PTSD is not a weakness. It is an unresolved survival response.
Post-traumatic stress is not a character flaw or a failure to cope. It is a physiological response — the nervous system locked in a pattern of protection long after the threat has passed. Flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and chronic anxiety are not signs of weakness. They are signs that the body has not yet found its way out of survival mode.
At Holina, we understand that PTSD does not live only in the mind. It lives in the body, in the nervous system, in the way you breathe and sleep and relate to the world. Our programmes are built around that understanding — and around the clinical tools that actually address it.
The Gap in Standard Care
Why weekly therapy often isn't enough for PTSD recovery.
Most people who come to Holina have already tried conventional routes. They are not new to therapy. What they have found is that one hour a week — however skilled the therapist — returns them to the same environment, the same stressors, the same nervous system state that sustains the problem.
The nervous system needs more than insight
PTSD is stored somatically — in the body's threat response. Talking about trauma without addressing the physiological component leaves the core of the problem untouched.
One hour cannot reset a dysregulated system
Regulation requires consistency, depth, and time. A weekly session cannot provide the sustained therapeutic environment needed for genuine nervous system change.
The same environment sustains the same patterns
Returning home between sessions means returning to the triggers, relationships, and daily pressures that reinforce the trauma response.
Complex PTSD requires more than a single modality
For trauma with deep or multiple roots, a single therapeutic approach — CBT alone — rarely produces lasting resolution.
Our Clinical Approach
Somatic. Polyvagal-informed. Integrated for the body, not just the mind.
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
Every programme at Holina is built around the Polyvagal Theory — addressing the autonomic nervous system directly, helping the body move out of chronic threat response and into a state where healing becomes possible.
Somatic Experiencing & TRE
Trauma is held in the body. Our somatic practitioners work with breath, movement, and body awareness to release the physiological charge of trauma stored in the nervous system — not just process it cognitively.
Daily Individual Psychotherapy
One-to-one sessions with a trauma-specialised psychotherapist every day. CBT, psychodynamic, and integrative approaches, tailored to your specific history and presentation.
Group Therapy & Peer Process
Twice-weekly facilitated group sessions. The relational dynamics of group work are themselves therapeutic — being witnessed and witnessing others is part of how the nervous system learns it is safe.
Who Comes to Holina for PTSD
Our guests typically arrive having already tried other routes.
They have been through years of conventional therapy without full resolution
They are high-functioning externally but exhausted by the effort of managing their symptoms
Their PTSD stems from a specific event — accident, violence, loss, medical trauma
Their PTSD is complex, with roots in childhood or prolonged exposure
They have tried CBT but found they plateaued before full resolution
They want a period of complete immersion — away from daily demands — to do the work properly
They understand that genuine recovery requires more than insight
A note on suitability
Holina is a residential therapeutic retreat, not an acute psychiatric facility. We work best with adults who are not in acute crisis, who are motivated for deep work, and who are physically and psychologically stable enough to engage with intensive therapy. Our intake call helps us assess fit honestly — for your sake as much as ours.
For those dealing with acute or single-event PTSD. A structured, clinically-led programme of daily individual therapy, somatic work, and nervous system regulation. A strong starting point.
4-Week Healing Programme
US $14,700
Our most recommended programme for PTSD. Long enough for real depth — trauma processing, somatic integration, peer process in group, and a full aftercare plan before departure.
12-Week Restorative
On enquiry
For complex or treatment-resistant PTSD. A fully bespoke pathway, designed with your clinical team. Weekly psychiatric review, advanced somatic protocols, and full aftercare.
All programmes are all-inclusive: accommodation, meals, daily therapy, medical assessment, and all holistic activities. We will recommend the right programme on your intake call — never longer than your situation requires.
