6 Feb The only Relais and Chateaux Counselling Retreat in the world.

A New Kind of Counselling Retreat                 

The first time I ever heard of a “counselling retreat” was when I was very young and had a holiday job working in what was at the time the “largest toy shop in the world”; Hamleys in Regent Street, London. Soon after huge mega toy stores arrived like space ships landing overnight taking over unwanted sites next to multi story car parks and Hamleys had to make do with a reduced tag line of, the “finest” toy shop in the world.

I worked alongside another holiday staff teenager by the name of Ben who was extremely nice and friendly and kept disappearing to an odd place up in Scotland on his days off. This seemed extraordinary to me as it was a massive journey to make on a regular basis. The reason he was making it, he told me, was to attend a “counselling retreat” that was helping him deal with some anxieties and worries he had. I didn’t pry and left it at that. He described the accommodation as being rather basic (shared drafty bedrooms), and the food being plain but nourishing (porrige for breakfast and lentils for dinner). I wonder how he is now and whether he still makes overnight jouneys to find peace of mind.

I thought of Ben and his counselling retreat stories recently when I was talking to Paul, the very nice and easygoing manager of the Rachamankha hotel (born in Gloucester and speaks perfect Thai). We use his hotel as a venue for one of our luxury counselling retreats. It’s perfect in every way and is everything we wanted our retreat holiday to be when we moved here to set up our Change Holiday company.

I always wondered why traditional counselling retreats where rather austere, offering different versions of what my old friend Ben experienced. What about the other end of the counselling retreat spectrum where the emphasis is in comfort and individual attention I thought.

The hotel is a Relais and Chateaux hotel, which means it is listed by this esteemed organisation for it’s levels of service, its fine cuisine and general ambiance. The hotel has a beautiful quiet, and large swimming pool, one of the best and most valuable private English Libraries in Thailand and a magnificent collection of internationally important works of art and antiques. It has works by Picasso and Henri Moore. The hotel was designed by the owner, a local chap and design and architect enthusiast. It is modelled on a famous Buddhist temple in the neighbouring province of Lampang and reflects the quiet tranquility that temples often have. It must be one of the most wonderful locations for a counselling retreat anywhere in the world.

The individual Change Therapy sessions take place either in the sala next to the swimming pool or a quiet space tucked away under the slow swirl of large colonial fans.

I looked at the menu for this weekend before I left talking to Paul the other day. It started with scallops wrapped in smoked salmon, followed by a coconut chicken curry with lemon grass and ginger. I don’t suppose the old porrige and lentils would go down too well here, although I bet if you asked Paul and his team would rustle them up in no time.

If you are interestd in a luxury Counselling Retreat in the Rachamankha 5* boutique hotel do let us know and we’ll let you know the latest offers and prices.

Alex.