‘My breathing calms as soon as I arrive’Milo Boyd and Steffan Rhys Deputy Content Hub Director
08:29, 22 Nov 2025
A trauma therapist sends her patients 20 minutes from Bristol to relax
A therapist has praised the calming qualities of a particular UK city for her patients. Kaila Hattis, founder and therapist at Pacific Coast Therapy, has extensive experience working with individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences, teaching them how to regulate their emotions. When it comes to locations “that have the potential to aid an over-stressed individual relax and unwind”, Kaila is particularly fond of one.
She said: “Bath has always stood out for its slow-moving, consistent pace from the moment one arrives in the city. The curved Georgian roads move at a soothing pace, while the quieter areas near the Abbey have a calming effect on anxious individuals quicker than any grounding technique I have taught.
“For myself, my own breathing calms within seconds of arriving, and similarly for my clients. Approximately 7 out of 10 of the clients who have travelled to Bath report that their bodies relaxed without them doing anything differently. The reality is that Bath provides people with space to reset themselves, much like wellness trends attempt to simulate but cannot replicate.”
Twenty minutes from Bristol, the tale of Bath’s origin is a fascinating one, involving Prince Bladud who was roaming the area in 890 BC with a herd of pigs, having been exiled from his kingdom due to leprosy. He noticed something unique about the water seeping through the soil when his pig companions began joyfully frolicking in the warm mud.
This site would later become the city of Bath, drawing bath-house enthusiasts and pilgrims from all over Europe for the next 2,900 years. For those seeking a tranquil retreat in the city today, Thermae Bath Spa is a top choice, offering herbal steam rooms and four thermal pools, including an open-air rooftop pool.
I’m a trauma therapist – I send my patients to this calming British city
Kaila says Bath has a calming effect on people
Bath is also renowned for its breath-taking architecture, predominantly constructed during the Georgian era of the 18th century – though it may also be familiar to television viewers as a filming location for Bridgerton. The Crescent is arguably the city’s architectural masterpiece, utilising golden Bath stone and the Palladian revival style to elevate terraced housing into an art form.
The rejuvenated Cleveland Pools – the oldest lido in Britain – and the Bath World Heritage Centre are also worth exploring, while rugby fans can catch a Premiership match at the central stadium, nestled next to a river beneath splendid examples of Georgian architecture. One of Bath’s most iconic landmarks is Pulteney Bridge, a testament to Georgian architecture that arches over the River Avon.
‘Approximately 7 out of 10 of the clients who have travelled to Bath report that their bodies relaxed'(Image: futurewalk via Getty Images)
Another top-rated destination for unwinding is Utrecht, according to Kaila: “The canals are located beneath the street level and this creates a quieter environment, pulling the noise down into the lower levels before it even becomes noticeable. At present, I send entrepreneurs to Utrecht since many of them operate under a state of constant adrenaline. Upon returning, they report more stable moods, clearer thought processes and significantly reduced episodes of spiraling thoughts. This essentially equates to both cities providing the kinds of resets that most busy individuals rarely permit themselves.”