Portrait

An Inspiring Life Journey

Open, with a candid and human gaze, overflowing with empathy, Abdullah listens attentively when you speak. He knows how to decipher your words and understand your needs. Passionate and deeply humane, he founded nearly ten years ago a clinic dedicated to mental health, addictions, and well-being, following a burnout and a stroke he suffered in his youth.

Of Lebanese origin, he fled the war with his family at the age of 8 to settle in Zurich, Switzerland, where he had to relearn everything, confronting a school system that excluded him due to the language barrier. A brilliant entrepreneur, he excelled in finance, real estate, and health. However, at 33, he abandoned everything after experiencing personal trials to create his own comprehensive mental health program, incorporating innovative and holistic therapies he had explored himself.

His brilliant idea: to offer each patient, in a private home, an exclusive and tailor-made treatment, consisting of a range of care and therapists, thanks to a multidisciplinary and dynamic system available 24 hours a day.

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

"Yes. I grew up in a privileged environment in Lebanon, which I had to abandon with my parents to flee the war. We then took refuge in Switzerland, in Zurich. It was not easy for me to integrate, but I managed, and at 16, I started my first small business. Over the years, I worked in finance, real estate, and health, and I must say my businesses were quite successful. Unfortunately, at the age of 33, everything changed. My pregnant wife fell down the stairs of our new house, and the stress and urgency of juggling everything led me to a burnout and a stroke. I realized that I needed to change my life, otherwise, my mental health and my family would suffer."

"After exploring various paths in the medical field and facing an unsatisfactory medical system, I decided to create my own program to help myself and others facing similar situations. Ironically, by selling my house to a mental health-oriented buyer, Mr. Kusna, he offered me to work with him, which I accepted for over a year. Then, I decided to create my own program in the heart of Switzerland, in a small village. However, I underestimated the difficulty for therapists to settle in a remote location, although the environment was exceptional. This experience made me understand that it was crucial to combine several elements: without sacrificing the quality of therapists, providing an adequate response to clients' needs, and choosing a conducive environment for their healing."



"In 2018, I decided to offer this program and concept in Zurich. The idea was not to have a clinic, but a house or an apartment made available to the client for the duration of their stay, so they would feel at home while receiving all the necessary care, in complete privacy. Then, seeking a place that combined expert therapists and a pleasant environment, I set up The Balance HealthCare in Palma de Mallorca. This location meets all the ideal conditions: quality therapists, specialized training, effective long-term solutions for our clients, and a charming setting with the sea, countryside, and nature. We also offer outpatient programs in London."

Can you explain what you mean by program and what it consists of?

"As I mentioned, this concept is based on a dynamic multidisciplinary care system. It includes a unique and tailor-made program, adapted to the pathologies we treat. We offer Swiss medical and clinical expertise, complemented by holistic therapies in the fields of sound, music, art, and equine therapy. All therapists are in constant connection with the global team and know exactly the interventions of each other as well as the client's reactions. This allows us to adjust each treatment in real-time."

How does a program proceed?

"After taking the time to get to know our client and determining, with Sarah Boss, our doctor, the program that might suit them, we allow them time to become familiar with the entire team that will accompany them on the path to healing, which takes about a week. The client must feel confident with us because we will 'live together' for a flexible period ranging from about one month to three months to establish new behaviors."

"They are also taken care of nutritionally, and our chefs prepare special menus according to individual needs. Among others, we have Maria Salinas, an outstanding chef with a heart of gold who cooks unique dishes!"

One to three months? Isn’t that a bit long?

"It is not long. It is important to understand that our goal is to go beyond superficial solutions and treat the mental system as a whole. We all have traumas that we may not even suspect, which strongly influence our lives, our way of thinking, and living. When we receive a client, we know that their symptoms are often just signs of a deeper, often underlying problem. We will therefore treat them as a whole and allow the patient to regain a lost state of balance. One does not change deep habits in a few days or weeks. Sometimes, it takes months!"

But precisely, taking on new habits can be long. How can you be sure that the client will then apply them in the long term at home? Will they not relapse?

"Indeed, following their treatment, we continue to follow them at home in various ways. Either we have therapists trained in our concept who work with us and reside in the client's home country, or their personal manager, who has followed them throughout their treatment, spends a week or more at their home to continue the new routines established during their stay. The follow-up can last up to two years."

What is your added value compared to high-end establishments like the one in Alicante or others?

"First of all, we bring together under one roof all the cutting-edge techniques in mental health, addiction, and well-being. We are aware that healing is not one-dimensional. Secondly, the client is not in a hotel-like establishment where they will interact with other people. Their privacy is preserved, as they will be in a house made available for the duration of their program. In Mallorca, we have three fincas and two Beach Houses with all dedicated staff, including a private chef, their manager, and of course, all the expert therapists who take care of them 24 hours a day.

We have about a hundred therapists in all fields to assist and help our clients. If desired, their family can visit them, but it is important that they also spend time alone to face their needs and questions. They need to reflect on the quality of their life by themselves. Of course, their family is involved, and we arrange to bring the partner together at some point to work on this goal and offer the client the necessary support from their surroundings. Their entire program is entirely exclusive and personalized, designed by Sarah Boss and our therapists, who stay in constant contact via an app to monitor the patient's progress in real time and know what aspects to delve into or set aside temporarily."

How many treatments does the patient have per day, for example?

"It depends on their program, but they can have between three to five treatments per day, including a sports activity, a session with the nutritionist, a music or art workshop, a holistic activity, and behavioral work. It all depends on the program designed according to their needs."

What disorders do you treat?

"We treat a wide range of pathologies, including trauma and post-traumatic disorders, depression and anxiety, sleep and eating disorders, performance enhancement, and general longevity. We take into account the nervous system, biochemistry, and the personal history of each of our clients."

How do you choose your teams and how many are you?

Our clients are fundamental. We form a close-knit family grounded in fundamental human values. Between Jill Moore, who handles client relations, Linda Myburgh, our marketing and communication director, Michèle C. Bastiansen, operations director, our psychologist, Gita Chaudury, responsible for human resources, Dr. Sarah Boss, in charge of all therapists (clinic director), and all other team members including myself, we have developed an approach based on trust, communication, and the human aspect."

Following The Balance HealthCare, have you developed other projects or concepts?

Indeed, based on The Balance, which is centered on a detoxification program, we are currently developing two other programs:

Our Sense Wellness clinic, more focused on well-being and longevity, is aimed at families with a shorter program (between two to four weeks) and specialized treatments for recovering from burnout and revitalizing individuals and high-level athletes. We have found that the families of our clients also seek wellness solutions. Our program aims to enhance the body's natural healing capacities to extend active life years, optimize performance, and cultivate a deep sense of well-being.



Finally, we have the therapeutic community CognifulL, aimed at group treatments and recoveries, notably for businesses. This program includes individual and group sessions. The team is housed in a unique house, benefiting from independent suites while sharing moments together. Our community mental health and addiction clinic specializes in group treatment and recovery. Intensive treatments can be extremely isolating. This program aims to bring the best of individualized programs to group sessions. Our clients benefit from luxurious private suites within the same residence, allowing them to isolate themselves while encouraging them to stay together.