What is Whole Hearted Leadership?
❔ Retreat Information
An innovative approach to leadership education, Whole Hearted Leadership retreats by Whole Hearted Medicine & Capstan Partners support healthcare leaders to develop skills in both personal and organisational wellbeing. Empowering those in healthcare leadership roles to lead through the process of cultivating their own professional & personal wellbeing, using this as a tool to connect with and guide their teams through resonance and tangible action.
Drawing on wisdom from psychological paradigms such as Positive Psychology, CBT, ACT and IFS combined with the proven success of coaching to create a systems based approach to individual wellbeing that is reproducible and easily shared within organisations, Whole Hearted Leadership represents a unique opportunity for healthcare leaders to create lasting change.
Over an intensive four days of connection, education and coaching, this retreat will equip healthcare leaders with the necessary tools to not only care for their own wellbeing in these demanding roles, but also to confidently integrate holistic wellbeing and support into their leadership persona. With structured programs for ongoing support and coaching via Capstan Partners post retreat, your journey into Whole Hearted Leadership starts via this very important first step.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Wellness Centred Leadership Retreat. If you have a question that isn't answered here and you'd like it answered, please let us know.
What is the Wellness Centred Leadership Retreat about?
The Wellness Centred Leadership Retreat, also known as the Whole Hearted Leadership retreat, is an immersive in-person retreat for doctors run by Whole Hearted Medicine in partnership with Capstan Partners. Facilitated by Dr Emily Amos, Dr Sarah Dalton and Capstan founder Rita Holland, it offers four days of protected time combining education, coaching and connection to reflect on and reignite your clinical leadership journey.
Participants will:
- Learn practical mindfulness-based cognitive tools to support personal and professional resilience
- Develop coaching-informed leadership strategies that build team trust and engagement
- Explore frameworks from Positive Psychology, CBT, ACT and Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Engage in both group and individual coaching in a psychologically safe, supportive space
- Connect with like-minded healthcare professionals who value authentic, human-centred leadership
Retreats are designed for real-world integration, helping leaders apply what they learn immediately and sustainably in their workplaces.
What inclusions does the Wellness Centred Leadership Retreat offer?
- Four days and three nights' accommodation at a carefully chosen resort
- A bespoke private king room with ensuite
- All chef-prepared meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner
- An expertly curated educational program featuring interactive workshops, coaching and intensive masterclasses
- Four days working exclusively with skilled industry and leadership experts
- A 45-minute 1:1 executive coaching session with Capstan Partners, with access to ongoing coaching packages
- A comprehensive workbook to guide your learning and support your leadership growth
- Guided stress reduction practices including meditation, breath work and mindful movement
- Your own online Retreat Learning Journey for ongoing wellbeing and behaviour change support before and after your retreat
- Acres of picturesque private land for gentle walks, with quiet spaces to sit and reflect, and secluded walks along the river to a waterfall
These and additional inclusions vary between locations. See Whole Hearted Medicine for location-specific details.
Who should attend the retreat?
The retreat is designed for doctors who hold formal or informal leadership roles, as well as those exploring how to lead from within their teams, organisations or communities. It supports participants to develop self-aware, values-aligned leadership that is both effective and sustainable.
The retreat is particularly valuable for mid-to-senior career doctors, clinical supervisors, educators, and anyone leading through change or challenge.
When is the next Wellness Centred Leadership Retreat?
| 21–24 October 2026 | Spicers Tamarind, Maleny, Queensland |
|---|---|
| 20–23 March 2027 | SOMA, Byron Bay, New South Wales |
| 23–26 October 2027 | Edge of the Bay, Tasmania |
For more information, see Whole Hearted Medicine.
What does the retreat cost?
Accommodation options and prices vary depending on venue, starting from $6,950.00 plus GST for four days and three nights.
What does a day at the retreat look like?
With a strong focus on embodied presence, relational integrity and boundary setting, the retreat blends evidence-informed frameworks — such as Internal Family Systems, self-compassion theory and adaptive leadership — with deep personal reflection. Participants explore how to lead in complex environments without losing connection to themselves or to those they serve.
Expect honest conversations, meaningful connection with peers, and time to recharge away from the expectations of performance. A sample day two looks like this:
| 7:00am | Morning mindfulness masterclass |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | Breakfast |
| 9:00am | Educational talk: Compassionate Self Inquiry |
| 11:00am | Morning tea |
| 11:15am | Educational talk: Cultivating Self Awareness |
| 1:15pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm | 1:1 coaching sessions with Capstan Partners coaches |
| 6:30pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Practical self-care strategies masterclass |
Is the retreat CPD-eligible?
Yes. Whole Hearted Medicine holds CPD accreditation across multiple specialty colleges, and the retreat program aligns strongly with AHPRA CPD standards — emphasising reflective practice, self-efficacy, resilience and normalising appropriate help-seeking behaviour.
See Whole Hearted Medicine's CPD information for details relevant to your CPD Home. Participants should confirm eligibility before booking and retain appropriate evidence of participation, learning, reflection and outcomes.
Can I claim the retreat as professional development leave?
Possibly. Leadership retreats may qualify as professional development leave when they are relevant to your role and approved by your employer or applicable employment agreement.
Entitlements and approval processes vary between employers, roles and jurisdictions, so please check your relevant leave policy, award or collective agreement, and obtain approval before booking.
What is Whole Hearted Medicine and why the partnership?
Whole Hearted Medicine is an Australian organisation specialising in educational retreats and wellbeing education for doctors, and a pioneer in the field. Whole Hearted Leadership is an evolved, evidence-informed model of Wellness-Centred Leadership designed specifically for doctors in leadership roles, developed by Whole Hearted Medicine and Capstan Partners.
In today's fast-paced and often overwhelming healthcare landscape, leadership requires more than traditional management. It calls for presence, authenticity, and the ability to lead others from a place of wellbeing. As more clinicians step into these roles, they find themselves struggling to balance caring for the people they lead with living and working in the same system — squeezed between the system they want to change and the people they want to change it for.
The partnership combines Whole Hearted Medicine's retreat and wellbeing expertise with Capstan Partners' coaching practice, supporting leaders to care for their own wellbeing while inspiring and sustaining wellbeing in their teams and organisations. In a landscape where many programs are now labelled 'retreats', Whole Hearted Leadership offers small, exclusive-use, cross-specialty gatherings where clinical leaders and medical administrators can step out of the system, exhale, and do the deep inner work that true leadership requires.
