A Workshop for the Hudson Valley and Surrounding Regions
November 12, 2025 • 9:300 am –4:00 pm ET
at The Garrison Institute
A restorative day to renew capacity, deepen resilience, and strengthen regional networks for those working on the front lines of healthcare, climate, housing, food systems, and community regeneration.
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Why Join
- Refuel & Restore: Experience evidence-based practices for emotional regulation, renewal, and grounded purpose. Address burnout and compassion fatigue through mindfulness, reflection, and nature connection.
- Learn & Connect: Build meaningful relationships with fellow changemakers across sectors. Practice peer-to-peer learning and mutual support that addresses the isolation often felt by those doing vital work.
- Apply Locally: Explore resilience frameworks rooted in ecology and psychology. Translate insights into actionable strategies for healthcare workforce sustainability and regional climate adaptation in the Hudson Valley.
What You’ll Gain
- A personal resilience practice you can sustain beyond the workshop
- Connections with a regional network of practitioners committed to this work
- Practical tools and strategies to bring back to your community
- Renewed capacity and grounded purpose for your vital work
- Organizational strategies for building resilient teams and mission-driven systems
Workshop Themes
How can cultivating resilience—through community connections, emotional regulation, and relationship with nature—support those on the front lines of critical work? This second workshop in an ongoing series brings together practitioners around two interdependent themes that recognize workforce wellbeing as foundational to all community resilience.
Healthcare Workforce Resilience
Clinical leaders join partners in food access, nutrition, and agriculture to explore the interconnected factors affecting health, healthcare access, and workforce sustainability. This roundtable addresses both structural challenges and personal capacities needed for sustained engagement in vital work.
Regional Climate Resilience
Voices from conservation and housing come together to explore how these sectors work in concert amid a changing climate. This roundtable acknowledges the complexity and urgency facing those working in climate adaptation, conservation, and housing development.
What We’ll Do
- A workshop with integrated guided meditations and contemplative practices
- Peer roundtables on Healthcare Workforce Resilience and Regional Climate Resilience
- Facilitated small-group dialogue and collaborative inquiry
- Interactive exercises using visual canvases to translate insights into near-term actions
- Closing synthesis and integration
Following the workshop, you’ll receive a proceedings packet documenting the frameworks and insights that emerged, and we’ll publish a public summary of lessons learned.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is designed for practitioners from the Hudson Valley and surrounding regions working on the front lines of:
- Healthcare and public health
- Food access, nutrition, and agriculture
- Conservation and climate adaptation
- Housing and community development
- Education and local government
- Community organizing and regeneration
Especially relevant if you’re carrying the demands of frontline work and seeking resourcing, renewal, and connection with peers committed to resilience and regeneration.
FACILITATORS
Carlos Rodarte | Director, Contemplative-Based Resilience Program
Carlos brings over 20 years at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and contemplative practice to his role as Director of Contemplative-Based Resilience at the Garrison Institute. As a systems entrepreneur and mission-driven executive, he has built and led organizations applying business strategy to advance health equity and community wellbeing. His career has spanned management consulting with health systems and life-science companies, leading patient-focused data initiatives at PatientsLikeMe, and supporting community health centers, nonprofits, and startups to advance resilience-based care models and reduce burnout. He has published in peer-reviewed literature on patient-led research and spoken on health innovation nationally and internationally. Formally trained as an environmental scientist with a business background focused on social impact. A certified mindfulness mentor, he integrates contemplative approaches into daily life, translating evidence-based practices into practical tools for frontline practitioners, community organizers, and business leaders facing systemic pressures.
Isabel Sáez, LCSW | Psychotherapist and CBR Faculty
Isabel Sáez, LCSW is a Puerto Rican woman with Indigenous and mixed heritage. She has been a bilingual psychotherapist in private practice in New York City for the last 25 years, working to help individuals maintain emotional balance and mental health. Prior to becoming a therapist, she was immersed in the fields of theatre, dance-movement, and creative writing for 17 years and in the field of conflict resolution for nearly a decade. Currently, she serves on the faculty of the Garrison Institute’s Contemplative-Based Resilience Program. She continues to explore the intersection of creativity, play, and imagination as practices that nourish contemplation and emotional safety.
Stephen Posner, PhD | Director, Pathways to Planetary Health
Stephen leads efforts at the intersection of planetary health and community resilience. For 23 years, he has worked across sectors to convene scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to strengthen our capacity for resilience. Stephen currently serves as co-author of United by Nature, a multi-year initiative producing the first U.S. national assessment of lands, waters, and wildlife to show how nature shapes our lives – and how our decisions shape nature. He has co-authored more than 50 publications and technical reports related to biodiversity, economics, regenerative food systems, and science-policy dialogue. He also helped form a Federal Center of Excellence on climate impacts and launched an environmental justice research theme at the University of Vermont. Originally from Baltimore, Stephen received degrees in astrophysics and ecological economics. He works with communities who share a vision for resilience, compassion, and peacefulness in the face of planetary challenges.
DETAILS
Hosts: Garrison Institute’s Contemplative-Based Resilience (CBR) Program & Pathways to Planetary Health
Capacity: 40 participants (Workshop #1 was fully booked with a waiting list—register early to secure your spot)
Included: Coffee, tea, snacks, and a healthy lunch
Accessibility: The venue is accessible. Please share accommodation needs during registration or contact us at CBRProject@garrisoninstitute.org.
What to Bring: Comfortable shoes and layers for optional outdoor segments after program completion; notebook and water bottle.
Our Commitment: We cultivate a respectful, contemplative space that honors diverse experiences and backgrounds. All practices are optional and trauma-informed.
Price: This event is supported through a generous grant. There are no participant registration fees. After applying, prospective participants will be contacted by Garrison Institute staff about the status of their application.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this for me if I’m not in healthcare?
Yes. This workshop connects health, climate, housing, food systems, and community regeneration—recognizing that many challenges are shared across sectors and that workforce resilience is essential to all of this work.
Do I need prior meditation experience?
No. All contemplative practices are beginner-friendly and opt-in. We create a welcoming space for everyone, regardless of experience with meditation or mindfulness.
Will there be materials afterward?
Yes. You’ll receive a proceedings packet documenting the frameworks, practices, and insights that emerged. We’ll also publish a public summary of lessons learned.
What if I need to cancel?
Please notify us as soon as possible (so a waitlisted participant can attend) at events@garrisoninstitute.org
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COVID-19