As a former staff member of A Home Away Retreat Inc, I would like to share what my view is and what I witnessed at A Home Away Retreat in Kelowna BC. From what I saw, the turn over of employees at A Home Away Retreat has been and is very high for the Chef, Music Instructor, Yoga, and Massage Therapist staff. The counselling staff consists of 3 "retired" people and John Derry's wife, Jane Derry. Because of the high turnover, at times it was a crap shoot as to whether or not there would be any Yoga, Music, or Massage staff at AHA. Guests were often left hanging with little or nothing to do on the weekends. This would create stress for the guests because they were expecting a Yoga session or a Music session or a Massage. The guests often found solice and comfort in talking with the Chefs who worked at AHA. Not a day would go by without a guest complaining that "this place is nothing like I thought it would be, or this place is nothing like John makes it sound on his website, or how can there be healing here when there is so much chaos in the moods of John Derry." When the staff turn over dwindled to having no Yoga instructor, Jane Derry did "arts and crafts" with clients on Saturday's. The A Home Away Retreat website is quite misleading in terms of the claims that are made and the AHA staff listed on it is out dated.
I was employed at A Home Away Retreat Inc. My concerns about John Derry began shortly after I started at AHA. Don't forget, both John and Jane Derry are recovering addicts themselves.
1) Ask John Derry about the early days of A Home Away Retreat when he smoked cigarettes with AHA staff and guests. And I know, because I smoked with him.
2) Ask John Derry about how he would take off for days from A Home Away Retreat and leave the Chef or another AHA staff member left with the responsibilty of handling and dealing with guests.
3) Ask John Derry where he was when he would be away for days from A Home Away Retreat - ask him how many women he went through.
4) Ask John Derry about his camera with photographs of women's lower body anatomy on it. He called the photos "art." He would leave his camera in the kitchen... Was he asking for help? Why would he leave his private camera in the kitchen with such photos on it. Wonder if he was just careless or was he using?
5) Ask John Derry about the naked saunas (naked except a towel) that he had with AHA female staff on AHA premises in the house.
6) Ask John Derry how many AHA female staff members he was romantically involved with.
7) Ask him about the yelling. He yelled and yelled at kitchen staff. Working there is walking on egg shells as you never knew what mood John Derry would be in. He has a way of turning on a dime and then somehow someway he will make it look like you are in the wrong the way he manages to twist and turn things.
8) Ask him about the names he would call guests - mostly at the breakfast time. I heard the words "stupid" "idiot" and "dumb" come from his mouth when referring to a guest. I think he humilates to try to feel powerful, but, that's just my opinion.
Please consider spending your thousands of dollars ELSEWHERE.
Thank you.
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