The spa has always been a place of rejuvenation where guests can partake in services that comfort the body, relax the mind and soothe the spirit. These effects can in part be attributed to treatments, but they are also rooted in the overall intention and atmosphere of the spa. Simply entering an aesthetically pleasing space where an attentive staff’s primary goal is to make people feel good is both physically and psychologically soothing. Such focused care and nurturing promotes healing—which is even more important to a mind or body challenged by illness.
The Spa as Support
As illness or unwellness goes, there is a great deal that can be done outside of healthcare appointments, medical procedures and medications. A relaxed spa atmosphere and gentle nurturing services can help support physician care in a meaningful way while providing a much-needed contrast to more clinical and often stressful medical environments.
Allowing for time to disconnect from smartphones, social media and daily news can shift the guest’s mindset from commitments and stress to leisure and relaxation, which can help people find the emotional resilience needed to manage their chronic illness. Spending just one day at the spa or, in some cases, simply enjoying a treatment can contribute to symptom relief in a significant way for these clients.
Because guests dealing with illness or a chronic issue will likely have unique needs and restrictions, it’s important for staff to be mindful of these needs when recommending and booking treatments. If the client is dealing with a serious illness or injury, or is under a physician’s care, they should discuss spa and wellness treatments with a medical professional prior to booking.
In these cases, it’s important to keep within your role. Although you offer services that may indeed provide relief from certain symptoms, your objective should never be treatment of a medical condition; it is entirely about soothing and supporting the person in a gentle and noninvasive way. Remember that nothing brings joy like a day at the spa, and joy in and of itself is therapeutic.
Amy Gardner is a licensed and oncology trained esthetician, educator and director of education at LightStim, where she has curated the company’s educational content for more than 11 years. Having immersed herself in the study of light therapy during this time, Gardner is an internationally sought-after speaker within the skin care, medical and wellness communities.
