ABOUT US
Our OfferingsWhy Wander With Us...
Wanderess Ltd is a leading provider of transformative women’s wellness retreats in the UK, Europe, and Bali. Founded by Dr. Ellie Chadwick (PhD), a seasoned expert in creative wellness and Jungian philosophy, who has been curating immersive retreats since 2016. Our programs focus on cultural immersion, self-discovery, and awakening the connections between mind, body, and spirit. After a profound personal journey, Dr. Chadwick established Wanderess to empower women through holistic healing, creative expression, and spiritual growth. Our retreats are designed to inspire and empower women worldwide.
Our Vision
At Wanderess, we believe that the arts are a sacred force for deep healing, transformation, and communal connection. Rooted in Jungian philosophy and enriched by diverse cultural heritages, our approach views creativity as an essential tool for exploring the unconscious and unlocking hidden potentials. The arts allow us to explore the unconscious, connect with archetypes, and engage with the symbolic language of our inner worlds, unlocking hidden truths and potentials within ourselves.
At Wanderess, we believe that we are all creators—of our realities, our stories, and our lives. By tapping into the transformative feminine life-force energy that exists within us all, and balancing it with the masculine, we open the door to endless possibilities for growth and evolution. The exploration of archetypes—such as the Warrior, the Queen, the Wild Woman, and the Priestess—serves as a powerful catalyst to unlock deeper understanding, healing, and empowerment.
Our mission is to ignite the transformative creative power within every woman, guiding her through a journey of self-discovery, connection, and empowerment. Influenced by Dr. Chadwick’s expertise in Jungian philosophy and storytelling, our process helps women heal past traumas, reclaim lost parts of themselves, and create expansive possibilities for their lives.
We understand storytelling and artistic expression as both an ancient and a scientifically-researched present-day tool for personal empowerment and healing. In exploring the different roles and archetypes we subconsciously play, we can reshape our identities and step into the heroine’s journey, transforming our lives in real, meaningful ways.
Through various forms of storytelling and somatic/artistic expression, combined with tools based in scientific knowledge of the nervous system and brain, our creative and spiritual retreats empower women to reclaim their narratives, embody their inner archetypes, and use these tools to rewrite their personal stories and gain full freedom of expression. At the heart of our vision is a world where women are empowered to fully embrace their inner Wanderess, take control of creating their own reality, and thrive in every aspect of their lives.
Join us on an energising journey of empowerment, evolution, and revolution, where the arts, Jungian wisdom, theatre, and storytelling combine as transformative tools to guide you toward a more authentic, joyful, and creative life.
What We Do
We curate immersive wellness retreats and transformative experiences that empower women to reconnect with themselves, their creative voice, and each other. Using sacred storytelling, myth, ritual, and creativity, we guide women on journeys of emotional healing, trauma release, and authentic self-expression. Our retreats honour the unique paths of women and explore the many facets of womanhood through the lens of feminine archetypes and cultural symbolism.
Through nourishing natural creative energy with artistic skills-building, intercultural connection and creative approaches to wellness and self-development, Wanderess offers revolutionary creative retreats that go beyond travel or relaxation – they are opportunities for profound evolution and awakening.
Whether you’re joining us for a women’s retreat in the UK, a spiritual creativity retreat in Bali, or an art and wellness gathering in Italy, you’ll find powerful opportunities for growth, community, and healing. We also offer online workshops, creative wellness events, and our signature Wanderess Circle: building lasting connections and an ever-growing community of empowered women. Our Wanderess Circle is open to all who have attended one of our retreats, and meets online monthly to offer ongoing therapeutic support, community, and coaching.
Our Founder
Dr. Ellie Chadwick is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner whose work bridges the worlds of academia, performing arts, and embodied therapeutic practice. With over 15 years of experience directing international performance projects, and a decade of conducting academic research, teaching in universities, and designing transformative learning experiences, Ellie brings a depth of expertise to her work with women’s empowerment and creative healing.
Ellie holds a PhD in performance studies, with research expertise in ritual theatre, archetypal storytelling, and the role of the arts in collective wellbeing. She is the author of Historically-Responsive Storytelling: How Western Theatre is Rediscovering its Roots (2023), a book that explores how contemporary performance and society is seeking reconnection with ancient, culturally grounded modes of meaning-making.
Her unique methodology—Historically-Responsive Storytelling—weaves together deep historical awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and a commitment to social and embodied justice. This approach understands that stories, bodies, and identities do not exist in isolation: they are shaped by history, community, culture, and context. At the core of her work is the understanding that the arts are powerful forces for change—and that through creativity, we can heal, reclaim, and reimagine our lives.
Ellie has worked internationally, having created and directed projects in Europe, Borneo, Bali, and Shanghai, collaborating with artists, academics, and communities across diverse cultural settings. Since 2016, she has led international retreats and residencies that offer more than rest or inspiration—they are immersive, academically informed and artistically grounded spaces for deep transformation. Each experience is crafted through an integration of scholarly research, embodied performance, cultural heritage, and therapeutic practice.
With Wanderess Ellie has created an arena for women to explore the full complexity of their stories—through body, voice, history, and art. More than a retreat space, Wanderess is an evolving community, a dynamic therapeutic container, and a ritual theatre of change—where each woman is invited to study herself as both subject and storyteller, and to step into her story as the author, the director, and the lead character.
Our Values
Empowerment
We inspire women to embrace their strengths, unlock their potential and navigate personal and professional journeys.
Community
We nurture a sisterhood for women to connect, share experiences and uplift one another, creating lasting bonds.
Authenticity
We celebrate self-expression and encourage women to be true to themselves in a safe, welcoming environment.
Evolution
We support personal growth, helping women evolve through creative exploration and deep self-discovery.
Inclusivity
We embrace diversity, and ensure that all women feel welcomed, respected, valued and included within our community.