Mindful Heart Programs is a non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara, CA, focused on making the benefits of meditation practice accessible to all.
For any special requests or changes regarding room reservations email mindfulhearts at mindfulheartprograms@gmail.com
These are challenging times. The disruption, uncertainty, fear, grief, and despair infusing our communities, our country, and the world can be overwhelming. One understandable response to this chaos and pain is to withdraw into the protective shell of our individual concerns and distractions. But many of us want to answer the call to stay engaged. This is not easy – and it can come at a cost. We may suffer from burnout despite all that we know about how essential it is to take care of ourselves. Fundamental self-care practices are simply not enough. We need “Self-Care 2.0.” We need Deep Resilience.
Basic Information
Instructors: Michael Kearney, MD; Radhule Weininger, PhD; Tom Pinkson, PhD; Nicole (Nikki) Evans, PhD; Miranda Field MFT, Andrew Smyth MFT, and Emily Benaron, MA.
Location: Sedgwick Reserve, Santa Ynez Valley, CA
Date: Friday 10/10/25 4:00pm – Sunday 10/12/25 1:00pm
10 CE Hours (For mental health practicioners)
Cost: $350 + Lodging (different options available)
The number of registrants is capped at 30. We will have a waiting list if/when we exceed the cap. For Groups: Each person must register individually. If you have a specific lodging-related request (e.g., lodging roommate, gender preference), please send it to mindfulheartprograms@gmail.com with the subject line: Sedgwick Retreat Lodging Request. Include your preferred contact information so we can follow up with you.
Thank you for considering getting your continuing education hours with us. Please reach out with any questions before registering. If you are able to submit a registration, then the event is still open. To receive CEUs for the training you must attend each day and complete a course evaluation. Sign-in and sign out sheets will be provided. CEUs are optional. The retreat is open to everyone, including those who are not therapists.
Location and Lodging
Lodging: Per person, per night fees range from $24 for camping to $48 for Ranch House lodging. Lodging will be assigned when a payment method is received. There are no single-occupancy options. Registrants may opt to commute from home or book lodging in the Santa Ynez Valley. Use the retreat registration form to denote and pay for your lodging selection.
Visit Sedgwick facility descriptions to see lodging options. (The Studio is not available.) Please plan to
bring your own pillow, sleeping bag, blankets, linens, and towels.
Camping: $24/person/night (bring your own equipment; unlimited space)
Vinyl Tent Cabins: $32/bed/night – 12 beds total, 4 beds in each cabin
Bunkhouse: $32/night (6 beds total, 2 in one room; 4 in another)
Ranch House: $48/person/night without linen/towel service
– Room 1: 2 twin beds and 1 full bed, private bathroom, private entrance (for 3 people total)
– Room 3: 2 twin beds and 1 full bed, private bathroom, and workspace (for 3 people total)
– Rooms 2 and 4 are not available.
Location: Sedgwick Reserve
The setting for this retreat is rustic and casual. The Sedgwick Reserve is a world-class research, conservation, and education facility. We are grateful to have access to this amazing resource. Retreat participants will have the opportunity to explore the reserve and participate in a solo nature quest. Visitors are asked to avoid marked areas where field research is being conducted. There may be wildlife sightings. Information will be provided to help ensure your safety while visiting the reserve.
Learning Objectives
- Identify 3 common occupational stress syndromes and articulate their distinct etiology and symptoms.
- Define ‘self care 1.0’ and ‘self care 2.0’.
- Experientially learn 4 practical methods from mindfulness practices that develop resilience.
- Practice and develop competence in 1 emotion regulation skill.
- Understand how to use sensory awareness as a tool for nature connection and self regulation.
Instructors
Michael Kearney MD
Michael Kearney has over 40 years’ experience in palliative care and has worked
with two pioneers in the field, Dame Cicely Saunders, and Professor Balfour
Mount. Since 2005 he has worked with the Palliative Care Consultation Service
at Cottage Hospital and at Serenity House Hospice, in Santa Barbara, California.
He was lead author on an article about burnout and resilience published in JAMA
in 2009 entitled, “Self-care of physicians working at the end-of-life.” He is the
author of four books, Mortally Wounded: Stories of Soul Pain, Death, and
Healing, A Place of Healing: Working with Nature and Soul at the End of Life,
The Nest in the Stream: Lessons from Nature on Being with Pain, and his most
recent book, Becoming Forest: A Story of Deep Belonging, a fable of a young
Irish woman who finds an antidote for her climate despair in the wisdom of trees.
He is currently working on a book entitled, Deep Resilience: An Effortless Path to
Staying Open-hearted, Present, and Engaged in a Wounded World. He is the
founder and director of the Becoming Forest Project, which offers deep resilience
training to individuals and groups. He is married to psychologist, meditation
teacher, and author Radhule Weininger PhD. They teach and write together and
share six adult children between them. Visit: www.michaelkearneymd.com .
Radhule Weininger Phd MD
Radhule is a clinical psychologist and teacher of Buddhist meditation and Buddhist psychology. She is the co-founder and guiding teacher of the non-profit, Mindful Heart Programs which offers a safe refuge for meditation and education programs in mindfulness, meditation, and nature connection in the Santa Barbara area. Prior to its closing, Radhule was the resident teacher of mindfulness practice at the La Casa de Maria Retreat Center in Santa Barbara, California. She is mentored by Jack Kornfield in her teaching and by Joanna Macy in her interest in Engaged Buddhism. In her Dzogchen practice, she is supported by her mentor Dan Brown, PhD
Radhule has a strong interest in the direct experience of the sacred and how this can inspire our service to others.
Radhule has a full-time psychotherapy office, in which she sees individuals and groups. Integrating psychodynamic, Jungian and Gestalt psychotherapies, she is finding innovative ways to complement Western with Buddhist psychology. For many years Radhule guides an ongoing dream group, as well as an ongoing mindfulness psychotherapy group.
Radhule teaches a variety of seminars, from half-day to weekend –to weeklong retreats, in which she makes Buddhist Mindfulness and Compassion practices relevant to 21st-century modern life concerns. Carefully, yet lightly guided meditations make mindfulness meditation accessible to all of us.
Radhule spearheaded with her husband Michael Kearney, MD the “Solidarity and Compassion Project,” whose vision is to nourish and sustain us in our attempt to support those who are left vulnerable in our society while discerning the values that we want to go forward with an attitude of integrity and caring.
Miranda Field LMFT
Miranda has been practicing psychotherapy since 1986. Her approach draws
from a background in psychodynamic and attachment orientations,
trauma-informed and somatic therapies, and mindfulness practices.
Miranda’s therapy, supervision and training work seek to create movement
towards the truest expression of our core selves. To live more fully and deeply, to
have closer, more loving relationships, and to feel resilient in the face of challenge.
In addition to private practice, Miranda has served as Clinical Director to a number
of nonprofit counseling organizations, including C.A.L.M. and NBCC.
Outside of her private practice, you are most likely to find Miranda hiking on
the trails or beaches of Santa Barbara with her dogs. Yoga, meditation, and
time in nature are core touchstones in her life.
Andrew Smyth LMFT
Andrew Smyth is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Santa Barbara, California. He specializes in helping individuals and families navigate life’s challenges with a holistic, nature-based approach that fosters healing, connection, and growth. With a trauma-informed approach he guides clients towards emotional well-being through mindfulness, nature connection, and somatic therapy.
Emily Benaron
I offer a trauma-informed blend of movement and self-exploration, weaving together traditional yoga and holistic embodiment practices with a focus on mindfulness and self-compassion. It is my deepest intention to guide students to deepen awareness and develop an empowering understanding of the inner workings of their bodies and minds, creating a vital connection to inner resources and reintegration with wholeness. Each practice offers the opportunity to open up to the expansiveness and insight of your inner world. Students are encouraged to align with their unique intentions for their health and well-being while cultivating inner resources, compassion, and gratitude.
My training as a yoga therapist helps students learn to adapt practices to their individual needs and encourages progression to mobility and strength in a safe, accepting, and kind way. I am a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), an experienced and registered yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), a continuing education provider (YACEP), a licensed massage therapist, and a certified corrective exercise specialist. I have over 20 years of experience teaching yoga and am a pre-licensed marriage and family therapist (AMFT), with extensive training in somatic interventions, including EMDR. Learn more about me at www.emilybenaron.com
Tom Pinkson PhD
FAQ
Q: Can I ride-share?
A: Yes. We can help match you up with others who will be driving to the reserve.
Q: Are there scholarships available?
A: No scholarships are available for this retreat. A percentage of donations and proceeds that may remain after paying our expenses (e.g., meeting space, meals), will be used to start a scholarship fund for future MHP events.
Q: Will there be vegetarian options at meals?
A: Meals will be served buffet-style and there will be vegetarian options. If you are vegan, allergic to dairy, nuts, or gluten, or you have other specific dietary needs, you may bring your own food and store it in the on-site kitchen. Please notify us about any allergies so we can inform our caterers and provide suitable alternatives.
Q: Will alcohol be served?
A: No. Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Q: What is the dress code?
A: Comfortable outdoor wear for fall weather, including hats and closed-toe shoes/boots. Yoga attire.
Q: What else should I plan to bring with me?
A: We will provide a list of recommended items after you have registered. You will want to plan to bring necessary personal items, such as medications and toiletries, as well as a towel and any bedding you may need, depending on where you will sleep.
Q: Can we request specific roommates?
A: Yes. We will take all requests into consideration when assigning lodging, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all of them.
Cancellation Policy for This Retreat:
Please email Rudy@psychotherapysb.com
More questions? Contact: mindfulheartprograms@gmail.com
