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!["Momentum in the Mountains 2025" - A Health Connections Retreat, 26 July | Event in Monterey | AllEvents](https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/f151ac2212d373ef63d325e4ed3d0f8cb596f154ac376d700b2fed27cb76a97d-rimg-w1200-h900-dca8c1d5-gmir.jpg?v=1745252656 ""Momentum in the Mountains 2025" - A Health Connections Retreat, The Highland Center, Monterey, 26 July 2025 | AllEvents | AllEvents")
The Highland Center
Starting at USD 173
Sat, 26 Jul, 2025 at 08:00 am to 08:00 pm (GMT-04:00)
The Highland Center
61 Highland Center Drive, Monterey, United States
Join Positive Momentum for this AMAZING DAY that will empower you to "take charge of your health" through world- renowned speaker presentations, networking opportunities, and communal connection through local food, healthy wine, and music. Additionally, the event includes a fun and exciting "Ask Me Anything" session where you can ask ANY question you may have to the entire panel of speakers below!!! (PLEASE ALSO SEE EVENT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN FAQ SECTION BELOW.)
IMPORTANT NOTE: The event sponsor, Positive Momentum, LLC, is donating ALL net proceeds, to support their program to provide StandUP/Active Desks to the Highland County Public Schools to help improve academic performance, physical health, and classroom engagement of our community's very valuable resource...our children. Thanks to all who have come to our events or contributed, we now have these desks in several classrooms in both the elementary and middle/high schools!!!
Our speaker line up for the day includes (SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR PICS):
*Arwen Podesta, MD, who practices in New Orleans, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with sub-specializations in addiction medicine, forensic psychiatry, and integrative medicine. She opened Podesta Psychiatry LLC in 2012, with a team of excellent providers- a multidisciplinary collaborative model with nutrition, psychotherapy, acupuncture and psychiatry. Dr. Podesta’s primary focus is access to integrative mental health and addiction treatment, with a whole health focus, for all.
Her current activities include teaching (Tulane and LSU), consulting in Re-entry court, board member of the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices (www.benzoreform.org), and recently re-releasing her book, HOOKED, for an updated edition. She is the immediate past president of the Louisiana chapter of the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and currently serves in national committees. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee, and often advises for the city and state regarding addiction, best practices and more. She is a distinguished fellow of both the American Psychiatric Association and also the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Podesta regularly travels to teach and speak on the topics of Addiction Medicine and Integrative Psychiatry. We met Arwen at "Integrative Medicine for Mental Health 2025" conference and we are GRATEFUL for her accepting our invite to speak!!!
*Mike Mutzel, earned his B.S. in Biology from Western Washington University in 2006 and completed his M.S. in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport in 2015 and is a graduate of the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) . He is a Functional Medicine consultant in the natural product industry and has worked as a nutritionist with Gerard Guillory, MD of the Care Group, PC in Denver, CO. Mike has lectured alongside Dr. Guillory to large patient-groups in the Denver area and they have been featured on local TV programs discussing the power of Nutrition and Functional Medicine. In April of 2014 Mike published his first book, Belly Fat Effect: The Real Secret About How Your Diet, Intestinal Health, and Gut Bacteria Help You Burn Fat.
Mike has currently completed four of six to earn the only board certification in Functional Medicine through IFM. Mike regularly conducts workshops for health care practitioners, teaching leading-edge science in a concise format that can be utilized by progressive clinicians for the prevention of chronic disease. He also owns and operates a very popular website/podcast https://highintensityhealth.com/. After following Mike's work for several years, we finally met him at the "Metabolic Health Summit" in 2023 and we are proud to have him at this year's event.
*Perry Nickelston, DC is a Chiropractic Physician with a primary focus on treating chronic pain and inflammation via the lymphatic and vascular systems. He is the Owner of Stop Chasing Pain, LLC, International Speaker, and Educator of the self-care MOJO series. He is a 1997 graduate of Palmer Chiropractic University and a master fitness trainer with over 25 years of experience in the health industry.
Dr. Perry specializes in Performance Enhancement, Corrective Exercise, and Metabolic Fitness Nutrition and is trained by The American College of Addictionology and Compulsive Disorders. He is an expert in myofascial, orthopedic, medical, and trigger point soft tissue therapy, and is a member of the Board of Directors and Medical Staff Advisor for AIMLA (American Institute of Medical Laser Application). Perry is an expert in movement assessment and diagnosis. Certified and trained as a Functional Movement Specialist (FMS) and Selective Functional Movement Assessment Specialist (SFMA). He uses programs designed to find sources of non-painful dysfunction, so your site of pain improves. Dr. Perry’s mission is to EDUCATE individuals on how to help themselves (and others) to live a life free of chronic pain. After healing from a severe back injury and autoimmune disease, Perry decided to dedicate himself to offering these self-care approaches to others. He has devoted himself to understanding the systems of the body and what it takes to improve the health and well-being of each system so they may work synergistically together for optimal health and performance. Somers and I recently visited Dr. Perry in NJ to receive his "magic" and to learn from the "master"!!!
*Matt Cawley, MD/MHP and Laura Buchanan, MD/MHP are the "Doctors (healers) of the Future". Dr. Matt Calkins is a second-year family medicine resident at Wake Forest in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Florida. He subsequently matriculated and graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine. He is working towards his SMHP certification and plans on being board certified in Obesity Medicine soon after finishing training. Matt’s passion is centered on improving health and performance. His initial interest in optimizing performance came from competing in weightlifting competitions and long-distance hiking, including a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2014. As the Chair of the Resources Committee for the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners, Matt’s role is to curate resources on nutrition and metabolic health, and then work with medical students, residencies, and clinicians to integrate them into their educational programs and daily practices.
*Dr. Laura Buchanan is a double board-certified physician in family and obesity medicine with a passion for using lifestyle modification as the first-line standard of care. She is also a certified metabolic health practitioner (MHP), and a Board and founding member of the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners. She completed her family medicine residency at Wake Forest in 2022 and was a valedictorian of her class at the University of Florida College of Medicine. The mission that drives her is to help people age successfully. That passion was initially derived from a love of sports but has since evolved and expanded to include a passion for healthy living generally, including the importance of nutrition, exercise, mental wellness, and an optimal use of the medical system. She sees her role as a doctor being two-fold: promoting prevention and practicing medicine. She is currently accepting patients across the United States via Telemedicine with Dr. Tro Kalayjian.
We recently met Matt & Laura and watched them present at the latest "Low Carb USA" event in FL and we knew they would be great for our event/community.
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FAQs:
Where can I stay in Highland/Bath County or surrounding areas?
If you are traveling to our event from out of town, follow this link for some FANTASTIC local accommodations: https://members.highlandcounty.org/member-directory/Search/lodging-209181. You can also find accommodations in nearby Staunton, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, and Roanoke, VA as well as West Virginia.
Can I be an event sponsor?
Of course! Event sponsorships are greatly needed for the success of our event. Sponsorship levels are as follows:
"Happy" Sponsor: $1,200 – includes 6 event tickets, premium-advertising placement, & reserved premium seating
"Healthy" Sponsor: $800 – includes 4 event tickets, preferred-advertising placement, & reserved preferred seating
"Strong" Sponsor": $400 - includes 2 event tickets & advertising placement
For more information on sponsorship levels and benefits, please email us at c2Z1bGxlcnRvbjI0NTUxIHwgZ21haWwgISBjb20= or c29tZXJzMjQ1NTEgfCBnbWFpbCAhIGNvbQ== or call 434-546-1268 or 434-546-3552.
Can I purchase tickets locally?
YES!!! You may purchase your tickets during normal business hours at Shamrock & Stephenson Realty located at 131 West Main Street, Monterey, VA 24465.
What are my parking options at the event?
In addition to the on-site parking at The Highland Center, there is ample street parking nearby in our quaint mountain village of Monterey, VA. Please come early and enjoy our local businesses, restaurants, farms, sights, and community. (Due to the size of the event, limited parking MAY be available at The Highland Center.)
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Contact Positive Momentum, LLC (Steve Fullerton and Somers Stephenson) at c2Z1bGxlcnRvbjI0NTUxIHwgZ21haWwgISBjb20= or c29tZXJzMjQ1NTEgfCBnbWFpbCAhIGNvbQ==, or PM us on Facebook.
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
There is no age limit to enter the event, but please bring ID in case there is a need to match the ticket to its holder. If you bring small children, we would appreciate you ensuring they do not disrupt the event.
Where are the proceeds from the event going?
The event sponsor, Positive Momentum, LLC, is donating ALL net proceeds, to support its continuing program to provide StandUP/Active Desks to the Highland County Public Schools to help improve academic performance, physical health, and classroom engagement of our community's very valuable resource...our children. Thanks to all who have come to our events or contributed, we now have these desks in three elementary classes and one high school class!!!
What should I bring to the event?
A curious mind, a desire to learn and have fun doing it, and, of course, pen & paper to take notes. Oh, and a healthy appetite for some fantastic local foods and wine, and your dancing shoes!!!
Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Monterey, Workshops in Monterey, Sports events in Monterey.
Tickets for "Momentum in the Mountains 2025" - A Health Connections Retreat can be booked here.
| Ticket type | Ticket price |
|---|---|
| EARLY BIRD - General Admission | 173 USD |
| General Admission | 199 USD |
We have gathered all the information for you in one convenient spot, but please keep in mind that these are subject to change.We do our best to keep everything updated, but something might be out of sync. For the latest updates, always check the official event details by clicking the "Find Tickets" button.
