THE TUSCANY EXPERIENCE
Sept 13-18, 2026
What if continuing education could feed your soul as much as your mind?
Most CE courses happen in sterile conference rooms under fluorescent lights. You sit. You listen. You take notes. You go home.
The Tuscany Experience is different.
Six days in and around Florence, Italy. Thirty hours of rigorous continuing education. Small group format. Direct access to Italian healing traditions. Expert instruction from Dr. Jessie Cavanaugh, Founder of Nutraceuticals Research Institute.
This immersive educational journey blends lifestyle medicine, botanical science, and nervous system restoration through the art, food, scent, and landscapes of Tuscany.
Botanical Medicine
Watch essential oils emerge from copper stills at a working Tuscan distillery. Learn to evaluate quality, assess safety, and apply aromatherapy with confidence. Leave with three custom blends you formulated yourself with the clinical protocols to use them.
Mediterranean Nutrition
Walk vineyard rows with a viticulturist. Taste olive oil still green from the press. Understand polyphenol bioavailability, gut-brain connections, and longevity research not from slides, but from the soil where this food grows. Return home ready to fully utilize Mediterranean interventions.
Mind-Body Medicine
Soak in thermal waters used for healing since Roman times. Learn the research behind hydrotherapy, heat exposure, and vagal tone, then feel it in your body. You'll leave with practical protocols for stress, burnout, and nervous system dysregulation that you've experienced firsthand.
What You'll Learn
Your week in Tuscany
SUNDAY: Arrival & Grounding
Settle into the boutique hotel with a complementary welcome glass of prosecco. After you unpack, join us for a welcome walk before enjoying an evening session on stress physiology and practitioner burnout. 2.5 CE hours
MONDAY: Renaissance Medicine
Visit the world's oldest pharmacy. Deep dive into hormonal health, neuroplasticity, and cognitive aging. 6.0 CE hours
TUESDAY: Essential Oils & Aromatic Plants
Full-day immersion at artisan distillery. Olfactory science. Chemistry, safety, clinical applications. Trauma-informed and nervous system-aware use of scent for healing. Custom blend creation. 6.5 CE hours
WEDNESDAY: Chianti Wine & Olive Country
Spend the day in the countryside with a vineyard and olive grove tour, polyphenol research, microbiome science, organic farming. Multi-course lunch with wine pairings. 6.0 CE hours
THURSDAY: Thermal Spa & Nervous System Restoration
Historic spa experience. Rest as medicine. Hydrotherapy research. Nervous system and circulatory regulation. 6.0 CE hours
FRIDAY: Integration & Application
Clinical application and case discussion. Burnout prevention. Action planning. Departure with practical tools, clarity, and community. 3.0 CE hours
Program Tuition
Investment: $4,395 per person (double occupancy)
payable in 3 monthly installments of $1465
Private Room Supplement: + $695
available as an add-on after registration; while supplies last
What's Included?
Support services include two pre-trip preparation webinars, wellness and planning packets, direct access to Dr Cavanaugh throughout the trip, and a support staff to assist during the tour.
Accommodations
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5 nights boutique hotel in central Florence
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Elegant rooms with quality amenities
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Daily housekeeping and hotel services
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Welcome glass of prosecco and generous swag bag
Dining
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5 coffee + pastry breakfasts
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5 traditional Italian lunches
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4 dinners (including welcome dinner and Michelin-starred farewell) (Note: One dinner is on your own)
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Optional wine pairings at Chianti vineyard
Activities
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Private ground transportation throughout Italy
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All workshops, lectures, and experiential sessions
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Course materials and professional journal
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CE certificate upon completion
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All entrance fees and gratuities for group activities
Not included: international roundtrip airfare to Florence, Italy (FLR) | travel insurance (strongly recommended) | optional activities or meals during free time | personal shopping and souvenirs
Meet Dr Cavanaugh
Founder & President, Nutraceuticals Research Institute
Dr. Jessie Cavanaugh has shaped how the natural products industry conducts clinical research. As founder of Nutraceuticals Research Institute, she has designed and led FDA-authorized clinical trials for major dietary supplement and essential oil companies around the world, generating evidence that supports product claims, informs regulatory decisions, and advances the credibility of integrative medicine.
Her research has directly influenced clinical practice. When concerns arose about essential oil safety in children, Dr. Cavanaugh designed the first epidemiological study to definitively test the hypothesis; this work is now cited in clinical guidelines worldwide.
She holds a post-doctoral certificate from Harvard Medical School, advanced epidemiology training from the University of London, and a PhD in Health Research. Before NRI, she built Franklin School of Integrative Health Sciences from the ground up—the first integrative health institution in the region to achieve full state authorization.
Dr. Cavanaugh created The Florence Experience because the best learning happens outside the conference room. She has led international study tours for seven years, and she remains personally involved in every session.
You won't just hear her lecture. You'll walk through vineyards together, discuss research over dinner, and have direct access to one of the field's leading researchers in an intimate setting that doesn't exist elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should attend?
Everyone! Healthcare practitioners at all experience levels: NDs, MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs, RNs, herbalists, nutritionists, acupuncturists, health coaches. Moms, spouses, health enthusiasts. If you're interested in evidence-based integrative medicine, this program is for you.
Will I really have time to enjoy Florence?
Yes. The schedule includes built-in rest time, free evenings, and space for personal exploration. This isn't a rushed tour; it's an immersive learning experience with 30 substantive CE hours.
I'm traveling solo. Will I feel comfortable?
Most participants attend solo. We offer roommate matching, facilitate connections before the trip, and create a welcoming group environment from day one.
What if I don't speak Italian?
No Italian required. All instruction is in English, and our guides are bilingual. Many Florentines speak English, especially in tourism areas.
What's the physical activity level?
Moderate to High. Florence involves walking on cobblestones. Chianti includes gentle vineyard walking. You will definitely get your steps in each day, but all walking is slow paced. All activities are accessible to most fitness levels.
How does this compare to a typical CE conference?
You'll earn 30 CE hours in an immersive format that engages all your senses. The experiential learning, such as distilling essential oils, visiting ancient pharmacies, exploring farms, reinforces the didactic content in ways that traditional lectures cannot.