About
Tess completed her Bachelor of Psychology in 2014. She then completed formal training in Yoga, a two year postgraduate training in psychotherapy and holistic counselling, followed by a Masters in Psychology.
Tess believes transformative psychotherapy is grounded in genuine connection, safe attachment, and deep compassion. She draws from the strength of the therapeutic relationship, integration of evidence-based intervention, and holistic health principles to foster greater self-acceptance, quality of life, and wellbeing.
Areas of Expertise
Adopting a whole-person approach, Tess supports clients experiencing a range of mental health challenges, and holds additional expertise in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders, body image concerns, and body dysmorphia.
Recognising the complex interplay between eating and body related challenges and other aspects of our identity, Tess works simultaneously with a range of frequently co-occurring experiences, including anxiety, diverse genders and sexualities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Autism.
Additionally, Tess enjoys working with identity exploration, attachment, interpersonal concerns, shame, low self-esteem, perfectionism, loss, and life transition.
Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder
Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED)
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Body Image Concerns
Challenging diet culture + accessing body neutrality
Body Dysmorphia
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Gender Diversity
Gender dysphoria
Gender identity exploration + affirmation
Autism
Neuro-affirming care
Emotion regulation + distress tolerance
LGBTQIA+ Experiences
Navigating disclosure + ‘coming out’
Identity exploration + affirmation
Navigating conflicting religious or spiritual beliefs
ADHD
Neuro-affirming care
Emotion regulation + distress tolerance
Style & Approach
Tess’ approach to therapy is integrative in style, and informed largely by her interest in psychodynamic and process-oriented styles of relating. Guided by social justice principles, her practice is determinedly weight-inclusive, trauma-informed, gender-affirming, and neuro-affirming. She brings curiosity, warmth, sincerity, and depth to her therapeutic process and welcomes diversity in culture, identity, bodies, and beliefs.
Tess tailors intervention to the unique needs and therapeutic intentions of each individual. Drawing from a range of evidence-based modalities, her approach encourages deep self-reflection and supports meaningful, lasting change in cognitive and behavioural patterning. Tess works predominantly within the below therapeutic modalities:
Schema Therapy
Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)
Mindfulness Based Interventions
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
Positionality
With awareness of her positionality as a white, able-bodied, cis-gendered, queer woman, Tess works to remain aware of the challenges experienced by those from marginalised communities. She is committed to creating an inclusive therapeutic environment and to supporting individuals who may feel marginalised in traditional healthcare spaces.
Professional Affiliations
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) Member
Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) Credentialed Clinician
National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) Member
Need help now?
Please know, this is not an emergency service.
If you are currently feeling unsafe, please contact triple zero (000) or present to your closest emergency department.
If you require immediate or after hours support, please consider contacting the free support services listed below:
Lifeline
24/7 crisis support
Call: 13 11 14
Text: 0477 13 11 14
Chat online
Butterfly Foundation
8am-12am eating disorder support
Call: 1800 33 4673
Chat online