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March 7th – March 14th, 2025
We are thrilled to invite mental health providers of all specialties and backgrounds to our exclusive destination CE retreat in breathtaking Bali, Indonesia. This unique retreat not only offers the chance to earn valuable continuing education credits but also provides an unparalleled opportunity to rejuvenate and practice self-care in a serene and inspiring environment.
Join us for a transformative experience that will enrich both your professional and personal well-being. Incredible Speakers, Including internationally Know Dr. Sandra Paulsen as Keynote Speaker.
The Ayung Resort Ubud is a unique, luxurious blend of natural surroundings, an eclectic art collection and traditional Balinese hospitality excellence, nestled in the lush tropical rain forest along the banks of the Ayung River – Bali’s most sacred and important waterway. We are thrilled to invite mental health providers of all specialties and backgrounds to our exclusive destination CE retreat in breathtaking Bali, Indonesia. This unique retreat offers the chance to earn valuable continuing education credits and an unparalleled opportunity to rejuvenate and practice self-care in a serene and inspiring environment. Join us for a transformative experience that will enrich both your professional and personal well-being.
$2,500 USD for shared/double room (shared with another CE attendee)
$3.250 USD for a single/private room
Non-Attending CE guest Cost $1,750 USD (private room would need to be booked for this option)
$500 USD Deposit is non-refundable. 50% Refund if Canceled 60+ days before Start of Retreat, 25% Refund if Canceled 30+ days before start of Retreat. No refund if canceled 29 days or less before the retreat. Option to re-schedule your attendance may be provided and considered if balance has been paid in full. If the program must be canceled on the part of Wellness Counseling Inc. for unforeseen reasons, a full refund will be issued. In this case, Wellness Counseling Inc. holds no financial responsibility for changes to airfare and other miscellaneous charges.
Early registration Discount $200 ending date:
October 7th 2024
All the retreats offer $100 discount for this that identify as being from a marginalized group, are students, interns, or unlicensed therapists/associates or working in community mental health.
Arilda Surridge, MA, LMFT (Host/Event Organizer/Speaker/Presenter): is a Hispanic-Bilingual mental health professional with extensive experience and specializations. She is a Certified EMDR Therapist, an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Advanced Credit Provider. Arilda also finds great value in Co-Facilitating EMDR Basic Trainings. Additionally, Arilda is an approved Clinical Supervisor, a trainer and continuing education provider, and a Level 3 trained therapist in Gottman Couples Therapy. Arilda’s expertise encompasses a broad range of mental health issues, with a particular focus on trauma, anxiety, depression, and couples therapy. She brings a specialized understanding to her work with early trauma, complex PTSD, and recent and ongoing traumatic stress. Her skills extend to addressing trauma and treating affairs within couples, as well as providing therapy for other mental health providers. Arilda, is also skilled in creating therapy intensives/retreats for clients to incorporate an integrative/holistic approach to their treatment. Additionally, Arilda has organized local and destination Wellness Retreats for Couples, Individuals, and mental health professionals, promoting the importance of integrative care.
Sandra Paulsen, Ph.D. (Keynote Speaker), is an international instructor, author, and illustrator known for her work with EMDR in complex trauma, including structural and somatic dissociation, and trauma held in implicit memory. She pioneered the protocol for using EMDR with highly dissociative individuals, emphasizing the importance of screening for dissociation before administering EMDR. Since 1993, Sandra has trained thousands of mental health professionals in these specialized procedures. Her recent work includes “The Beauty and Burden of Autism: An Illustrated Guide and Workbook” (2024) and the upcoming “Indigenous Trauma and Dissociation: Healers, Psychotherapies, and the Drum.” She coedited “The Neurobiology and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation: Toward an Embodied Self” and authored several guides, including “Looking Through the Eyes of Trauma” and “When There Are No Words.” Sandra is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. She resides in a log house on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington, where she conducts intensive three-day treatments. More information can be found on her website: www.paulsenpsychology.com.
LaReesa Hooper, LMFT, LADC (Speaker/Presenter): is the founder of Therapeace Counseling in St. Paul, MN.
She graduated from Adler Graduate School in 2014 with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy and holds a certificate in Co-occurring Disorders. LaReesa has extensive experience working in community mental health, county mental health, and school-based mental health services, with a focus on serving BIPOC and underserved communities.
In addition to running her practice, LaReesa carries a small caseload, providing personalized care to her clients. She has a particular special interest and specialized training in narcissism and narcissistic abuse, trauma, and chemical dependency. As an advocate for mental health awareness, LaReesa is a guest speaker on various programs, including podcasts and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). Her diverse background and dedicated approach make her a compassionate and knowledgeable therapist committed to supporting her clients’ mental health and well-being.
Shanelle Wenell, LMFT (Speaker/Presenter): has been working as a mental health provider since 2015 but in the field of mental health since 2002. She graduated from Adler Graduate School in 2015 and is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. Shanelle’s love for animals brought her into an unconventional path into the field of therapy through Equine Assisted Psychotherapy working with first responders, veterans, and homeless youth. Since then, Shanelle has taken a profound commitment to helping BIPOC individuals and families navigate the aftermath of complex trauma. With a specialized focus on supporting victims and their families affected by gun violence and fatality, domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, sex trafficking, and other crimes. Shanelle provides compassionate and evidence-based therapeutic care. Her approach integrates trauma-informed practices such as brain spotting, attachment and ensuring a safe and supportive environment for healing and recovery. Dedicated to empowering and educating her clients, Shanelle works diligently to restore hope, resilience, relational connection and well-being in those who have experienced profound adversity.
Vanessa Vann, LCSW (Speaker/Presenter): has more than 20 years of experience helping individuals, couples and families overcome life’s hurdles and feel fulfilled. She has a passion for helping individuals overcome PTSD, CPTSD, developmental, religious, other specific trauma and vicarious trauma for first responders and other helping professionals. She have experience working with neurodivergent individuals, borderline, narcissistic and anti-social personalities, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, OCD, phobias, eating disorders, addiction, disassociation and chronic pain.
She specialize in working with those who have found therapy unhelpful in the past. Additionally, she is passionate about LGBTQ+ and gender identity issues. A lot of her past experience includes working in public behavioral health and crisis intervention. Working on a mobile acute crisis team and in an acute inpatient setting gave me a passion for mental health advocacy and awareness. She has a very laid-back approach and believe there is no single route to healing, and therefore tailor treatment to the needs of each individual/couple/family. She uses a straightforward client centered approach to help you identify goals and strategies to achieve them.
Karin Franziska Hudson, MA, PsyD (Speaker/Presenter), is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California who originally immigrated from Salzburg, Austria, as an AMI-trained Montessori Teacher. Her deep connection to nature and animals, especially horses, influenced her 20-year teaching career, where she developed programs offering wilderness experiences, equine therapy, and vision quests for children and adults. Karin played a key role in creating a Montessori “Erdkinder Program” (Children of the Earth) in Austria and California. Inspired by a personal conversation with Viktor Frankl, she transitioned to psychology, focusing on the existential-humanistic approach and Ecopsychology. For 25 years, Karin worked in community mental health with marginalized groups and the severely mentally ill, providing crisis intervention, conservatorship evaluations, and nature-based programs. She also collaborated with Native American Tribes on healing through nature. Now in private practice, Karin’s trauma-informed approach integrates attachment theory, neuropsychology, and holistic health, emphasizing the healing power of nature in a post-COVID world.
Shannon Price is a LMFT (Speaker/Presenter): with over 20 years’ experience in the field of mental health and 12 years’ experience in teaching and education. As the owner and co-founder of three successful group practice clinics, Shannon has dedicated her career to helping individuals, couples, and adolescents navigate their journey towards healing and growth. Shannon has extensive training and certification in DBT and EMDR, was well as licensure in four states. Her primary focus areas include: trauma, personality disorders, anxiety, depression and issues around school choice and accommodations. Shannon’s experience extends beyond her practice as she is also a WA State and AAMFT Approved Supervisor; mentoring future and pre-licensed therapists in their pursuit of licensure, mentorship and private practice/entrepreneurship skills. In addition, she also trains alongside two therapy dogs, using animal-assisted therapy to create a safe and comforting environment for her clients. Shannon’s love for animals doesn’t stop there, as she is also a paw parent to four lovable doggos. When she’s not busy helping others, Shannon enjoys exploring new places with her family, as she is also a proud wife and mother of two teens and one young college-age kiddo.
Melissa Perry, MA/P., LPC, LCPC (Speaker/Presenter), is a licensed clinical psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience in behavioral health. Specializing in anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, and burnout, particularly among first responders and medical professionals, Melissa has made a significant impact on countless lives. Her career spans inpatient mental health facilities, community nonprofits, military settings, and private practice. Melissa’s approach is rooted in empathy, creating a safe space for clients to explore their experiences. She utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities, including ACT, DBT, EMDR, and psychedelic and somatic practices, tailoring each journey to meet her clients’ unique needs. Her work in the psychedelic space over the past five years reflects her holistic approach, addressing not just symptoms but empowering clients to reclaim their narratives. Melissa is passionate about breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and advocates for the rights and needs of all. Through workshops, retreats, and seminars, she inspires personal growth and resilience, fostering a culture of healing within communities.
Emily Reiner, LPC, LCMHC, RPT (Speaker/Presenter): Is a professional counselor, Air Force veteran, and author with a passion for exploring all things wellness. Emily began her counseling career in 2018 and has spent the following years exploring how “wellness” shows up in people’s lives. As a Registered Play Therapist, she saw firsthand how life experiences play a role in how people show up in the world, how they interact in relationships, how they construct their identity, and how they experience “wellness”, even in the earliest years of life. Emily’s continued work with clients all across the age spectrum showed that these experiences continue to shape us as we navigate our lives. She work with her clients to help them discover their whole self, have compassion and nurture their tender pieces, and make space for joy by capitalizing on the integrative tapestry of wellness. Emily’s work emphasizes compassion and the integration of diverse elements of wellness to create a fulfilling and balanced life.
Madeline Kay, PhD. is a clinical and organizational psychologist licensed in Washington state and PSYPACT. In her clinical work, she specializes in whole-person wellness and the resuscitation of the inner child’s dreams. She uses an integrated approach to her practice that combines CBT, ACT, Gestalt, and depth psychology, creative expression, and somatic repair. With a background in cognitive-behavioral and narrative therapies, she’s spent over a decade providing mental health services across varying levels of care to at-risk and underserved populations. As an artist, dancer, and trauma-informed yoga instructor she blends her experience and training to assist individuals struggling with complex trauma, chronic pain, and varying disabilities. Dr. Kay’s skills extend to curating wellness workshops that incorporate holistic elements targeting increased confidence and engagement with life. Further, through extensive research and successful treatment outcomes, Dr. Kay has created The Odyssey Approach®– a healing practice that utilizes evidence-based techniques and emphasizes the restorative art of human connection. More information can be found on her website: www.the-october-hour.com.
Bonnie Walchuk, MA, LMFT, ATR-BC approach to therapy is collaborative, supportive, and creative. She loves working with people and Ideeply values human experiences, their stories, and the mind-body-emotional connectedness to the self, others, and environment. In therapy sessions, she creates individualized interventions using a combination of art therapy and counseling techniques to meet the specific needs of the client. The experience that guides her work comes from her extensive training in couples therapy medical and oncology art therapy, grief and loss counseling, art psychotherapy, adjustment, international transitions, human development, life-cycle stages, family of origin, and systems perspectives. Bonnie nurtures a philosophy of human kindness and integrity; meeting people where they are at with a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental approach. She enjoys creating individualized interventions weaving in metaphor, imagery, and artmaking to gently deepen the therapeutic process, and meet the needs of each client. She believes in cultivating a safe place for people to process the difficult thoughts and feelings that arise throughout life. Bonnie values the therapeutic relationship in her practice and emphasizes healthy communication, collaborative problem solving, and exploring internal dialogue to increase understanding, self-awareness, and gain relief.
Reserve your spot today for our upcoming retreat in Bali. We have several activities and speaking sessions planned so you can make your educational experience fun!