isn’t another protocol to add to the pile — it’s a way of understanding what these conditions actually are, and a curated path of resources that have worked for others when isolated treatments didn’t. Sometimes what’s been missing isn’t another thing to try. It’s a clearer map.
Our meals are gourmet plant-based, prepared by our kitchen with quality ingredients. We accommodate common dietary restrictions — gluten-free, and specific allergies with advance notice. When you register, you’ll be asked allergies, and our kitchen will do their best to work with you. Confirm your needs during registration. If your diet is too restrictive, our program may not be a good fit.
Whatever you need. The retreat is set up so you can attend as much or as little of each session as your body allows. Bring slippers, a favourite blanket, headphones, a book — whatever helps you feel settled. The guesthouse has quiet hours, the trails are gentle, and our team will do our best to make you comfortable. There’s no schedule you’re failing if you need to step out.