From trauma healers to in-house psychologists, hotels are increasingly addressing the mental health of travelers

To Sensei Porcupine Creek in the mountains of Rancho Mirage, California, evidence-based healing has become a foundation of the property’s wellness philosophy, and some packages, including the Guided wellness experiencesee guests paired with personal guides with doctorates in psychology who offer private one-on-one sessions.

Preidlhof, an award-winning wellness resort in northern Italy, bills itself as a “healing hotel,” offering five-, six-, and 10-day retreats aimed at helping clients unblock and release trauma. Renowned trauma healer Stefano Battiglio is on staff, as are an in-house psychologist who teaches classes on mindful eating and yoga nidra, and a doctor who uses biofeedback to help clients understand how their stress condition is affecting their body.

“It’s been my passion for 18 years,” says Patrizia Bortolin, wellness project manager and director at Preidlhof. “And now everyone is in need and asking for this type of approach.”

Lingering stigma continues to deter some travelers from seeking help for mental health issues, experts say. Thus, the integration of tourism and psychological care, at a time of heightened need, is particularly powerful.

“Some of our clients, who don’t normally talk about their problems, want someone to discuss them with,” says Cinthya Molina, in-house psychologist at SHA Wellness Clinic, a seaside resort in Alicante, Spain. At SHA, clients can choose from a number of mental health programs, including psychological counseling and an emotional coaching session. These two services, notes Molina, are identical. But for some guests, simply labeling their experience a coaching session and dropping the word “psychology” helps make the process easier.

Travelers experiencing mental health crises should not consider hotel treatment as a substitute for clinical psychological care, and those who believe they may pose a risk to themselves or others should contact crisis centers and trained psychotherapists for help. But when it comes to reducing stress, increasing happiness and expanding the public’s circle of mental health care, hotels can offer a convenient and well-placed catch-all.

“Emotional coaching is for people who might be embarrassed to ask for help,” Molina says. “So they say, ‘I want to see a coach.’ And I say, ‘Okay! I’m a psychologist. But if they prefer me to be called coach, that’s fine,’ Molina says. “It’s really good that we have this wellness space to put in practice the things we try to teach.”