Questions We Are Often Asked

Istana sits outside the traditional categories of rehab or clinic. It is best understood as a private, one-client treatment model, where an entire clinical and support environment is created around a single individual.

There are no shared facilities, no shared spaces and no fixed programme. Everything, from the clinical team to the residence, is designed specifically for one person.

The most accurate description is a confidential, single-client, bespoke, holistic, residential treatment programme that takes place in a location that bears no connection to a clinic, rehab, or place of healing.

The starting point is the client, not the institution.

Every aspect of the client’s experience and their treatment plan is created just for that individual.

This is a model designed for individuals who require absolute confidentiality and cannot be seen entering a rehab or clinical environment under any circumstances.

Yes. Traditional and luxury rehabilitation centres operate from fixed locations and treat multiple clients simultaneously.

Istana provides a different model entirely: one client at a time, no known address, no shared environment, and a fully bespoke clinical team and treatment plan assembled for each individual. This structure eliminates the risks associated with visibility, recognition and the limitations of a generic programme.

Istana is designed to be operationally private, not just contractually confidential. Each client is treated in a private villa secured exclusively for their stay, with no signage or branding, no known address, first names only throughout, all staff under NDA, and all internal records deleted on departure.

There is nothing publicly identifiable as a treatment facility.

For full details of our confidentiality protocols, see our dedicated Confidentiality page.

The process is structured to eliminate visibility at every stage. Travel is arranged discreetly. A senior team member meets the client inside the airport and fast-tracks them through arrivals. The villa is prepared under the name of Istana personnel and bears no connection to us.

At no point is there a public-facing moment that indicates treatment is taking place.

Yes. Many clients enter treatment without anyone outside a very small, trusted circle being aware. The structure of a private residence, no fixed location and controlled communications allows for complete discretion while maintaining personal and professional continuity.

Yes, and we mean this operationally, not just contractually. Every Istana team member is bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement before joining any client engagement. If you wish to provide your own NDA, it will be signed and returned by every member of your dedicated team prior to arrival.

First names only are used throughout. Our residences bear no signage and no connection to Istana. All vehicles are discreet and unbranded. Any bookings made on your behalf are made in the name of Istana personnel. On departure, all internal communications are deleted and shredded. There is no archive.

Yes. Many clients arrive without the knowledge of anyone outside one or two trusted individuals. The concierge and PA team can manage professional and personal communications in a way that accounts for your absence without explanation.

What you choose to tell your family, and when, is entirely your decision. Our role is to ensure that the choice remains yours.

In a crisis situation we can have a medical team to you within 2 hours.

In urgent situations, a villa can be secured, a clinical team assembled and everything in place within 48 hours, and a medical team can be at the client’s location within hours.

In most circumstances, allowing for clinical assessment, documentation and villa preparation, admission is typically seven to ten days from first contact.

Please do not wait if the situation is urgent. Contact us directly and we will find the fastest possible path.

The first step is a confidential conversation by WhatsApp, phone or email. This commits neither you nor the person you are concerned about to anything. It is simply a conversation, and we will listen before we say anything.

Many of the people who contact us are executive assistants, family members or personal advisers making enquiries discreetly, without the knowledge of the person they are concerned about. This is expected and entirely appropriate. We can advise on how to approach the conversation, arrange a preliminary clinical assessment, and have everything in place to move quickly when the moment is right.

We work directly with executive assistants, family offices and personal advisers and understand the particular responsibility they carry. The process begins with a confidential conversation, after which we coordinate the clinical assessment, logistics and travel, villa preparation, and all ongoing communications. The level of involvement and visibility is entirely controlled by the client’s representatives.

Yes. Many initial enquiries come from family members, executive assistants or personal advisers, without the knowledge of the person they are concerned about. We can advise on approach, timing and next steps without committing to anything. Everything remains confidential until the client is ready.

This is one of the most difficult conversations there is, and there is no single right approach. We are experienced in advising families, executive assistants and trusted advisers on how to hold this situation and how to create the conditions in which someone becomes more open to help.

Contact us first. We can talk through the specific situation and suggest an approach that is more likely to be heard. When the moment of readiness arrives, everything can move very quickly.

No. Previous treatment that did not hold is among the most common situations we encounter, and it is rarely because the person failed. It is usually because the programme was not designed for them: too generic, too group-based, or too removed from the specific dynamics of their life.

At Istana, everything is built from scratch around the individual. We start without assumptions about what previous attempts mean and focus on understanding what specifically needs to be different this time.

Yes, and we welcome it. With your consent, we will liaise with any doctor or therapist who has worked with you previously. Their knowledge of your history is genuinely useful to our clinical team. Any information shared is held by the managing clinical team only, and only with your explicit consent.

Istana was founded in 2017 by Ian Ross-Smith. Ian’s path to founding Istana began with his own experience: an affluent but dysfunctional upbringing, undiagnosed childhood trauma, substance dependence and a long road to recovery. That road took him through virtually every tier of treatment available, from the most basic to the most expensive.

What he found everywhere was the same: uncertain confidentiality, generic programmes, impersonal relationships and facilities where business interests regularly took precedence over therapeutic need. There was no environment in which a client’s unique personal and clinical requirements were genuinely placed above everything else.

Istana was created to be that environment. Ian’s direct experience of what does and does not work, and his deep understanding of the particular dynamics of high-profile lives under pressure, informs every aspect of how Istana operates. The human connection he builds with prospective clients and families is, for many, the reason they choose Istana over any other option.

The best luxury rehabilitation facilities, including Paracelsus Recovery in Zurich, The Kusnacht Practice on Lake Zurich and The Balance in Mallorca, offer genuine clinical excellence in beautiful environments. The structural difference is this: they operate from fixed premises and treat multiple clients simultaneously.

For most people, a luxury facility is the right choice. For those who cannot be in a shared environment under any circumstances, whose professional standing, public profile or family situation makes even the most discreet shared facility an unacceptable risk, Istana is a different model entirely. No fixed address. One client at a time. A clinical team assembled from scratch for one person. A villa that exists, for the duration of the stay, as their private world alone.

Beyond structure, Istana’s founding conviction is that compassion, human connection and trust are as important as clinical excellence. We place as much emphasis on how treatment is delivered as on the calibre of the treatment itself.

Because meaningful progress at this level is fundamentally incompatible with a shared environment. Group therapy is convenient for the provider. It is rarely optimal for people who have spent their lives performing a version of themselves in front of others and who need to let that performance down before genuine progress is possible.

When the entire clinical and support team is focused on one person, the programme adapts in real time to what that person needs. There is no group dynamic to navigate, no schedule set by the facility’s rhythm, no risk of being seen or recognised. The work that happens in that environment is qualitatively different from what is possible elsewhere.

Clinical excellence is a given at the level we operate. The psychiatrists, psychotherapists, trauma specialists and complementary therapists we assemble are among the most respected in their fields, and the resources we draw on are built entirely around the individual presenting.

What is not a given, and what distinguishes Istana, is the human connection that makes clinical excellence effective. As our founder Ian Ross-Smith has observed: unless a client connects with and trusts the team around them, from the chef and the driver to the psychotherapist and the psychiatrist, the protective layers remain in place and progress stalls. We do not treat a diagnosis. We meet a person.

Substance dependence including alcohol, opioids and stimulants; burnout and chronic stress; trauma and PTSD; depression and anxiety; eating disorders; gambling addiction and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

We are particularly experienced in the intersection of these conditions with the specific dynamics of UHNW lives and families: the weight of legacy, the pressure of public life and the loneliness that extraordinary success can quietly produce. In many presentations more than one condition is present. Our clinical team is experienced in addressing complex co-occurring situations.

Treating teams are specifically curated by their experience and expertise suitable for each client.

This includes leading psychiatrists, psychotherapists, doctors, nurses and trauma specialists, alongside a full range of complementary modalities: CBT, EMDR, trauma-informed psychotherapy, somatic therapy, breathwork, meditation, yoga, Watsu, acupuncture, HBOT, red light therapy and nutritional medicine.

Every team member is selected for the specific individual. The programme is built from scratch. There is no standard template.

Yes. For clients who require it, detox is managed by a dedicated medical team from the moment of arrival. Your doctor and nursing team will be present when you arrive and will conduct a precise clinical assessment to provide immediate treatment and any medication required. You will have 24/7 medical care for as long as the detox phase requires.

Alongside medical support, a range of healing therapies is offered from the earliest stages, including relaxation techniques, massage, meditation, acupuncture, restorative yoga and gentle personal training. Working alongside the medical protocol, these practices accelerate the process, support physical recovery and calm the nervous system. Nutritional requirements are assessed and a personalised plan prepared by your chef from the outset.

A preliminary clinical assessment of your detox requirements is carried out before you arrive, so that everything is in place on the day you land.

Yes. Istana’s Clinical Director, Dr Jeremy Alford PhD, is the Founder and President of the Middle East Eating Disorders Association and a Senior Trainer for the National Centre of Eating Disorders in the United Kingdom. Eating disorders rarely arrive alone. They are frequently accompanied by anxiety, depression, substance use or trauma, all of which require specialist assessment alongside the primary presentation. We are equipped to address all of these in whatever combination they present.

Yes, we have a few ex clients and advisers who are willing to validate Istana. However this requires pre-vetting and agreement from the ex client prior to introduction.

In most circumstances we cannot connect prospective clients with former clients directly, as confidentiality applies on both sides. What we can offer is an honest, unhurried conversation with a senior member of our clinical or client services team, who can speak frankly about what a stay involves and what clients typically experience. We can also share written testimonials from clients who have given their consent.

Yes, and this is actively welcomed when the client wishes it. A spouse present for part of the week, a parent visiting for a few days, a trusted family member involved in specific therapeutic sessions: the arrangement is entirely led by the client and can evolve as the stay progresses.

If a client prefers complete privacy, that is equally respected. Many clients begin wanting full privacy and later choose to involve someone they are close to, once they feel settled and ready.

This is one of the areas where Istana has the deepest experience. Behind the dependency or the burnout there are almost always layers of complexity: the weight of family legacy, the expectations that come with dynastic wealth, the silence demanded by power and the roles assigned within a family structure that have never been questioned because questioning them felt impossible.

We understand the particular loneliness of extraordinary success. We understand how the pressure to perform within a prominent family can become the driver of the behaviour that brings someone to us. And we are experienced in working not just with the individual but with the family system around them.

Yes, where the client consents to this. We have facilitated conversations between family members that have been genuinely transformative: conversations that families have needed to have for decades, held in a setting and with clinical support that makes them safe and productive.

We have worked with adult children navigating the expectations of founding parents, with spouses carrying invisible burdens, and with individuals defined by a family role that left no room for who they actually are. This work is always led by the client, at their pace.

This is a situation we encounter regularly. We are experienced in working with families where there is disagreement or where different members are at very different stages of understanding. We can work with individual family members separately, advise on how to navigate disagreement without creating further damage, and help the person at the centre of the situation to make their own decisions, free from the pressures that family conflict generates. Our first obligation is always to the client.

Yes. We do not ask clients to disconnect from their professional responsibilities. A rotating team of three concierge and PA staff operates around the clock, experienced in working alongside executive assistants, security teams, board administrators and family offices. Treatment sessions are scheduled around existing professional commitments. The villa is a fully operational private environment with complete connectivity.

Several Istana clients have managed significant professional matters, including board decisions, investor calls and major transactions, during their stay, while simultaneously doing the most important work of their recovery. The two are not opposites at Istana. They require orchestration, and orchestration is what our team provides.

There is no fixed typical day, because every programme is designed around the individual. Most stays settle into a natural rhythm: mornings that begin with space, breakfast prepared by your personal chef, time by the pool, movement that feels restorative. Clinical sessions, psychotherapy, psychiatry and complementary therapies are woven through the day at a pace calibrated with you as the stay progresses.

Professional commitments are accommodated. Evenings are yours. The overall experience is one of structured care held within a framework of genuine comfort and privacy, a world that asks nothing of you except to be present.

Your programme is managed and coordinated by Istana’s Clinical Director, who oversees your treating team and ensures the programme adapts in real time to your needs and progress. Your day-to-day point of contact is Chiara Fischer, our Director of Client Services, the person who knows your preferences, manages your schedule and is available to you at any hour.

Your clinical team will include a psychiatrist, a medical practitioner and a psychotherapist, supported by complementary therapists across the full range of modalities relevant to your programme. Every member works as one, with your progress as their entire focus.

Of course. We do not believe that isolation from loved ones assists recovery. Quite the opposite: maintaining connection with the people who matter is often an important part of the process.

You remain in complete control of your communications throughout your stay. The concierge and PA team can support family liaison at whatever level you find helpful, managing communications on your behalf if needed, or simply remaining available when you want them.

Aftercare at Istana is as bespoke as the treatment itself, and we consider it an integral part of recovery rather than an optional add-on. The period immediately after leaving, returning to the world that generated the original difficulty, is often the most vulnerable, and we take it seriously.

Aftercare options are discussed and agreed collaboratively during the final stages of your stay, before departure, and are designed entirely around your specific circumstances.

Yes. A team of companions can accompany you home and remain with you for as long as you need, whether days, weeks or months. They are experienced at blending discreetly into any environment, social setting or culture, and are present in whatever capacity is most useful: emotional support, practical assistance, or simply a steady and trusted presence during the adjustment back to ordinary life.

The relationship built during your stay does not end at the airport. This is one of the most significant things that distinguishes Istana’s aftercare from any other model available.

Yes. For clients who are not ready to return directly to their home environment, an extended period in a supported Istana arrangement can be organised. This is a private, structured setting that provides more containment than returning home directly but less intensity than active treatment, giving additional time to consolidate what has changed before re-entering a high-velocity life.

Yes. Remote consultations with your psychotherapist and any complementary therapists you have connected with continue after departure, scheduled around your life and at whatever frequency the clinical team recommends. The therapeutic relationship does not end when the stay ends.

We do not close the door when treatment ends. Any Istana client who reaches out after their stay is met without judgement and without limitation. If additional support is needed, we provide it. If a return to more intensive treatment is indicated, we can arrange it quickly.

The question we ask is not when does treatment end, but what does this person need to remain well. The aftercare plan is built around that answer.

Istana operates across three island locations: Bali, Barbados and Ibiza. Each chosen for its natural beauty, established culture of discretion, accessibility for international clients and capacity for rapid admission when required.

We do not own our residences.  Once a villa becomes known as a place of healing for UNHW and high profile individuals, privacy is blown and the security risk becomes unacceptable.

For each client, we identify, secure and prepare a private luxury villa exclusively for their stay. When the stay ends, the villa reverts to being a private residence with no connection to Istana.

No known properties, no trace.

Fees are determined by location, length of stay and the resources required for a successful treatment outcome.

Duration of stay is determined by therapeutic requirements rather than fixed packages. Some clients stay for two weeks, others six months.

Fees for: Bali start at US$40,000 per week, Barbados at US$65,000 per week and Ibiza at €65,000 per week.

Treating teams are international and of equally high calibre across all locations. As are the service levels.

Disparity  of costs is merely due to the differing ancillary costs of each location.

The fee covers the full programme, including clinical and support staff, villa, domestic staff and personal chef, dedicated vehicle and driver, and all included services as detailed below.

Inclusions: All programme-related clinical services including psychiatry, psychotherapy and medical team; detox care and 24-hour nursing where required; full range of complementary and relaxation therapies; recreational pursuits; accommodation, all food and drink in the villa and casual dining out; 24-hour Istana concierge and support care; domestic staff, dedicated vehicle and driver and security.

Not included: International travel, cosmetic procedures and dentistry, elective medical procedures, scans and medication unrelated to the programme, and medical emergencies unrelated to the programme. Please ensure adequate travel insurance and bring all current prescribed medication for a minimum of one month. High-value recreational activities such as yacht charter or helicopter hire are also not included.

Istana is incorporated in Singapore as Istana Jiwa Pte Ltd and banks with OCBC Singapore. We accept payment in most major currencies.

Istana is a private therapeutic retreat rather than a hospital or clinic.

One of the reasons a client comes to Istana is that they want to recover outside their home country and in an idyllic location.

Therefore our fees are not covered by health insurance providers.

Some health insurance funds have provisions for certain aspects of rehabilitation, such as psychiatry, and clients should refer to their own insurer to inquire about recouping these costs after departure.

We triage admission requests and tentatively schedule accordingly.

However we receive many requests and are unable to hold an unconfirmed booking for long.

Therefore bookings are only confirmed upon receipt of payment in full for the agreed duration of your stay.

Once the funds are cleared, your booking is confirmed, your dates are secured against any other admission requests and all resources required for your stay are reserved and mobilised in preparation for your arrival.

Being a bespoke service we greatly appreciate receipt of cleared funds no later than 7 working days prior to arrival to allow adequate time for preparation.

Payments received are non-refundable except in cases of force majeure.

In this event, reasonableness shall prevail, and any funds that have not been disbursed and cannot be recouped or have been pre-allocated will be reimbursed.