About

Over time, I built and scaled a thriving private practice and expanded beyond the one to one model into group work, coaching, retreats, courses, event hosting and building community. What I discovered along the way changed everything.

Healing does not only happen in an office.

It happens in a community.

It happens in nature.

It happens when we step outside of our routines and remember who we are.

It happens when we reconnect to our intuition, creativity, and inner wisdom.

This is why retreat work became one of my greatest passions.

From the beaches of Costa Rica to the hills of Tuscany and destinations across the United States, I have designed and led transformational retreat experiences that blend psychotherapy, mindfulness, guided imagery, music, journaling, creativity, and deep spiritual reflection.

Retreats create space. Space to breathe. Space to reset. Space to listen. Space to realign with what truly matters.

There is something powerful that happens when high achieving, heart centered people gather with intention. Walls come down. Vision expands. Clarity returns.

At the same time, I was building something else.

After scaling my own practice and navigating the intensity of a full clinical caseload, I realized that therapists were quietly burning out. Brilliant, compassionate professionals were underpaid, overextended, and unsupported in the business side of their work. Graduate school had prepared us to serve, but not to build. Not to market. Not to scale. Not to create financial freedom.

So I built what I wished I had.

It is some of the deepest personal development work you’ll ever do.

I am a recovering perfectionist and a bold visionary. I believe in dreaming bigger, but also building a business that helps foster balance. I believe that there’s a lot of potential in creating multiple streams of income so therapists can increase their income and their impact.

I believe in blending strategy with soul. Structure with intuition. Profit with purpose.

I’ve also partnered with my husband to host international culinary tours where we introduce our guests to immersive cultural experiences through great food and wine and great conversations that help bridge our commonalities with guests one table at a time.

Whether I am leading a retreat in an extraordinary location, hosting summits, teaching therapists how to scale beyond one to one work, collaborating on culinary tours, or speaking on stages across the country, my mission remains the same.

To help people thrive.

When we support the healers, we strengthen families.

When we strengthen families, we strengthen communities.

When we build sustainable businesses rooted in service and integrity, we change systems from the inside out.

Thriving is not about doing more. It is about becoming more aligned.

More intentional. More courageous. More fully yourself.

I am here to help you build a life and a business that reflects who you truly are.

Megan Gunnell, LMSW, is a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, #1 bestselling author, retreat leader, founder of the Thriving Well Institute and founder of Gunnell Innovation.

With over twenty five years of experience in the healthcare and therapy industry, she is a leading expert in wellness, self care, and building sustainable, thriving businesses in the mental health field.

Megan holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan and has lived and worked abroad, bringing a global perspective to her clinical work, retreat leadership, and entrepreneurial ventures. After building and scaling her own successful private and group practice, she expanded her work to include international retreats, online courses, consulting, and speaking engagements nationwide and internationally.

She is the bestselling author of Thriving as a Therapist and the host of the Meta award winning Thriving Therapists Facebook community, supporting a global audience of thousands of clinicians in building profitable, burnout-free careers.

Through a blend of clinical expertise, entrepreneurial strategy, and transformational retreat experiences, Megan helps individuals and therapists alike transform, restore, and reach their highest potential.