How Spas Are Prioritizing Mental Well-being

Jayme Cyk
·4 min read

It’s rare to find a trauma healer or psychologist on staff when on vacation.

But that’s changing.

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Detox clinics, retreats and resorts are going beyond wellness treatments and leaning into mental health practices.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is projected to reach $817 billion in 2022 and soar to $1.3 trillion by 2025 — the fastest growth rate of any wellness market through 2025.  “It’s need meets profit,” said psychotherapist Annie Armstrong Miyao. “It has to do with an increased need for mental health care. But it’s a great offering for certain people who might not have time or space in other environments.”

Sensei, which has a location in Rancho Mirage, California, and one at The Four Seasons property in Lānaʻi, Hawaii, includes offerings like breathwork, sensory focus and mindfulness in a real-time evaluation to measure a guest’s stress-reduction skills. They also utilize a biofeedback device to measure subtle shifts in the heart’s rate, rhythm and subtle harmonics to coach and positively influence guests’ stress response. “We are not so much adding mental health to wellness, as much as recognizing that they are inseparable,” said Jim Cahill, Sensei’s mindset guide. “We do not provide clinical mental health services. Our approach to mental health is present-focused, skill-based and forward-looking.”

Similarly, Blackberry Mountain, located in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, has shifted some of its practices to cater to guests looking for treatments beyond the traditional massage or facial. Since the pandemic, sound baths have become the number-one service. During COVID-19, the Blackberry Mountain team moved many treatments outdoors, which it has continued, and also built an aerial forest platform for guided meditations, yoga practices and an aerial forest bathing program. “The higher concentration of oxygen in the forest is a great place to do a yoga or breathwork practice,” said Meghan Henley, spa and wellness director. Recently, Blackberry Mountain built a labyrinth for self-guided walks, breathwork, journaling and meditation outside.

As getaways and travel continue to ramp up, expect the focus on mental well-being to continue. “Modern lifestyles characterized by stress, anxiety and burnout have created a greater demand for places of retreat and respite,” said Dr. Jonathan Leary, chief executive officer and founder of Remedy Place. “People seek environments where they can unwind, recharge, and prioritize their mental well-being, prompting hotels to provide sanctuaries for guests’ mental and emotional health.”

SHA Wellness, which is located in L’Albir, Alicante, Spain, focuses on an integrative medicine model, and mental health is integrated into all its programs. Upon arrival, a specialist performs a series of diagnostic tests, which include cognitive tests and measuring stress levels. There’s also a questionnaire on habits, lifestyle and cognitive and emotional health, and genomics testing in some cases, said Bruno Ribeiro, head of cognitive.

That information is processed into a treatment plan. “One of our star treatments is transcranial stimulation, a technology that allows us to rebalance brain function quickly and effectively and without side effects,” said Ribeiro. “We also use neurofeedback based on qEEG [quantitative electroencephalogram] or brain photobiomodulation and cognitive stimulation. More and more, our patients attend at least one consultation for a general evaluation of their mental and cognitive health.”

Lanserhof Sylt, too, takes a clinical approach at its wellness center when it comes to mental health. The Germany-based seaside escape incorporates naturopathy, energy medicine, psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, and chronomedicine.

“Visiting different places for individual treatments is too time-consuming and therefore no longer time- and service-oriented,” said Claudia Zeidler, psychologist, coach, MSc palliative care at Lanserhof.

When it comes to mental health at Lanserhof, the spa works with an interdisciplinary study of the interactions between the psyche, the nervous system and the immune system, and Zeidler said stress and its effects on the immune system are a central focus. Their specialists offer energy medicine, which has origins in the traditional medical systems of India and China, and chronomedicine, which takes into account that the intestines, muscles and brain work differently at different times.

“The evolving concept of well-being now encompasses not only physical health, but also mental and emotional wellbeing,” said Leary. “Hotels and retreats recognize the crucial role of mental health in overall well-being and are expanding their offerings to provide comprehensive experiences for guests.”

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