Trauma Psychotherapist
Online Therapy & Retreats
Many women arrive having already done a great deal of thinking, reading and reflecting.
They understand their story — and yet their body continues to respond as though something remains unfinished.
This doesn't mean anything is wrong with them. The nervous system can continue responding to experiences of overwhelm, prolonged stress or trauma long after the circumstances themselves have passed.
I work with women across a wide range of experiences, from complex trauma and acute crisis to those who have already done significant therapeutic work but recognise that something remains unresolved.
The work is not about understanding more. It is about resolution.
My approach brings together psychotherapy and somatic work, helping women recognise and work with responses that have remained active long after they were needed.
The aim is not simply greater insight, but meaningful change in how they feel, respond and live.
Relational Completion Therapy
A clinical approach to resolving trauma through the completion of interrupted survival responses.
“The one-to-one work Tess did with me was like nothing I had ever experienced.”
— Mary, Ireland
Tess Hunneybell
Trauma Psychotherapist
Before I was a trauma psychotherapist, I was someone who built things — six houses across four countries, a treehouse resort in Dominica, a posada in Mexico, and a grief garden for Ukrainian refugees in the UK.
I have fostered seven children. I have worked on the streets of Senegal for five years. I cook and host personally at every retreat.
This breadth of lived and professional experience is not background detail. It is the foundation of the work.
Read more about Tess →As a trauma psychotherapist working internationally, I support women whose bodies are still holding what the mind has already tried to process.
Psychotherapy
I work with adults experiencing complex trauma, prolonged stress, grief and the effects of major life transitions.
Some are beginning therapy for the first time. Others have spent years understanding their experiences but recognise that something remains unresolved.
My work is individual, relational and carefully paced. Rather than concentrating solely on symptoms or diagnoses, we work with the emotional, psychological and bodily responses that continue to affect everyday life.
Online Therapy
I offer individual psychotherapy online, providing a confidential and consistent space for therapeutic work over time.
Sessions allow us to work at a pace appropriate to your circumstances, with time between appointments for reflection and integration.
Online Psychotherapy
60-minute individual session
€115 · £100 · US$133
For those who would benefit from more concentrated therapeutic work, I also offer residential retreats in Italy.
Healing Trauma Retreat
Immersive Therapeutic Retreats for Women
Some therapeutic work needs more time and space than a weekly session can offer.
My retreats take place in my privately restored historic monastery in the peaceful Umbrian countryside, where I welcome just five women for seven days of individual therapeutic work.
This is not group therapy. You are never expected to share your personal experiences with the other women. The therapeutic work is individual, confidential and carefully paced, with time to rest, reflect and integrate between sessions.
Each day brings together psychotherapy, somatic therapy, gentle yoga and restorative time in nature. Nothing is rushed. The rhythm of the retreat allows us to work with what needs attention, without the usual demands and interruptions of everyday life.
Over the past fifteen years, more than 1,200 women have attended my retreats.
Most don't come because they're in crisis. They come because something in their lives still feels unresolved, and they're ready to give it the time and attention it deserves.
2027 Retreat Programme
All-inclusive 6 nights · 7 days
Maximum 5 women, 3 Therapists
Private ensuite accommodation
Individual psychotherapy with Tess Hunneybell
Individual somatic therapy sessions with specialist
Gentle yoga with an experienced yoga teacher
Time for rest, reflection and nature
2027 Retreat Dates
All 2026 Healing Trauma Retreats are fully booked.
Now taking bookings for my 2027 Healing Trauma Retreats in the beautiful Umbrian countryside.
Each retreat welcomes just five women, allowing time and space for individual therapeutic work and personal attention.
2027 Early Booking Offer
Book a 2027 retreat at our 2026 price — save €200.
All-inclusive · 6 nights · 7 days
Private single room with ensuite bathroom
Early booking price available for bookings made by 31 December 2026.
Other Ways of Working
Workshops and Professional Work
Alongside individual psychotherapy and residential retreats, I design and deliver workshops, professional teaching and consultancy. My work draws on more than twenty years of clinical experience and explores how our experiences shape the way we think, feel, relate to others and make choices.
Born Free — Reclaiming the Body, Rewriting the Mind
Women's Workshops
How much of what we believe about ourselves actually belongs to us?
Born Free is an experiential workshop for women exploring the beliefs, expectations and patterns we inherit from our families, cultures and life experiences — often without realising how deeply they influence us.
Through conversation, reflection, somatic movement and practical exercises, we explore emotional responses, shame, personal boundaries and the ways our bodies have learned to protect us.
The emphasis is on understanding what we've carried, questioning what no longer serves us and discovering that we have choices.
It's thoughtful, engaging, sometimes surprising and often full of laughter. There is no pressure to disclose personal experiences or revisit traumatic events.
Authentic Success — Leadership & Professional Work
Leadership, Personal Development and Professional Consultancy
Professional success doesn't always mean feeling successful.
I work with individuals navigating demanding roles, difficult decisions, professional transitions and the pressures of leadership.
Authentic Success explores how personal history, learned expectations and emotional patterns influence confidence, decision-making, professional relationships and our ability to recognise our own needs.
The work combines psychological insight with practical strategies for developing clearer boundaries, greater self-trust and a more sustainable relationship with work and achievement.
The aim isn't to become better at meeting everyone else's expectations. It's to understand what success actually means to you.
“Thank you for an incredible day, Tess. The techniques you taught us are already making a real difference.”
— Virgita, Lithuania
Let's Talk
Whether you're considering individual psychotherapy, a residential retreat or exploring my workshops, you're welcome to arrange a conversation.
We can discuss what you're looking for and whether my approach is right for you.
Book a Free 30-Minute Discovery Call