UpWell Institute
Smiling clinician in cream hoodie
Woman with yoga mat at the beach

UpWell Institute

3 Nights.

6 CEUs.

Endless Hours of Connection, Relaxation, and Growth.

Welcome to an intimate 3-night continuing education retreat for perinatal and reproductive mental health clinicians, hosted at Villa Valentín and Casa Hadas in the hills above Sayulita. 

March 4th-7th, 2027 · Sayulita, Mexico · Limited to 17 clinicians

Save Me a Spot

The Invitation

Perinatal and reproductive mental health is incredibly rewarding work. It's also heavy work. More than most people realize.

RENEW is a chance to step out of the demands of practice and into a setting designed for learning, spaciousness, and reconnection: with yourself, your clinical purpose, and a small community of clinicians doing similar work. It's the retreat we always wanted, and we'd love for you to join us.

Expect high-quality perinatal and reproductive mental health education alongside real rest, long conversations, and a few days away from the pace of clinical work. You'll come home a stronger, more grounded clinician. Not only because of what you learned, but because of the community and restorative time built into the weekend.

Reserve Your Seat
Ocean-view terrace at the retreat villas in the hills above Sayulita

The Place

Private Villas in Sayulita, Mexico

Sayulita sits on Mexico's Pacific coast, an easy hour from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, with non-stop flights available from many major airports (including Portland and Seattle). The retreat takes over Villa Valentín and Casa Hadas, two neighboring properties just 30 seconds apart. Ocean-view gathering spaces, open-air areas for meals and learning, and quiet corners for a book or an afternoon in a hammock make it easy to move between connection and solitude. Town is a short walk or a quick 5-minute golf-cart ride away.

Saltwater pool and loungers at the retreat villas in the hills above Sayulita
Daily yoga and meditation practice at the retreat
Long-table dinner under the palapa at the retreat villas

Getting There

  • · Fly into Puerto Vallarta International (PVR)
  • · Nonstop flights available from Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA)
  • · Private group transportation waiting for you on arrival
  • · Coordinated arrival windows will make flight planning simple
  • · Passport required; no visa for US travelers under 180 days

Sayulita, Nayarit

A colorful beach town on Mexico's Pacific coast. Villa Valentín and Casa Hadas sit above town, close enough to wander in for dinner and tucked away enough to feel a world apart. From the ocean-view porches, March may even bring a passing whale.

Make it a Vacation

While we encourage participants to fully immerse in the retreat experience, if you'd like a partner or friend to meet you after, we can provide resources to help them arrange transportation so you can continue your sun-soaked vacation.

Who it's for

Built for Clinicians Who Walk With People Through Reproductive Transitions

If you want to sharpen your perinatal mental health skills somewhere that feels restorative and connected, you'll fit right in.

  • Psychiatric nurse practitioners
  • Therapists and counselors
  • OB/GYNs and nurse midwives
  • Primary care providers
  • Nurses
  • Allied health professionals supporting pregnancy, postpartum, fertility, loss, PMDD, or perimenopause

What we'll cover

6 CE Hours in Reproductive and Perinatal Psychiatry

A mix of teaching, case discussion, hands-on learning, and informal consultation. Topics may include:

  • Foundations of reproductive and perinatal psychiatry
  • Medications during pregnancy, postpartum, lactation, and menopause
  • Working through real cases, step by step
  • Risk assessment and safety planning
  • Blending evidence, values, and patient-centered care
  • “Happy hour consult”: relaxed clinical Q&A with colleagues

Designed for clinicians pursuing or maintaining perinatal mental health expertise, including PSI PMH-C–relevant learning.

What's included

Everything You Need to Actually Rest, Learn, and Reconnect

Rest & Accommodations

3 nights / 4 days across Villa Valentín and Casa Hadas, two neighboring villas with ocean views above Sayulita. Choose from private and shared rooms, with daily housekeeping, on-site security, and private chef meals each day.

Education & Wisdom

6 CE hours in reproductive and perinatal psychiatry, relevant for PSI PMH-C learning. Curriculum led by Megan Sapp (PMHNP, CNM, FNP) with facilitation by Kelly Aldinger (MSW, PMHNP).

Nervous System Reset

Daily yoga in the covered open-air palapa, plus time to enjoy the pool, hot tubs, sauna, cold plunge, pickleball court, and 9-hole mini golf. Want a private massage? We'll help you book it!

Values-Aligned Community

Capped at 17 clinicians plus leaders, small enough for real discussion and consultation by design. By the time you fly home, you have a real referral network and group support that will outlast the retreat.

The Schedule

Four Days, Paced Like a Retreat Not a Conference

Morning

AfternoonGroup shuttles from PVR airport

EveningWelcome dinner under the stars

Session Topics

Six CEU sessions across the retreat

  • 01The Emotional Landscape of Fertility
  • 02Going Through Changes: Perimenopause and Mood
  • 03Perinatal OCD
  • 04Addressing Birth Trauma: Supporting Our Patients and Ourselves
  • 05Bipolar Disorder & Psychosis in the Perinatal Period
  • 06Poolside Rounds: Bring your questions and swimsuit, and get serious support on cases while soaking in the sun

Session titles are working drafts; the final agenda will be confirmed based on attendee interest.

Reserve Your Seat

Pricing & Early-Bird

Your Investment

Shared Room

$2,195 / person

A shared room with up to 4 clinicians. Bring friends, or come ready to make new ones!

6 available

All-Inclusive

Lodging, all meals, ground transfers from PVR, 6 CEUs, yoga, and all programming.

Private Room (Shared Bath)

$2,595 / person

Your own private room; the bathroom is shared with one other attendee.

5 available

All-Inclusive

Lodging, all meals, ground transfers from PVR, 6 CEUs, yoga, and all programming.

Top Pick

Luxury Private Room ✦

$2,895 / person

Your own private room with an en-suite bath for the full reset.

6 available

All-Inclusive

Same full retreat: lodging, all meals, ground transfers, 6 CEUs, yoga, and all programming.

Early Bird: $150 Off Before Black Friday

Book any room type before Black Friday and take $150 off your registration.

Not Ready to Head Home? Integration Day + Night ($250)

Stay through Monday afternoon and keep one completely unscheduled day to rest and explore Sayulita a little deeper: whale watching, a massage, the pool, or simply nothing at all. Breakfast included. Limited space.

UpWell Psychiatry is NBCC accredited (NBCC 8140) and qualifies as continuing education. Many attendees may be able to expense the full cost of travel and registration through their business, and/or use CE training reimbursement offered through their employer. Make sure your CE dollars don't go to waste, and register before the end of the year!

What's not included: Flights, alcoholic beverages, optional massage, incidental expenses while travelling or exploring Sayulita, and travel insurance.

With 40+ interest submissions already in, we fully expect this retreat to sell out, so early sign-up is the safe move.

Questions? Email retreats@upwellpsych.com or call 971-202-1122.

Save Me a Seat

Your Facilitators

Two Clinicians Who've Built Careers in This Work

Megan Sapp

Megan Sapp

PMHNP, CNM, FNP · Lead Educator

Megan Sapp is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, and Family Nurse Practitioner with 20 years of experience caring for women and families across the reproductive lifespan. Her background in both midwifery and psychiatry gives her a unique perspective on the clinical, biological, and contextual factors that shape mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Megan serves as Chief Clinical Officer at UpWell Psychiatry, where she directs the Perinatal & Reproductive Psychiatry team and the UpWell Institute, the practice's education and training division. An experienced educator, she has trained clinicians across disciplines and is known for making complex evidence approachable, practical, and grounded in compassionate, person-centered care.

Kelly Aldinger

Kelly Aldinger

DNP, MSW, PMHNP · Founder & Facilitator

Before founding UpWell Psychiatry, Kelly spent years in wilderness therapy and adventure guiding across the U.S. and abroad. With a Masters in Social Work and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, she bridges the therapeutic and psychiatric worlds with a lens few others carry. Kelly has a natural gift for creating spaces where people quickly feel connected, to one another, to themselves, and to the experience unfolding around them. Her facilitation blends warmth, curiosity, and a sense of adventure, turning a group of individuals into a genuine community. Kelly facilitates the connection-and-reflection arc of the retreat, the part that turns a CEU weekend into a community.

Save Me a Seat

FAQ

Questions, Answered

Yes! You can apply to Postpartum Support International to have the training count towards your PMH-C recertification hours. UpWell Psychiatry is an NBCC approved continuing education provider (NBCC 8140).
Often, yes. RENEW qualifies as continuing education and is NBCC accredited (NBCC 8140), so many attendees expense the full cost through their organization's CEU or professional-development budget. Booking before the early-bird deadline is also a natural fit for using this year's CEU dollars before they expire.
Yes. The optional Integration Day + Night ($250) extends your stay after the retreat with an unscheduled day to rest and explore Sayulita. Breakfast is included; space is limited.
Licensed mental health and maternal health clinicians who work with perinatal and reproductive patients, including psychiatrists, PMHNPs, therapists, LCSWs, midwives, OB/GYNs, doulas, lactation consultants, and allied professionals. Participants must be healthcare professionals; this is not a patient-facing retreat.

A $500 deposit is due at registration to reserve your room.

The remaining balance is due by January 3, 2027, 60 days before the retreat begins.

Cancellations made:

  • On or before December 4, 2026, 90 or more days before the retreat: your deposit is fully refundable, minus a $100 administrative fee.
  • December 5, 2026 to January 3, 2027, 60 to 89 days before the retreat: UpWell retains 50% of the selected retreat price and refunds any amount paid above that.
  • On or after January 4, 2027, fewer than 60 days before the retreat: the total retreat price is nonrefundable.

If you are unable to attend, you may request a transfer to another eligible attendee.

No. You book your own flights into PVR (Puerto Vallarta). Nonstop flights are available from Portland (PDX). We will provide arrival windows to land in PVR, so we can all make our way to the villas together.
Our private chef accommodates vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and major allergens. Specific dietary needs are collected at registration.
We encourage you to immerse fully into the retreat experience and community. If you'd like to extend the vacation, we are happy to connect partners and friends to transportation options to meet you in Sayulita after the retreat!
Case discussions during CEU sessions are de-identified and follow standard CEU education guidelines. The optional poolside case-consults use de-identified composite cases.

Save Your Seat

Capped at 17 clinicians, and with 40+ interest submissions already in, we expect this retreat to sell out. Book before Black Friday and take $150 off. Drop your details and we'll send the registration packet, full agenda, and pricing within 24 hours.