Maciej’s Transformation

In my original review, I said I was planning to come back. I did, for another 4 weeks in Aug–Sep 2025. For me, the second stay was the better of the two. By then the business had moved to a larger house and property, and some of the staff were different. The main difference, though, was that I hit the ground running from day one. On my first stay, coming from Tasmania to WA and not knowing anyone, it took me about two weeks to settle in. Early on, Danny and I also had some personality clashes (we’re almost opposite personality types), but we worked out how to communicate well, and that continued throughout my second stay. The night before and the morning of my second stay, I was very anxious and upset in my Perth hotel (due to my PTSD and depression). But once we arrived at the new property, and particularly upon seeing the familiar staff, who all gave me hugs, I had an overwhelming feeling of relief and “it’s OK, I’m safe now.” For me, this was only possible because of the progress and rapport built during my first stay. During my first stay, I raised some concerns with Danny about how parts of the program and services were described on the website compared with what it looked like would actually be provided. We worked through them together at the time. Some were resolved and others we compromised on, and I noticed the website was later comprehensively updated. It was a two-way process, and it helped that I knew what to raise and how to raise it. What helped me most was that the program was tailored to my needs and almost entirely one-on-one: therapy sessions (a psychotherapist during my first stay, a psychologist during my second), personal training, massage, breathwork and more. The food, sauna and ice bath contrast therapy, and the quiet rural setting also helped. The only group activities were optional weekend outings, such as whale watching, beach outings and yoga. I rarely joined in during my first stay, and joined in a little more on my second, including a Native American-style sweat lodge. Across both stays I made substantial physical improvements, including losing 8 kg in the first stay and 10 kg in the second, and my treating team at home was impressed. Different things work for different people. I previously tried a four-week in-hospital mental health admission in Tasmania. As someone who needs a sense of control, its rigid rules and mandatory group therapy didn’t suit me, and I felt worse at the end of it. For me, the tailored, one-on-one approach, combined with the mix of staff personalities at Six Seasons, was what worked. This was my experience as someone who already had a GP and specialists managing my care at home.