Resilience, self-love, co-regulation and the importance of remembering fun are some of the key educational themes for this year’s Yampa Valley Wellness Conference organized by the nonprofit Health Partnership serving Northwest Colorado.

The theme for the 2025 Wellness Conference is “The Power of Us: Building a Healthy Inclusive Community Together.” The event is set for 8:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 15 at Strings Music Pavilion in Steamboat Springs.

“It’s a day for people to take a break from their daily grind to learn about cutting-edge research and tangible tools to support them in their physical, mental and emotional well-being,” said Brittney Wilburn, executive director at The Health Partnership.

Past attendees at the annual day of personal and professional development have often left feeling “uplifted and energized and excited to take what they learn and apply it in their lives,” Wilburn said.

Perhaps the most appealing speaker topic is scheduled for the last session of the conference at 3:05 p.m. with “The Playful Cure for Burnout: How Small Moments of Play Build Resilience” presented by Acey Holmes, who earned a master’s degree in speech language pathology.

The interactive session, grounded in neuroscience and practical application, will explore how micro-moments of play can reduce stress, spark connection and build both personal and community resilience. The session will help participants recover from burnout by reconnecting with joy, creativity and one another.

All sessions at the conference aim to engage participants through interactive learning experiences and opportunities for meaningful connection and to address mental health challenges unique to mountain town and rural living. The conference aims to promote inclusivity and belonging by fostering community connectedness across diverse groups, explore holistic wellness by examining a whole mind and body approach and provide actionable strategies for incorporating wellness and growth into daily life.

The conference’s opening keynote presenter is Denver motivational speaker Craig Zablocki, who will lead an interactive and humorous three-hour morning session on “The Intelligence of Fun in Building Healthy Community.” Zablocki presents engaging, interactive experience to help unlock the keys to seeing solutions to problems as fun by being solution-minded and not problem-focused.

“The point is that working within a community where we take ourselves lightly and our tasks seriously, the Intelligence of Fun, is proven to increase a collaborative spirit, motivation, interest for new learning, and community engagement,” Zablocki noted.

Juanita Rastello, a certified life coach originally from Colombia, will talk about “Belonging Begins with Self Love.” The presentation will explore how meaningful relationships and a true sense of belonging within communities and beyond begin with self-love and self-acceptance.

The afternoon topic of “Building Resilience through Connection and Co-Regulation” will be taught together by two local professional counselors. Whitney Bakarich, a licensed professional councilor and the youth resiliency program manager at Northwest Colorado Health, and Amalia Pappanastos, a licensed marriage and family therapist and school counselor in the Steamboat Springs School District, will engage the audience in hands-on activities that highlight the nervous system’s role in safety and connection. The session will emphasize how co-regulation supports emotional well-being.

“Through experiential exercises and discussion, we’ll examine the power of shared experiences in fostering trust, adaptability and collective strength,” said Bakarich, who earned a master’s in clinical psychology and has served Yampa Valley youth and families since 2014. “Attendees will leave with practical strategies to create environments that promote regulation, connection and resilience, reinforcing that the power of us lies in our ability to co-regulate and support one another.”

The conference is open to anyone in the community and especially targets parents, employee teams and staff in nonprofit and medical professions. The cost of the conference is $75 per person including a light breakfast and lunch. For those who need financial assistance to attend, a limited number of scholarships are available. Registration is available online through the website TheHealthPartnership.org.