SWELL Conference & Retreat 2026
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Where Behavioral Health Professionals Grow, Connect, and Lead Together
When: April 16–18, 2026
Where: Ocean City, Maryland
What is SWELL
The SWELL Conference & Retreat brings together mental health providers, peer support specialists, social workers, crisis teams, community organizations, and agency leaders for three days of advanced learning, meaningful collaboration, and strategic restoration.
Hosted by Seaside Counseling & Wellness and Maryland Wellness, SWELL is where our region’s behavioral health community comes together to strengthen skills, spark ideas, and return home revitalized and better equipped to serve.
Secure your spot now.
What SWELL Offers:
SWELL Conference & Retreat is designed to deliver:
✔ Advanced Education & Skills You Can Use Immediately
Dive into workshops and sessions led by experienced practitioners, thought leaders, and innovators in behavioral health.
Topics focus on:
- Clinical best practices
- Trauma-informed care
- Crisis stabilization
- Adolescent and family supports
- Leadership development
- Community-based programming
- Provider wellness & burnout prevention
✔ Shared Learning Across Disciplines
We’re proudly community-centered. SWELL brings together professionals from across Maryland’s mental health landscape to learn from one another and build stronger, more connected systems of care.
✔ Space to Restore and Reconnect
Because the work is hard and you matter to us.
SWELL intentionally blends professional development with breathing room, reflection, and oceanfront restoration so you return grounded, energized, and ready to lead.
✔ CEUs for Eligible Sessions
Earning your continuing education credits is simple and stress-free. Participate in verified sessions, complete a quick evaluation, and you’re done. Attendees can earn up to 16 credits across three levels, depending on days of attendance—so you can choose what works best for you. And really,… who doesn’t want to spend a few more days learning by the beach?
Learning that counts—by the beach.
Your Registration Guide to the SWELL Conference & Retreat
Explore what’s in store, including sessions, speakers, and key takeaways, by checking out our registration packet here!
CEUs and Attendance Tracking
Participants will receive CEUs based on verified attendance at eligible sessions.
Using digital evaluations, SWELL ensures accurate, Board-compliant tracking so you receive credit for each session completed.
Keynote Speaker
This year’s keynote, The Mirror Work of Healing, presented by Carrie Freshour, invites clinicians into a brave space of reflection and renewal. Exploring nervous system fluency, identity integrity, and the often-unspoken tensions of our work, the keynote reframes regulation as more than self-care—it is sustainability, access, and our first ethical responsibility. Attendees will leave grounded, affirmed, and reconnected to the purpose behind their practice.
Conference Presenters
Our presenters deliver the core educational experience of SWELL. With expertise spanning clinical care, systems innovation, community wellness, and organizational leadership, they lead focused sessions that blend evidence-based practice with actionable takeaways. Their workshops are practical, dynamic, and designed to strengthen Maryland’s behavioral health workforce at every level.
Event Location
Aloft Hotel
4501 Coastal Hwy, Ocean City, MD 21842
Aloft Ocean City offers a limited room block for SWELL participants who wish to stay on-site. A two-night minimum is required, with options including king or double-queen city-view rooms or double-queen bay-view rooms. Guests must identify themselves as SWELL attendees and are responsible for their own accommodations. The room block closes on March 30. Reserve your room block rate now. Additional lodging options are available nearby for those who prefer to stay offsite.
Choose Your Getaway
Full program details will be available at launch.
- One-Day Getaway
- Two-Day Getaway
- Three-Day Getaway
Attend one, two, or all three days — choose what works best for you. View Registration Options
Bring Your Team
SWELL is ideal for organizations investing in:
- Professional development
- Staff retention
- Leadership pipeline building
- Burnout prevention
- Cross-team collaboration
Invest in your people—and your systems grow stronger.
Early bird rates will be available.
A Conference Built With Care
At Maryland Wellness and Seaside Counseling & Wellness, our mission is simple: You matter to us.
SWELL reflects that — a space that supports, restores, educates, and empowers every person who walks through the doors.
Ready to Join Us in Ocean City?
The SWELL Conference & Retreat is designed to support your growth, deepen connection, and sustain the people doing the work. We would love to have you with us.
Flexible pass options • CEUs available • Early bird rates offered