Brattleboro Retreat

02/26/2026

In recognition of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Mary Iellamo, M.Ed., highlights an often-overlooked reality: the complex and underreported connection between eating disorders and psychosis, and why broadening the conversation could save lives.

Read more: https://www.reformer.com/health/brattleboro-retreat-mary-iellamo-the-hidden-intersection-of-eating-disorders-and-psychosis/article_86f8ef47-c3f8-4e08-b70b-ed1d0e9bcc63.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Each year, the last week of February is recognized as Eating Disorder Awareness Week. In the days leading up to it, my inbox typically floods with reminders of deadly statistics,

02/25/2026

Psychiatrists. Psychologists. Social workers. Counselors. Why are there so many different kinds of mental health professionals, and what’s the difference between them?

On this episode of Unravelling, Mary and producer Hans sit down with Kurt to untangle the overlapping histories of these roles. Whether you’re just curious or actively looking for support, this episode brings clarity without the jargon.

Spotify: tinyurl.com/2wpvwsrb
Apple: tinyurl.com/56ucedwm

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02/20/2026

The Brattleboro Retreat was proud to sponsor this year’s Harris Hill Ski Jump, a cherished winter tradition in our community.

As thousands of spectators watched from below, Retreat CEO Steven Cummings had a unique perspective in his role as starter at the very top of the 90-meter Olympic-level jump!

Congratulations to the athletes, organizers, volunteers, and fans who made this year’s event such a success!

02/11/2026

"I feel like I'm in a cage on Mars, that's how far removed I felt."

Recorded at the 2025 Brattleboro Literary Festival, Kurt White speaks with author, designer, and Creative Director of The Atlantic, Peter Mendelsund. Their conversation centers on Mendelsund’s book Exhibitionist: 1 Journal, 1 Depression, 100 Paintings, an unconventional work that pairs personal journal entries with paintings created during a period of severe depression.

Through vivid, abstract imagery and unfiltered reflection, Mendelsund explores the lived experience of depression, including its loneliness, alienation, shame, and the difficulty of sharing suffering with loved ones. He speaks candidly about bipolar depression, suicidal ideation, the limits of creativity as a coping mechanism, and the life-saving roles of therapy, medication, and human connection.

The conversation reflects on the slow work of getting through each day, the courage it takes to ask for help, and the possibility of greater openness and compassion on the other side of despair.

Link to the book: https://www.petermendelsund.com/books-1
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OhWukiocbNViEDTW4GbST?si=20ffc37a776b4691
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cage-on-mars-peter-mendelsund-on-depressions-alienation/id1751187652?i=1000749248829
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nJl_CfBuTE

02/10/2026

The Brattleboro Retreat is a proud sponsor of this weekend's Harris Hill Ski Jump! Our campus serves as one of the off-site parking locations with free shuttle bus service.

02/03/2026

“Rather than chasing perfection, what matters most is attunement — noticing your child’s feelings, trying to understand the world from their perspective, and responding with presence instead of precision.”

Drowning in parenting advice? In this article, Laura Kelloway, LICSW, makes a case for good enough parenting and why perfection was never the goal. Grounded in decades of research (and a whole lot of compassion), this piece is for parents who are tired, trying, and showing up anyway.

If you need support with parenting or understanding your child’s mental health needs, the Retreat's Anna Marsh Clinic would be honored to be part of your team. We recently cleared our waiting list, expanded our staff, and are welcoming new clients.

https://www.reformer.com/health/brattleboro-retreat-laura-kelloway-drowning-in-parenting-advice-here-s-what-actually-matters/article_1007922b-a1f6-4708-ae67-79a792ac3992.html

02/02/2026

The Vermont Psychological Association (VPA) and the Brattleboro Retreat are excited to invite mental health professionals to an upcoming live webinar, "Cognitive Reserve in Clinical Practice," offering continuing education credits:

Friday, Feb 20, 2026
9:00 AM–4:30 PM EST
Live Webinar | CE Credits Available

This 6-hour, evidence-based workshop explores how cognitive reserve (the brain’s ability to buffer stress, illness, and decline) shapes aging, depression, trauma, sleep, attachment, and chronic pain. Learn how to assess cognitive reserve and integrate reserve-building strategies into clinical practice using real-world case examples.

Register here: https://twinstates.ce21.com/item/cognitive-reserve-clinical-practice-140636

01/28/2026

Recorded at the 2025 Brattleboro Literary Festival, this episode of Unravelling features an intimate conversation with author and literary agent Betsy Lerner about writing, mental illness, and family dynamics.

Betsy talks about starting diaries as a child after reading Anne Frank, using journaling to make sense of a lifelong sense of being different. She opens up about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 15, years of ineffective treatment, and how finding the right care in her 30s finally allowed her to live (and write) with clarity and stability.

The conversation centers on Betsy’s novel Shred Sisters, a powerful blend of fiction and emotional truth that explores bipolar disorder, sibling rivalry, shame, and survival. Betsy also shares her mission to destigmatize bipolar disorder, challenge sensationalized portrayals, and support both those living with it and the people who love them.

Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shred-sisters-understanding-bipolar-disorder-through/id1751187652?i=1000747011846

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QGmLaJD7rQvNkD7ugAi7r?si=Buxh3e9pTT6m-p_OsVcDrQ

Buy Shred Sisters: https://bookshop.org/p/books/shred-sisters-betsy-lerner/f79a10fcc75f0df6?ean=9780802163707&next=t&

01/19/2026

“One thing about looking back into history is that it shows us we have come through low points to better places." - Dr. Nnamdi Pole

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we’re re-sharing Episode 42 of Unravelling: “Treat the poison: MLK Jr.’s challenge to mental health.”

In this episode, Kurt White (Brattleboro Retreat) and Dr. Nnamdi Pole (Smith College School for Social Work) explore how King’s words continue to challenge and guide mental health care today. Drawing on five years of MLK Day events at the Brattleboro Retreat, and on King’s speeches and writings, the conversation explores how his insights speak powerfully to the realities of our work in this moment.

Find Unravelling on:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/0KN8DtyXxkGxGA67YVfOmc?si=ca6e828db1314e29

Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/treat-the-poison-mlk-jr-s-challenge-to-mental-health/id1751187652?i=1000745132500

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXNnl8t0aq0

01/15/2026

“People need to know that you understand not just what they have, but who they are. It’s far more important to know the person who has the disease than the disease the person has.” - Dr. Schlozman

Our thanks to Steven Schlozman, M.D., Chief of the Child Psychiatry Division at UVM Health - UVM Medical Center, Associate Professor at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont, and author, who presented "The Essential Role of Stories in Psychiatry."

This marked the return of Grand Rounds to the Brattleboro Retreat as a hybrid, in-person and remote event. Dr. Schlozman delivered an insightful and engaging talk on the power of stories, calling for a rebalancing of care and reminding us that good psychiatry honors both clinical data and the lived stories of our patients.

“We are building a culture of excellence at the Brattleboro Retreat. At the foundation of that culture are education, knowledge, and a commitment to continual learning, and Grand Rounds delivers exactly that,” said the Retreat's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Karl Jeffries.

01/15/2026

What can Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. still teach us about mental health?

In Episode 42 of Unravelling, “Treat the poison: MLK Jr.’s challenge to mental health,” Mary Wilson speaks with Kurt White and special guest Dr. Nnamdi Pole (of Smith College School for Social Work) about how King’s words continue to challenge and guide mental health care today. Kurt and Nnamdi reflect on five years of MLK Day events at the Brattleboro Retreat, grounded in King’s speeches and writings, including his 1967 American Psychological Association keynote, and explore how his insights speak powerfully to the realities of our work in this moment.

Find Unravelling on:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/0KN8DtyXxkGxGA67YVfOmc?si=ca6e828db1314e29

Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/treat-the-poison-mlk-jr-s-challenge-to-mental-health/id1751187652?i=1000745132500

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXNnl8t0aq0

01/01/2026

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2026, we’re proud to share (in case you missed it) our Annual Report - a closer look at the extraordinary dedication of our staff. At the Brattleboro Retreat, everything we do begins and ends with people, and this report reflects the compassion, expertise, and commitment that make our mission possible.

Read now:

2025 Report to Stakeholders and Friends