In November, the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma will be offering a one-week alumni course to be held at the beautiful Locanda Rosati in Orvieto, Italy. For those who are interested in attending, we have limited spots for the week of November 2nd - 6th, with a welcome dinner on Sunday, November 1st, 2026.  We hope you will join us!

During the week, we will focus on case presentations each morning, where each person will present a case for group discussion. Additionally, the lecture and workshop themes for the week are:
 
Strengthening the Clinician - Patient Relationship and the Balint Group Experience
 
The Clinician – Patient relationship is at the heart of medical and mental health care including psychosocial projects. However, worldwide this powerful therapeutic engagement is being challenged.
 
This alumni week will focus on strengthening this relationship through the Balint Group experience. Alumni will have an opportunity to engage directly in a Balint Group experience led by a Certified Balint group leader, Dr. Karen Carlson along with Dr. Barbara Peyser. Through these theoretical discussions and direct hands-on Balint group experience alumni will be able to strengthen their clinical relationships as well as begin to implement a Balint group when returning home. For more information, here is a link to the Balint Society website.

Reflective Writing and Zines - Identity Documentation in the Service of Professional Growth
 
As a complement to the case discussions and the Balint Group experience there will be discussions on the role of creative and expressive arts in the curation of beauty and healing. Specifically, you will have an opportunity to practice reflective writing and to learn how to create a “zine”: a personalized homemade magazine that subverts dominant discourses around what constitutes publishable literature and self-expression. Zine making is a reflective process with a product that represents one’s deeper personal reflections as part of self-care, clinical care, and ethical values.

During the week, we will visit the beautiful Madonna de Latte Vineyard and take a day trip to the town of Pitigliano, Tuscany: Italy’s “Little Jerusalem” where you will have time to stroll the streets, see evidence of the Etruscan culture’s enduring influence, and visit the Museum of Jewish Culture. There will also be opportunities to visit the town of Orvieto.   
 
The tuition cost is $1,850.00 (Dollars) per week. The cost of lodging and meals are €180 (Euros) per day. Our chefs at the Locanda will serve authentic delicious and healthy Italian cuisine from locally sourced produce. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and coffee breaks will be provided daily. This is included in the €180 per day rate. Lodging will be arranged at the Locanda Rosati (10 rooms at the Locanda and 4 rooms at the adjoining  Casa Andrea). We hope you will join us in November and make this a truly intellectually rewarding and a personally fulfilling experience. Please let us know if you would like to attend, so that we can reserve a place for you. Reservations are limited, so RSVP by September 1, 2026.  

Email [email protected] to reserve your spot and add the Subject Line: GMH Alumni Course 2026. Once the course has been filled, interested participants will be added to the waitlist.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at: [email protected].