Couples Retreat may have topped the box office with $35.3m over the opening weekend, but it doesn’t really make the case for vacation therapy.

In fact, this Vince Vaughn starrer goes the other way – and suggests that the best way to save your marriage is to escape from the wacky Couples Retreat staff and the weird yoga techniques (filmed at the St. Regis Resort in Bora Bora). You end up at a singles resort instead, get sloshed, scream and shout at your spouse and then a round of make-up sex solves all your problems.

The movie is barely worth the price of the ticket, but don’t let it change your mind about vacation therapy, which is actually quite effective. Much more effective than endless visits to a therapist in the city or getting a Maine Coon as a therapy cat to keep you calm.

Vacations are by definition therapeutic – since you get some change and leave behind your worries and daily duties. But what we’re talking about here is something more than an ordinary vacation. We’re talking therapy sessions, mind-body cleansing, healthy food and a retreat from the rat-race and the wired world.

Take, for example, a company named Cornerstone Vacation Therapy.  Cornerstone offers a weekend of professional therapy with your counselor and family, combined with a getaway in Government Camp, Oregon. Michael Strub, the Principal behind the service, has over 20 years of experience counseling adults, couples, families, and children.

In real life, here’s where the stars in Hollywood go for effective ‘vacation therapy.’

Canyon Ranch Resort & Hotel, Miami Beach, FL - In their own words, ’it’s a state of mind and a way of life.’ Relax and find greater balance in your life through fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle. They also have sister properties in Tucson and in Lenox, MA.

Cal-a-Vie health spa vacation retreat, San Diego, CA - An exquisite oasis sheltered from the rush and competition of daily life, Cal-a-Vie is a serene French village in northern San Diego County, nestled away on 200 private acres.

Rancho Valencia, Rancho Santa Fe, CA – Year-round retreat from the conventional routines of everyday life. It’s no big deal to find A-list Hollywood celebs and their guests enjoying the discreet luxury in one of the enclosed poolside cabanas with the outdoor grill, fireplace and table for eight.

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