ABOUT US
Get in TouchCreativity is one of humanity’s oldest technologies for healing, transformation, and becoming.
Long before the concept of psychology existed, people made sense of their lives through story, ritual, movement, art and imagination. These creative practices helped us process grief, navigate change, strengthen identity and reconnect with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
At Wanderess, we’ve reimagined this timeless wisdom for modern life.
In our Somatic Mythwork™ methodology, we weave together mythology, expressive arts, archetypal psychology, trauma-informed somatic practice and contemporary nervous system science to create immersive experiences that help women reconnect with themselves, reshape the stories they live by, and step into new possibilities for their lives.
Because transformation isn’t only about healing the past.
It’s also about rediscovering your agency to create what comes next.
Retreats, Reimagined
A retreat is not an escape from your life.
It is an invitation to create a new relationship with it.
Wanderess brings together the ancient wisdom of story, mythology and ritual with contemporary understanding of creativity, embodiment and the nervous system.
Through our unique Somatic Mythwork™ methodology, our retreats combine expressive arts, archetypal exploration, somatic practice and spiritual wisdom to support deep personal transformation.
Because meaningful change doesn’t happen in a single moment of insight. It unfolds through experience, embodiment and integration.
That is why every Wanderess retreat includes six months of continued support, coaching and community — helping what begins in Bali, Italy, or wherever we gather continue to grow and take root in everyday life.
Founded by academic-practitioners Dr. Ellie Chadwick and Karma Tucker, Wanderess creates trauma-informed, culturally grounded spaces where women can reconnect with their bodies, rediscover their creativity and imagine new ways of being.
Our 4 Pillars
At the heart of Wanderess is a belief that transformation happens when we engage the whole human experience: our imagination, our stories, our bodies and our relationships.
Our work is rooted in four interconnected pillars:
Creativity
Creativity is one of humanity’s oldest technologies for meaning-making, healing and transformation.
We believe creativity is not simply something we do — it is something we are. It is our ability to imagine new possibilities, express our inner worlds and create new relationships with ourselves and our lives.
Through artistic practice, storytelling, movement, voice, ritual and imagination, we invite women to reconnect with their creative essence and rediscover the freedom of self-expression.
Story
The stories we inherit shape the way we understand ourselves.
Through mythology, archetypes and symbolic storytelling, we explore the narratives, identities and roles that influence how we move through the world.
Our Somatic Mythwork™ approach helps women encounter these stories not only intellectually, but experientially — discovering which stories still serve them, which are ready to be transformed, and what new chapters are waiting to emerge.
Embodiment
Lasting transformation is not created through insight alone.
Our bodies and nervous systems hold memories, patterns and ways of responding that shape our experience of ourselves and others.
Drawing on trauma-informed somatic practice and contemporary nervous system science, we support women in bringing new awareness into the body — allowing change to become something lived, felt and embodied.
Community
Transformation unfolds in relationship.
Throughout our retreats, workshops and Wanderess Circle, we create spaces where women can be witnessed, supported and inspired by one another.
Because becoming ourselves is not a journey we were meant to take alone.
Get in touch to discover more
The Power of the Arts
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.
We are all creators! of our realities, our stories, and our lives. 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, ritual theatre, archetypes 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. Through various forms of storytelling and somatic/artistic expression, combined with tools based in scientific knowledge of the nervous system and brain, our creative 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.
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, and more recent training as an integrative somatic therapist, 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. 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.
Ellie has since developed her practical methodology, Somatic Mythwork™. At the core of her work is the understanding that the arts and embodiment are powerful forces for change: and that through embodied 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/culture, and art. More than a retreat space, Wanderess is an evolving community 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.