Travel Therapy

A Framework for Transformational Travel

Most of us turn to travel as an escape, a way to take a break from our everyday stressful lives. On the road, or in a new country, we come alive again. We feel lighter, more present, more connected with ourselves and others.

And yet, when we return home, we slip back into our routines and pick up our lives exactly where we left off.

Inspired by principles from Designing Your Life, this work treats travel as a series of small, intentional experiments — ways of trying on new rhythms, identities, and building your capacity to move through challenges and the change that life inevitably brings.

I offer a structured framework that clarifies the intention behind your trip, prepares you to meet it fully when you arrive, and supports you in integrating your insights and experiences when you return home, so you can begin designing a life aligned with what you’ve discovered.

This work is right for you if you:

  • Feel called toward something bigger than yourself

  • Are nervous to travel, yet deeply curious about the world and other cultures.

  • Are navigating a breakup, a significant loss or a season of reinvention.

  • Want to strengthen your relationship as a couple.

  • Feel stuck and want to experience yourself outside your usual context.

  • Sense that something needs to change, but can’t quite name what.

  • Are a family wanting to feel more connected and more intentional about your time and choices.

My Travels

I feel most alive on the road, wandering through old markets, quiet side streets, mountain villages, and sunlit coastal towns. Over the years, my partner and I have set out on what can only be described as sacred journeys — moving through the vibrant streets of India, the back roads of Myanmar, and the Ecuadorian rainforest; joining work exchange projects in Portugal, Canada, Oregon, and Cornwall, England; and lingering over long café mornings across Europe.

Each time, we set out with just a backpack and an open mind. Since 2023, our two kids have joined us on these experiences, and it has deepened what it means to grow individually and as a family.

How Travel Therapy Works

The six-step process

Assess

1

We begin by mapping your life — your rhythms, relationships and inner landscape — while also exploring how different environments impact you.

Clarify

2

We get clear on what matters most to you: your values, your worldview and the lens through which you make meaning of your life.

Imagine

3

Together, we explore multiple possible versions of your travel experience (rather than searching for just one), opening up flexibility and creativity.

Prototype

4

Travel becomes intentional. Instead of escaping, you begin running small, real-life experiments — trying on new ways of living, working, and relating.

Reflect

5

Through ongoing sessions and simple practices like a “good time” journal, we track what gives you energy, what drains you, and what feels most like you.

Integrate

6

We translate what you’ve discovered into grounded changes, so the clarity you find while traveling becomes part of your everyday life.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • There’s something transformative about stepping into cultures that challenge your assumptions, stretch your comfort zone, and invite you to live more simply. Turning off the autopilot of our lives and witnessing how others live and intentionally placing ourselves in situations that required humility, adaptability, and courage created profound shifts in perspective, clarifying our values, and our sense of self.

    Travel builds our capacity to handle uncertainty, loss, and the unknown. Most importantly, it helps us reconnect with our values, strengths, and what makes you feel alive. When you return home, you can use those experiences to create a life aligned with the insights you’ve gained.

  • While I’m not here to plan your trip or act as a travel agent, we can talk through options together if you’re feeling unsure about where to go. We explore what different places could bring up for you, or what kind of environment you’re drawn to at this stage of life. I’m always happy to share bits of my own travel experience to support your process.

  • It varies, but we work together through a few distinct phases.

    At the beginning, we spend 5–6 sessions getting to know you more deeply, clarifying what’s going on in your life, what you’re wanting, your history with travel, and what you might want to explore or experiment with.

    While you’re on your trip, you’ll have prompts and journaling to support reflection and help you stay connected to your experience in an intentional way. If you’d like, we can also have a check-in session while you’re away.

    When you return, we’ll spend another 2–4 sessions unpacking your experience — what stood out, what shifted, and what you learned — and focus on how to integrate those insights into your life back home.

  • Travel therapy tends to be most supportive for people who have already begun some inner work and are looking to deepen it. Because of the nature of travel, it’s best suited for those who are feeling relatively steady and resourced, rather than in the midst of an acute crisis.

  • Not necessarily.

    All you need is a desire for some kind of shift — in your environment, your perspective, or how you’re experiencing your life — and an openness to exploring new places, different ways of living, and other cultures.

  • You can choose a destination that’s as close or as far away as you’d like. What matters most is that you spend meaningful time in a place that’s significantly different from your day-to-day life.

  • If you start to feel overwhelmed and would find it helpful to process what’s coming up or need additional support, we can absolutely arrange sessions that work with the time difference and your schedule.

“This is your life, and you forgot that you’re in charge of it.” -Shannel

Take the First Step

If you’re interested in working together, please complete this brief form. I’ll review your message and be in touch within 48 hours to schedule a free phone consultation.