The wellness travel industry no longer focuses solely on physical fitness — it now also embraces mental health, with a growing number of resorts and retreats offering everything from sleep enhancement programs to extended-stay, neurocognitive therapies.

A longtime leader in wellness retreats, Canyon Ranch has seen an uptick in guests prioritizing their mental well-being. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the stigma around receiving mental health care has decreased,” said Mary Cahilly, senior Mental Health & Wellness therapist, Canyon Ranch, located in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Tucson, Arizona, among other locations.

“Many of our guests choose Canyon Ranch because they have been struggling with multiple stressors, are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, and need to reset,” Cahilly said. Guests work with professionals such as mental health counselors who use psychotherapy and psychoeducation to help identify strategies for positive change. “They are relieved to have a licensed clinician help them sort through their challenges and develop a ‘game plan’ for reclaiming their peace and well-being.”

At Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand, mental and emotional well- being is a core pillar of the resort’s holistic health philosophy. “One of the key highlights is our Brain Health Enhancement Program, which is designed to support cognitive performance, emotional balance and mental clarity,” said Gopal Kumar, general manager and group director Wellness Development, Operations & Projects, Kamalaya International.

This integrative program draws from both Eastern healing traditions and Western neuroscientific research and includes neurocognitive therapies, stress management, mindfulness practices and targeted therapeutic bodywork.

Guests also show interest in the resort’s Embracing Change program, which focuses on emotional balance and resilience. “Our guests appreciate that these programs don’t just offer temporary relief; they equip them with tools and practices that extend far beyond their stay,” Kumar said.

Ananda in the Himalayas, a wellness retreat near Rishikesh, India, the birthplace of yoga, offers mental health options including the Dhyana Meditation, Ananda Yoga, Stress Management and Sleep Enhancement programs, designed to address a range of mental health concerns through structured tools such as guided meditation, yoga asanas, sound healing and Ayurvedic lifestyle interventions.

“These programs create the right environment for the mind to slow down. With guidance, guests learn how to sit with themselves, breathe and experience stillness with ease,” said Malati Mehrish, head of Yoga, Ananda in the Himalayas, adding that they arrive overwhelmed but within a few days experience clearer thoughts and better sleep.

The Retreat Costa Rica noticed a rise in guests seeking its Emotional Healing program according to Diana Stobo, founder and owner. “This growing interest reflects a deeper shift happening in the wellness world: People are realizing that true health isn’t just about the body but about tending to the heart and mind as well.”

Therapies include somatic practices and integrative healing sessions, utilizing tools to tackle stress, anxiety and chakra blockages.

Stobo said guests seek “not just relief, but true liberation from trauma cycles — craving the tools, the environment and the compassionate support needed to release old narratives and create space for new, empowered ways of thinking and being.”