Admissions: from your first call to your first day

Step 1: the first conversation

You, a family member or your GP can start it. When you contact us or call +44 1202 653136, you speak with someone who understands addiction and can answer the practical questions straight away: what the programme involves, what it costs, and whether Spain is a sensible option for your situation. Nothing is decided on that first call. It exists so you can ask, without pressure, and leave knowing what the next step would be.

We work in the same non-shaming way we describe on the Regulation Model. Addiction is treated here as a learned way of managing an unbearable internal state, not a failure of character, and that is the tone of the very first conversation as much as the therapy room.

Step 2: the clinical assessment, before you travel

Before anyone books a flight, there is a pre-admission clinical assessment. This is the single most important part of admission and the reason it rarely goes wrong. It is carried out under our clinical director, Nerea Encinas Sánchez, General Health Psychologist, and it does three things.

• It checks the programme fits. We look at your substance use, your physical health, your mental health and your history, so we can say honestly whether the residential programme is the right level of care for you, or whether something more intensive is safer first.
• It decides whether a detox is needed first. If you are physically dependent, the assessment identifies that early, so a medically supervised withdrawal can be completed before you arrive rather than during your stay.
• It shapes your programme. The assessment feeds directly into the work described on our programme page, so the skills-based psychoeducation, trauma-informed therapy and the daily structure are matched to what you actually need.

Being told honestly, before you spend a penny on travel, that we are or are not the right place is part of the point. It is far kinder than discovering it after arrival.

Step 3: if you need a medically supervised detox first

Sierra is a registered health centre. It is not a hospital and not a detox unit. Where the assessment shows a medically supervised detox is needed, it is completed in an appropriate medical setting before the residential programme begins. Qualified nurses are part of the team throughout your stay, and the arrangements are explained clearly on our assessment and detox page. This keeps the residential month focused on recovery rather than on the acute physical risk of withdrawal.

Step 4: booking, travel and your first day

Once the assessment is complete and a place is confirmed, admission is usually quick, often within a few days. We agree a date, confirm the fee, and help you plan the journey. Málaga airport is well connected to the UK and most of Europe, and the practical detail of getting here, transfers and timings is set out on travelling here.

Keep what you bring simple:

• Any prescribed medication in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.
• Comfortable, casual clothing for daily therapy, walks and the countryside, plus something warmer for cooler evenings.
• Toiletries and personal essentials, and any documents we ask for at booking.
• Photos or small comforts from home if they help you settle.

On arrival you are welcomed, shown the house, introduced to the team and given time to settle before the programme structure begins. There is no dramatic first day. The aim is that you feel safe enough to start.

Step 5: what happens when you go home

Aftercare is agreed before you leave rather than mentioned on the last day. It is one session a week for a full year, online wherever you live or in person at the PROMIS clinics in London, which is more than 48 sessions across the twelve months after discharge, and it is included in the fee. A written clinical handover goes to your GP so nothing has to be explained from scratch. You can read how it is structured on our aftercare and discharge page.

What it costs, and who to call

The residential programme is £9,900 for 28 days, published openly, with no referral fees folded into it. If a hospital detox is needed it is arranged and billed separately, and the assessment tells you in advance whether that applies to you. Families are part of the process too, through our family programme, and GPs or other professionals can start an admission on someone's behalf via making a referral. When you are ready to see the full breakdown or take the next step, our pricing page sets out exactly what is included, and the enquiry form below reaches the clinical team directly.