Tess, LMHCA, ATR-P

Hello! My name is Tess, and I use they/them pronouns. 

I’m a provisional art therapist and counseling associate. I am trained in a variety of different forms of talk therapy, but also find that involving a creative component can be a cool way of understanding feelings from a different perspective. It can be helpful especially to externalize emotions that may be difficult to put into words, or create distance between yourself and a painful experience. For myself, art has been a useful tool in exploring and understanding my identity as a queer, neurodivergent person. 

          I consider myself an eclectic therapist and a lifelong student. I like to pull from different modes of therapy to create a treatment style that best fits your individual needs as a client. This may include DBT skills like emotional regulation and distress tolerance, resources for managing anxiety, trauma processing, exploring grief, and parts work. Almost any therapeutic technique can work very well alongside art therapy. Fantasy and imagination are unique tools that can powerfully assist in healing.

           I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies and Studio Art from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After spending the last few years in the desert, the lush landscape of the Pacific Northwest is a welcome change! I live with my partner and our three dogs. I love all things fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Ask me about how original characters, tabletop roleplay, and Dungeons and Dragons can be used in therapy.

Specialty: LGBTQIAS2+ teens and adults. Processing neurodivergence. Trauma and sexual abuse. OCD and DID. BDSM and kink. Shame. Spiritual issues. Exploring identity.

I am best for people who: are curious about creative therapy. Queer, trans, and non-monogamous people. Survivors of sexual trauma or complex abuse. Neurodivergent individuals. Folks experiencing big transitions. People who feel like they are “too much”, “not enough”, or both. 

Education: Southwestern College, Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and Counseling. Lawrence University, Bachelor’s Degree in Gender Studies and Studio Art. Registered art therapist (provisional).

Telehealth Status: Offers both telehealth and in-person sessions

Supervision: Tess works under the supervision of Mackenzie Dunham, LICSW

Insurance and Rates

Sliding Scale Info: case by case
Insurance Tess takes: Aetna, CHPW, Cigna, Coordinated Care, Kaiser, Moda, Molina, Premera, Providence PPO, Regence BCBS, RGA, Optum, UMR, United (commercial - not medicaid