Harbor: Redefining Treatment for Complex Mental Health Needs of the Super Rich

Despite looking like they “have it all” from the outside, the high-profile super-rich are as vulnerable and susceptible to mental illness as the rest of us.  Unlike us, they face the added pressure that comes from constant public scrutiny, career pressure and enormous societal, cultural, and social expectations whether from fans, the media, business associates, families, and friends.

In such high-stakes worlds, whether as a celebrity, entrepreneur, businessperson or as part of a high-profile family, the pressure to be happy because you are seen as successful and highly fortunate is immense.  

At the recent inquest of a 47-year-old highly respected partner at a leading law firm and a mother of two, it was revealed that she was suffering from an acute mental health crisis when she was struck by a train in March. The inquest detailed how the pressures of working 18-hour days on a high-profile case, coupled with her family responsibilities, had severely impacted her mental well-being. It was all too much and despite the outcry that followed her death, there is still a taboo among the high-powered about reaching out for help and many suffer in silence, sometimes with tragic consequences.  

The problem is that when left untreated, mental illnesses like anxiety, depression and addiction can ruin lives, sabotage careers, destroy family and business legacies, demolish professional and personal reputations, and devastate relationships with family and friends, but often fear of public exposure can stop people seeking help.

Paul Flynn, CEO of Harbor, an exclusive private mental health care service, says; “The impact of mental health issues becoming public can be profound and have real-life consequences. Media scrutiny and public commentary can make matters worse, straining relationships and disrupting personal and professional lives. For businesses, it can lead to a loss of confidence among shareholders, and impact pension funds, investors, employees, and clients”.

There are constant stories in the press about celebrities and their public struggles with mental illness, tragic suicides, career ending battles with addiction. The untimely deaths of stars like George Michael and Matthew Perry serve as stark reminders of a sobering reality: mental health issues do not discriminate based on wealth or status and the constant media attention on the “progress” and treatment of their illness can be devastating.  

“The facade of having it all can mask internal battles. The relentless weight of expectations on these people can exacerbate mental health challenges. Many of the UHNW people who come to us, whether they are famous or not, often have trust issues, can carry the weight of expectation, or lack a sense of purpose and struggle with shame, guilt, and fear which has stopped or delayed them seeking treatment.

For the past 8 years, Harbor, a leader in highly curated mental health treatment, has successfully been helping people recover and heal in their own private spaces. Instead of operating from a clinical setting, where clients share facilities, Harbor’s clients stay in luxurious private residencies, and receive one-to-one treatment, in some of London’s most prestigious locations for their treatment. 

Clients can focus on their healing journey in complete privacy, knowing they are in a safe space getting the best possible personalised care, leaving with their reputations and well-being intact, preserving both their personal dignity and professional and social standing. 

“The need for privacy in mental health care cannot be overstated, especially for wealthy families and business people. Getting treatment at communal, well-known private mental health facilities, whether in the UK or overseas is out of the question when privacy is paramount if reputational risk is to be avoided. At Harbor, we provide a sanctuary away from the glare of the public gaze, where healing is personal and privacy is sacred”, says Flynn.