“Therapy is hard — vacation is not,” quips Marissa Nelson, the sex therapist behind sex retreat chain, IntimacyMoons, which hosts couples and individuals for extended sex-positive workshops in Barbados, Hawaii, St. Lucia and Washington, D.C. “People want to prioritize sexuality, but if they’re having trouble connecting with their partner, or exploring new avenues of intimacy, there may be some difficult issues to work through. A sex retreat is blending the luxury of vacation with some of that hard emotional work.” At her St. Lucia retreat, for example — which clocks in at about $7,500 for seven days — folks can expect beachfront couples workshops, dimly lit hotel rooms, and bespoke counseling from trained sex therapists. The premise is as follows: You’re taking couples therapy, removing the stigma, and instead, giving it the sheen of vacation. “All our travel data says that folks are moving away from stereotypical, luxurious vacations, and instead, are interested in having experiences. So at retreats like mine, you can enjoy the pleasant fixtures of vacation, while also having this important growth experience,” she explains.
