Emotional healing is in the DNA of retreating. We retreat from our lives to rest deeply, to be soothed and nurtured while we work on an emotional issue.

Whether we’ve experienced trauma, lost a loved one, fallen out with a parent or friend, feel exhausted after raising children or simply spent by life’s demands, an emotional healing retreat can help put us back together so we can fly high again in daily life.

Wellbeing programmes at luxury resorts, small havens that offer bespoke care and humble group retreats with sharing workshops at their core can all offer healing. The best should provide nourishing meals, therapies and treatments to support your journey, a peaceful environment, time moving outdoors and a safe vibe.

Some will pivot on counselling or psychotherapy to help you understand why you feel raw, anxious or confused. Others might use meditation, mindfulness, yoga therapy, mind mapping or art to empower you to find your own answers. Holistic therapies such as NLP or hypnotherapy can also be helpful. 

Some retreats may focus on the stress points emotional imbalance can trigger: the quality of your sleep, your weight and eating habits, attitude and behaviour. All should help you have a laugh and learn to see the lighter side of life again.

What is right for you?

Although emotional issues are mind-related, and are often expressed through anxiety and depression, they affect our bodies, so the best retreats also attend to the flesh, using movement and therapies to release tension.

It’s vital you decide on your goal before you choose a retreat and speak to the organisers before booking. Who are their experts? What is their training? Can they help with a specific issue? Will you share the space? What’s the ethos: trust in the universe, or based on medical science?

If you’re vulnerable, is it better to retreat alone or with a companion? In my experience, unless you have been going through something together, such as bereavement, having the courage to be alone, supported by caring professionals, brings the best results.

See more from Queen of Retreats at queenofretreats.com.

Selected retreats:

Regain your emotional health at one of four beautiful destinations, from countryside to coast and into the woods…

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