Newhouse Retreat: Recharging Healers
Taking care of the people who take care of people
After its outstanding success in 2025, the team behind the Newhouse Retreat is ready to once again pour into the social services workers in our community. This FREE, full-day event is designed to pour into the people taking care of the people.
Monday, April 20, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, Kansas City, MO
About the retreat
Helping others is deeply rewarding, but it can also be emotionally and physically exhausting for those providing care. As a 24/7 domestic violence shelter, the team at Newhouse witnesses firsthand the toll it takes to pour your heart into helping others heal from trauma.
That’s why we’re hosting this retreat—a unique opportunity for YOU, the caregivers, to take care of you! This isn’t about training or learning a new modality; it’s about renewal, restoration, and rejuvenation. Together, we’ll refuel your spirit and build connections with others who share your passion for serving the community.
For FREE, attendees will:
- Hear from dynamic speakers on recovering from stress and burnout
- Indulge in self-care during immersive breakout sessions
- Enjoy thoughtfully curated meals and snacks throughout the day
- Have the opportunity to take a professional headshot
- Foster connection with like-minded peers
Before registering, please consider the following:
This event is valued at over $250 per person AND has intentionally been designed with all-day programming. Please do not register if you’re unable to attend for the entire day. Due to overwhelming demand, registration is limited to 3 representatives per organization. Additionally, if you register and do not attend the event, your organization may be billed to cover the cost of supplies, fees, etc.
CEUs credits available for participation.
Retreat Speakers: KEynote speakers
Keynote Speakers: Jason + Diana Kander
High Performance Without Burnout: Lessons from Two People Who Learned This the Hard Way
In this keynote, Diana and Jason Kander share their personal story of ambition, service, pressure, and burnout—and what it took to rebuild in a healthier, more sustainable way.
Jason draws from his experience as a combat veteran and national leader who spent years pushing through stress, trauma, and exhaustion without asking for help. Diana shares what it was like to build her own highly visible career while simultaneously supporting someone she loved—quietly carrying her own fears, frustrations, and fatigue along the way.
Together, they offer an honest look at what happens when driven people ignore warning signs, normalize overload, and convince themselves that “this is just the job.”
From that lived experience, they translate hard-earned lessons into practical strategies for professionals in high-responsibility roles: how to manage pressure, set boundaries, protect focus, and stay mentally and emotionally healthy while still performing at a high level.
Retreat Speakers: Breakout Sessions
Sound Bath with Kristen Daschke
A meditative and healing experience where participants are immersed in soothing, harmonic sounds produced by quartz crystal singing bowls and other sound healing instruments, promoting deep relaxation, stress relief, and energetic balance. As the vibrations flow through the space, they help release tension, clear energetic blockages, and elevate mental clarity. This holistic practice encourages a state of tranquility and inner peace, making it a powerful tool for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Mindful Movement with Kristina Endres
Our session will focus on moving with intention and awareness to practice noticing areas of tension and stress. We will use gentle movement to offer relief and rest to places in the body where we hold our emotions. Additionally, we will use breath work to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest!) and learn ways to incorporate breathing techniques to manage stress and anxiety. I look forward to moving mindfully together.
The Power of Neurographic Art with Grey Endres
Neurographic art uses spontaneous freeform lines to express neural activity and creativity in drawings. Developed in 2014 by Russian Psychologist Pavel Piskarev, this process aims to harmonize inner feelings and outer experiences through drawing while promoting healing and connection. Attendees will identify benefits of neurographic art, demonstrate the process of neurographic art, and identify two neurographic art activities.
Questions? Email Ashley.
Newhouse is more than a domestic violence shelter. We shatter the barriers that feed the cycle of abuse and partner with survivors to achieve safety, self-sufficiency, and whole-person healing through our ecosystem of transformative services. Our vision is for all people to live a life free of domestic violence.
