Care from the Heart
5-Day Educational Retreat for Medical Professionals
Portugal
"Care from the Heart," emerged from the need of physicians and medical professionals to maintain control over their professional and personal functioning amidst a rapidly changing and hectic healthcare culture.
"Care from the Heart" creatively addresses how medical professionals can continue to develop themselves and nurture their well-being.
Who is it for?
We're aiming for a powerful cross-pollination of different fields
General Practitioners
Medical Specialists
Physicians
Physicians who resonate with the theme
Holistic Caregivers
(BIG registered)
What you get
Healthcare professionals are under immense pressure, especially over the past year with increasing demands on the healthcare system. With more protocols and production targets, it’s becoming harder to stay dedicated and compassionate in the job.
By stepping outside the system for a moment, doctors can create time for reflection on their work.
The "Care from the Heart" training focuses on a deeper aspect of their role, called personal performance. This approach adds meaning to how doctors care for their patients, encouraging more attention and awareness. With these elements, everything becomes possible. Doctors can reconnect with themselves, their patients, and colleagues, improving job satisfaction, vitality, and strengthening the doctor-patient relationship.
Or
Schedule a 1-on-1 Call with the Able Team. Plan a personal contact session to get more information and have your questions answered directly by our team.
Approach
This is accomplished through a unique blend of elements:
Balint group supervision, paired with effective communication and hospitality sessions
Mind and body practices, enhanced by the program’s magical natural setting
To ensure lasting impact, plenty of time is set aside during the five-day program for reflection and absorbing the matter.
Additional Features:
- Daily shared breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Integration of leadership modules
- One-on-one personal coaching
- Silent nature walks
- Mind and body sessions
- Plenty of time for personal relaxation and activities (such as sauna, swimming, hiking, and e-biking)
- Massages (available at an extra cost)
Schedule a 1-on-1 Call with the Able Team. Plan a personal contact session to get more information and have your questions answered directly by our team.
Participants share
Their transformative highlights:
* * * * *
"Insights into work and personal life, combined with self-reflection. Combined with relaxation and humor, I highly recommend this course to everyone!"
"Peace, love, and tools to carry with me into my daily work and personal life."
"Awareness of motivations and challenges. Insight into the illusory nature of what we perceive."
"New insights regarding my workplace and the (im)possibilities of influencing it, especially in relation to energy-draining aspects of the job. Ways to stay closer to myself and find peace."
"The beautiful, peaceful surroundings, combined with the participants, the excellent organization, and the enthusiastic, skilled speakers, made everything come together perfectly. I never had any doubts. On the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment!"
"I knew that this training would contribute to my recovery, but I still find it incredible that I was able to make such huge strides in just 5 days. My gratitude to the Able team is immense!"
"Live the life you love and love the life you live; that’s the essence, and it is truly embraced."
"An incredibly inspiring experience. Something I will reflect on for a long time, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. It’s a great gift to give yourself by going here."
Location
Each edition takes place in a breathtaking natural setting in the Algarve, surrounded by greenery and just 35 minutes from Faro.
Portugal
(exact location will be shared upon registration)
The center offers:
- 3 spacious double rooms with private bathrooms
- A dormitory accommodating 1-7 participants
- Several beautiful Tiny Houses, each with two single bedrooms, a shared luxurious bathroom, and private terraces offering mountain views
Our facilities include:
- An organic pond set within a lush floral garden, featuring several peaceful spots for relaxation
- A saltwater swimming pool for all-day relaxation
- Indoor yoga space and an outdoor deck for sessions during good weather,
- all set within 47 hectares of natural terrain
Registration Information
Dates 2025
12 - 16 March 2025
11 - 15 June 2025
1 - 5 October 2025
19 - 23 November 2025
Accreditation
21 points from ABAN/Balint Association
Maximum participants
16 people
Attention!
Please wait to book your flight until you have received final confirmation from us. You will be notified promptly once you have registered.
Investment
Total investment:
€ 2,050.-
(NO VAT)
Including
- 4 nights' accommodation in shared two- or three-person rooms; single rooms available upon request (additional cost of €160)
- All meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; plus fruits, coffee, tea, and water throughout the day
- Individual coaching sessions
- Vitality workshops, personal performance training, group supervision, and communication sessions
- Transport between Faro airport and the retreat location (at specified times)
Excluding
- Flight tickets to Portugal
- Travel, cancellation, and accommodation insurance, as well as accident insurance
- Activities outside the program, such as personal massages, horse riding, and spa facilities
Meet your healing team
At the heart of this retreat, six compassionate and highly skilled doctors and caregivers are here to support your journey.
Each team member brings unique gifts to help create a nurturing and restorative experience.
Dr. Bas de Cock
"What else is the help of medicine than love?" ~ Paracelsus
Bas is a passionate ENT doctor, Integrative Medicine specialist and Holotropic therapist. As a medical professional, he also leads medical retreats focused on individuals suffering from tinnitus/hyperacusis, dizziness, and medically unexplained symptoms.
In his approach, Bas always aims for the most positive outcome by empowering his patients and fostering their autonomy. He follows his heart to provide the most optimal care for his patients.
Angelique van Hest
"It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." ~ Marianne Williamson
Inspired by this thought, Angelique shapes her training and coaching programs. As a talented trainer and coach, she uses passion and humor to reveal the limiting patterns in your life and shows you how to break through them. She has the ability to confront people and help them discover new perspectives.
This leads to living from a place of authenticity, making individuals more efficient and effective in their work, while also enhancing their overall quality of life, both personally and professionally.
Melanie Denissen
"As you tread new paths, unexpected possibilities unfold, offering clarity and understanding."
Melanie is a life coach who guides you into nature, helping you reconnect with your inner wisdom. In our fast-paced Western lives, we have (often unconsciously) distanced ourselves from our unique "life path" and forgotten to pause and reflect on what truly brings us joy.
She takes you to beautiful locations in the Netherlands and Portugal, where dilemmas and life questions become less complex, and answers reveal themselves.
Ianthe Leeuw-Tjiong
Ianthe Leeuw-Tjiong is a passionate Balint method supervision facilitator and serves on the board of Balint Nederland. She works as a systemic therapist, psychotherapist, group therapist, breath coach, supervisor, and training therapist at AerreA, an institution for healthcare professionals. In addition to providing continuing education, she runs her own practice in Utrecht. Her empathetic yet confrontational approach is characterized by attention to what remains unspoken, focusing on the non-verbal experiences within intrapersonal and interpersonal connections in systems.
Maria Koleva
Maria is a psychotherapist and group therapist who has also specialized in Balint supervision. In her private practice, she works as a psychotherapist, focusing on complex personality and trauma issues, with special attention to the dynamics and interactions that arise in relationships.
During the supervision sessions based on the Balint method, the unconscious is addressed; hidden layers are brought to light and used in the therapeutic process. This enables a stronger connection between the caregiver and the patient, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the care provided.