About Tess Hunneybell
I’m Tess Hunneybell, a British psychotherapist with over two decades of experience supporting people through complex emotional challenges and trauma. I work primarily with women, helping them understand what is happening within them, develop healthier ways of coping, and move toward healing that allows for greater presence and ease in daily life.
The greatest gift we can give another is to feel safe.
About My Practice
My practice is grounded in gentle, trauma-informed work that respects the intelligence of both the mind and the body. I do not believe healing requires reliving trauma or forcing emotional release, and I do not work by placing labels on the human experience.
Many of the people I work with have already done a great deal of thinking, reading, and reflecting. They understand their history, yet still find themselves living with anxiety, emotional exhaustion, or a sense of being stuck in patterns they cannot shift through insight alone.
My role is to help create the conditions in which the nervous system can begin to settle, integrate, and regain choice. This work is relational, paced, and carefully held. It prioritises safety, consent, and regulation over intensity or catharsis.
I work with an integrated, evidence-informed approach that draws on contemporary trauma science while remaining deeply human. The aim is not to fix what is broken, but to support relief, resilience, and a renewed sense of trust in oneself.
Qualifications & Professional Training
- NCFE & OFQUAL Level 3 Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Certified Trauma & Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
- Informed Internal Family Systems (IFS) Trauma Treatment Training – Dr. Frank Anderson, MD
- Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate
- iGCBT™ Certified Master Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner
- Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician (NATC) – Dr. Ramani Durvasula
Additional professional training available on request.
Social Justice & Humanitarian Work
I believe care extends beyond the therapy room. Alongside my clinical work, I have been involved in community and humanitarian initiatives supporting people living in crisis, guided by the same core principles: safety, dignity, and steady, practical support.
I run Every Kid Counts – Senegal, a grassroots charity focused on sustaining vulnerable children. The work centres on access to nutrition, clean water, basic medical care, clothing, education, sport, and safe spaces where children can experience something many have been denied — the chance to be children.
I also lead a trauma-care project with The Rothschild Foundation, supporting women and children newly arrived from Ukraine as they integrate with host families. This work includes direct trauma support, workshops, and a memorial garden initiative rooted in remembrance, belonging, and repair.
Over the years, I have contributed to projects with other organisations in locations including Southern Spain, Dominica, and Mexico. These experiences continue to inform my values and reinforce my commitment to work that is grounded, compassionate, and human.
