Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat
for Professionals - Sydney

Mindfulness Silent Retreat (5 days- 24 hours CPD)

You are invited to join us for a silent mindfulness retreat at Mount Carmel Retreat Centre — 300 peaceful acres in the Scenic Hills of Macarthur, on the edge of Sydney, where privacy, stillness, and beauty create the conditions for genuine renewal and self-care.
Designed specifically for health professionals, this retreat offers an immersive experience of self-compassion from the inside out. Through meditation, conceptual learning, self-reflection and practical daily-life tools, you'll deepen your evidence-based skills in mindfulness and self-compassion — and leave better equipped to manage professional stress, prevent emotional depletion and vicarious trauma, and hold space for clients navigating self-criticism, shame, anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Again and again, we can learn to turn toward ourselves the way we would turn toward a dear friend — offering what is truly needed to thrive. And from that place of genuine nourishment, we become more fully present for the people we serve. Your well-being is not separate from your work. It is the foundation of it. Decades of neuropsychological research confirm what many of us sense but rarely allow ourselves to practice: that compassion — turned inward as well as outward — profoundly increases our capacity to meet difficulty with steadiness and care, and shields us from the cumulative toll of our work.

The Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat combines the Mindful Self-Compassion program with Compassion-Focused Therapy for a uniquely transformative silent retreat experience.

This Retreat is CPD approved by the Australian Psychological Society (APS)

Presenters: Marie Bloomfield and Marianna Lolas, Clinical Psychologist and MSC-certified teachers

Out of silence arises balance and wisdom...

Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat

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Self-Compassion in Nature For Professionals Retreat-
Silent Mindfulness Retreat-5 days

Location

Mt Carmel Retreat Centre
247 St Andrews Road,Varroville, NSW

Date

4- 9 October 2026

Arrival on 4 Oct. Sunday 3 pm and finishing on Friday 9 Oct. at 1 pm

Accommodation

You will be staying in a room of your own with your own Ensuite and free Wi-Fi.

Delicious healthy meals will be served with vegan/gluten-free/dairy-free options

Cost

Presenters

Early bird (4 August): $2,100.00

Regular: $2,450.00

The fees include teaching, accommodation, and meals.

For students, APS members or other discounts, please contact us

Marianna Lolas, and Marie Bloomfield, Clinical Psychologists, trained in Compassion-Focused Therapy and certified Mindful Self-Compassion teachers

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Flyer Self-Compassion Retreat

Location

Convenient location being close to Sydney (45 minutes), Wollongong (60 minutes) and Canberra (2.5 hours).

If you fly into Sydney, you can catch the train to Minto station, which is 7 minutes drive to the Mt Carmel Retreat Centre.

Benefits of self-compassion for health professionals?

Healthcare is inherently demanding, and self-compassion promotes resilience by fostering self-care during challenging times, rather than harsh self-criticism. When we choose self-compassion, we attend to ourselves with the same commitment to support ourselves than we offer others.

A quieter inner critic lessens constant negative self-talk, alleviates stress and anxiety associated with feelings of inadequacy, helping us to flourish in our work. In times of setbacks and difficulties, we ease the harsh self-criticisms so we are more able to cope transforming those moments into learning opportunities. We increase our motivation and resilience while strengthening relationships with colleagues and clients. Self-compassion positively impacts relationships with colleagues, friends, and family, as it encourages understanding, acceptance and communication. This shift in self-compassion fosters a supportive internal and external environment, which can help prevent burnout and lead to better decision-making and better client care.

Specifically, self-compassion is crucial for health professionals to maintain well-being and enhance the quality of care they provide. By practicing self-compassion, healthcare professionals can better manage stress, and regulate emotions, ultimately benefiting both their mental health and their clients/patients.

The research shows that self-compassion increases happiness, optimism, and a sense of connection, while also decreasing anxiety, depression, and rumination. This fosters a greater sense of well-being and helps us to bounce back in difficult times. The research also shows that when we are more self-compassionate, we can attend to our clients/patients with greater compassion, leading to improved client/patient outcomes.

In essence, self-compassion is not a luxury but a necessity for health professionals to sustain their commitment to help others and to promote purpose and satisfaction in their demanding roles.

Who it is for?

This retreat targets health professionals, healthcare workers and caregivers, such as psychologists, social workers, counsellors, occupational therapists, teachers, nurses, medical practitioners, coaches, yoga teachers and anyone else who is in a helping role.

The five-day retreat meets the requirement to have attended a five-day, silent, teacher-led retreat to become a Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher.

This training activity has been assessed against quality standards developed by Australian psychologists and adult education experts and is CPD-approved by the Australian Psychological Society(APS).

Level of Learning: Intermediate

What to Expect?

The retreat aims to deepen our capacity to respond to difficult moments with kindness, care, courage, and wisdom.

The Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat integrates the Mindful Self-Compassion program with Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), which together promote compassion as a transformative force and complement each other beautifully.

The content of the retreat will consist of meditations, mindful walks, and self-reflective exercises modified from evidence-based Mindful Self-Compassion, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as well as principles from the Attachment Theory Model. There will be topic presentations and teacher-guided meditations. During the retreat, a workbook will be provided to assist reflective journaling on the topics and meditations included in the program.

We wish to take full advantage of the picturesque surroundings by providing ample opportunities to go on mindful walks for contemplative reflections, where you can immerse yourself in nature.

The use of mobile phones and other Internet-connected devices will be discouraged, but allowed to be used discreetly for essential communications.

During the Retreat, we will engage in a friendly silence for the five days, but there will also be options to communicate. If issues arise, you will be able to communicate with one of us at any time. In addition, short individual interviews with Marianna can be scheduled for clarification and support. In the evening, you can choose to talk to share your reflections with others on the topics/exercises of the day.

You will be staying in a room of your own with your own Ensuite and free Wi-Fi. Delicious healthy meals will be served with vegan/gluten-free/dairy-free options.

The number of participants will be limited to 25

Retreat Learning Objectives

The retreat is based on experiential learning that you can apply in your own life.

The meditations/visualisation and reflective exercises are the applications of various topics presented to promote evidence-based mindfulness and compassion to deal with stress, burnout and other difficult emotions.

We will invite you to be active in your own learning, adapting the practices to your own circumstances through a continuous cycle of understanding, applying, inquiring, reflecting, and synthesising. By integrating the formal and informal practices of mindfulness and self-compassion at a personal level in your daily life, with your own difficulties, you are more able to teach your clients to promote resilience and wellbeing. The program has been approved for 24 hours of CPD, including 15 hours of Active Learning.

After participating in this retreat, you will be better able to:

Apply mindfulness and self-compassion skills in daily life to support emotional regulation and well-being.
Demonstrate compassionate motivation in place of self-criticism.
Integrate mindfulness and compassion practices to ease difficult emotions, relationships, burnout/fatigue, whilst supporting the promotion of positive emotions.
Cultivate intentional living through reflection on personal values, courage, and meaning.
Teach foundational mindfulness and self-compassion strategies to clients, students, or children in appropriate contexts.

Benefits of a Mindfulness, Silent Retreat in Nature?

Mindfulness, silence, meditation and walking in nature offer profound benefits for both mental and physical well-being, and combining them creates a particularly powerful retreat.

Mindfulness is the foundation of self-compassion. It is a skill we cultivate that allows us to notice what is here, to be with ourselves in a different way. We step aside from our usual storyline, so we can turn towards our difficulties mindfully before we can respond with compassion. We cultivate an awareness that can deconstruct our default mode, which in turn allows us to gain new insights and to update and broaden our perspectives. We become more flexible, being able to adapt to what is, as it is, to bring compassion to ourselves and others, to make better decisions and to enjoy life.

Maintaining silence in a retreat frees us from the distraction of engaging with others so that we can be more present to ourselves, more focused, more able to attune within, to meet ourselves anew, with a kind awareness. It is a unique opportunity to disconnect from the constant stimulation of our busy life, to cultivate a calmer mind, allowing for deeper self-reflection.

Being in Nature naturally reduces stress hormones like cortisol while boosting mood-regulating neurotransmitters. When you add mindfulness and meditation to this setting, you are creating optimal conditions for mental clarity and emotional regulation. Research indicates that mindful walking in nature can lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and promote mental and physical health.

To sum up the Self-Compassion in Nature for Professionals Retreat is a wonderful opportunity to explore the nature of your mind and deepen your capacity for compassion for yourself and for others.

Continued Professional Development (CPD)

A Certificate of completion of the 24 hours CPD will be provided to everyone to provide evidence of professional development training (i.e. psychologists, social workers, counsellors, teachers, medical practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, yoga teachers etc.). This Retreat is CPD-approved by the Australian Psychological Society and satisfies one of the requirements for the Mindful Self-Compassion teacher training to attend a five-day silent retreat.

Prerequisites

The prerequisites are that you are a healthcare worker/carer and also have already some understanding of mindfulness, self-compassion and some experience in meditations. Being familiar with Mindful Self-Compassion (Kristin Neff and Chris Germer) and/or Compassion-Focused Therapy (Paul Gilbert) will be an advantage.

Prior to the retreat, you will be required to complete a Registration Form and sign a Release of Liability.

silent retreat for mindfulness & meditation gold coast

Give yourself the gift of silence!
Connect with your inner joy and sense of purpose!

What Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat is not:

We believe that this Retreat will be most beneficial to participants who have been introduced already to mindfulness and self-compassion.

This Retreat is not group therapy and does not replace psychological or psychiatric treatment and it may not be suitable if you have certain medical conditions.

If you are receiving treatment for a serious physical or health problem, or have a history of a serious physical or mental health disorder, you should consult with your medical practitioner or health care provider to check if your participation in the Retreat is suitable for someone in your condition, and inform the organiser Marie Bloomfield.

The Retreat consists of an educational and self-practice program and is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatments.

The emphasis is on self-skill-building to enhance emotional resources and personal capacities to learn for ourselves and to teach others.

Meet Your Presenters

Marie Bloomfield

Clinical Psychologist
Senior Certified MSC Teacher

B.Sc(Psych.), M.Clin. Psych(UNSW), MAPS(Coll.Clin.Psych.)

Clinical Psychologist and Senior Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher.

Marie (she/her) is an accomplished teacher in mindful self-compassion having presented over 50 workshops most of which were targeting health professionals since 2014. As a clinical psychologist, Marie has over 40 years of experience working in mental health, including public, academic and private sectors.

Marie initially a cognitive therapist but has been using Compassion-Focused Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion in her clinical practice since 2011. She is a leader in teaching Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to health professionals in Australia.

She knows from personal and clinical experience that compassion changes and enhances lives.

More About Marie

Marianna Lolas

Clinical Psychologist
MSC Teacher

Grad.Dip. Psych., M.Clin. Psych., MAPS, FCCLP

Clinical Psychologist and Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher.

Marianna is a Clinical Psychologist with a passion for helping others, shaped by a rich and diverse career.

Her background spans corporate roles in consumer behaviour and strategy, clinical hypnotherapy, and a mastery of meditation and mindful self-compassion therapies.

Combining scientific knowledge with a compassionate, holistic approach, Marianna is devoted to empowering clients to find calm, contentment, and inner peace.

Her personal experiences, especially through challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic, reinforced the importance of self-compassion—a practice she shares as a certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher.

More About Marianna