7:00 PM Sep 18 - 12:00 PM Sep 20, 2026
This is our annual physician self-care retreat which will primarily be facilitated by MDPAC committee/members with two modalities facilitated by outside experts. The committee/member facilitators are not experts but physician psychotherapists who have a keen interest and expertise in their particular modalities. Our focus will be on experiential practices that build resilience and are relevant to both physicians and their patients. It is also a place to share, connect and support one another.
Land Acknowledgement with George Lewis
Native Spirit Journey with Clayton Shirt
Clayton Shirt is an Indigenous elder, traditional knowledge practitioner of holistic health and wellness, lecturer, educator and historian associated with the U of T Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Clayton will provide an opportunity for each of us to bring ourselves forward in our unique journeys and to find our intentions through the ceremony of smudging and the ‘Eagle Feather’.
Objective: To create a sacred space and to invite Spirit to support our self care journeys within the context of community. Healing is defined as, ‘To be fully seen by another’.
Improv-style Icebreaker with Catherine Cameron
Through an improv exercise participants will begin to warm and connect with each other.
Forest Bathing with Beth Foster
The Benefits: We all know how much better we feel after time spent in nature. Our ancestors knew it too. Humans have a biological need to connect with nature, called biophilia, from the Greek meaning ‘love of life and the living world.’ Birdsong, the scent of pine trees, the sparkle of sunlight and mystery of shadow, the softness of moss offer us comfort, calmness, restoration. They ease our stress, lighten out anxiety, help us to relax, to think with greater clarity and creativity, to revitalize, rejuvenate and rekindle our sense of joy and awe. We even sleep better and may have more interesting dreams. Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits from Forest Bathing experiences, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving mood and cognition. We build on those benefits and look beyond, to what happens when people remember that we are a part of nature, not separate from it, and are related to all other beings in fundamental ways.
Your Guide Beth Foster:
Having wandered in the woods all my life, I delight in educating and guiding others to an awareness and understanding of the healing power of nature and trees as a tool for peace and prosperity. I believe that, in order to restore balance to our planetary and emotional health, we must reignite a deeper and sustainable connection between humans and the earth.
Whether you need to problem-solve, unwind, be creative or replenish your soul, peace and restoration in nature awaits. With decades of interest and experience in outdoor education, counselling, drama and improv, I look forward to guiding you to a quieter calmer place, both inwardly and externally. I am fully certified as a Guide as well as a Trail Certification Consultant through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides since 2018, and a member of the Ontario College of Teachers with a Master’s in Education.
“The forest is the therapist; the guide opens the doors."
EFT/BEAM with Inge Winslow
BEAM(Bioenergetic Emotional Access Method), developed by Dr. Joan Beattie, is a guided, self-directed reflective process that invites participants to notice internal emotional and bodily experiences using structured prompts. In this session, BEAM is introduced alongside EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), also known as tapping, as tools for increasing awareness of emotional states and supporting regulation.
Objective: To introduce participants to techniques that support noticing core beliefs and regulating emotional responses to negative beliefs while maintaining psychological safety and individual choice.
Mindful Movement with Jackson Lin
Drawing on his background as a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Yoshinkan Aikido, along with personal practices in Qi Gong, fascial release exercises, and creative movement, Jackson will guide participants through a variety of movement modalities. Principles of centring, focus and breath will be applied, along with an exploration of how movement relates to Polyvagal Theory.
Objective: To experience how various movement practices can shift our state of being and support grounding in both personal and professional lives. These simple exercises can also be quickly taught to and experienced by our patients to help them settle from hyperarousal, return from a ‘frozen state’ and to quiet the mind.
Poetry, Sound and Ecstatic Dance with George Lewis, Iuliia Povieriena and Aaron Rothstein
The focus of our time together this weekend is on self-care. So often, as physicians, we are ‘there’ for our patients. Saturday evening offers a chance to be there for ourselves and one another through creative self-expression.
Objective: To celebrate our own unique self-care journeys through words, music, poetry and dance.
We Contain Multitudes with Catherine Cameron and Suchitra Mensinkai
This 90-minute experiential session grounded in the recognition that clinicians hold multiple, sometimes contradictory, ways of being — as professionals, as humans, and within families and communities. Drawing inspiration from poet Walt Whitman’s line, “I am large, I contain multitudes,” the session uses introductory improvisational exercises, music, and creative expression, inspired by principles from Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Acceptance Commitment Therapy, to support reflective exploration of internal complexity. No prior experience with improv or creative work is required, and there is no expectation to perform or be entertaining. The session emphasizes choice, psychological safety, and reflective learning.
Objective : The program invites participants to consider how increased awareness of internal perspectives can enhance emotional regulation, presence, and flexibility in clinical encounters, while also supporting physician well-being. CanMEDS roles addressed include Professional, Communicator, Collaborator, Health Advocate, and Scholar.
Wrap up and integration of modules, shared experiences and feedback on the weekend.
Limited to 22 participants.
Non-physician partners are welcome to attend and share a room.
COVID COMPLIANCE: Participants must agree to comply with Ontario Public Health Guidelines and to follow the systems and protocols in place at the venue.
Approved for 6 hours of MDPAC Group CE credits and 6 hours of MDPAC CCI credits
Cancellation by registrants must be received by September 1 2026 for a full refund. Cancellations received between September 1 and September 21 will receive a refund less a $50 admin fee. Refunds received after October 1 and no shows will be responsible to pay the full fee.
If the event is cancelled by MDPAC or the Centre due to restrictions imposed by Ontario Public Health Guidelines, all registration fees will be refunded in full.
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