Tessa Carpenter, MSW, LSWAIC (she/her)

Tessa has developed a foundation in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), with a connection to the model that began over a decade ago. She is drawn to DBT for its balance of acceptance and change, its focus on building skills that translate into daily life, and its emphasis on reducing suffering. Tessa approaches therapy with a nonjudgmental stance and genuine curiosity, working collaboratively with clients to better understand patterns and make meaningful, sustainable changes.

Tessa has experience working with adults navigating suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation. She is committed to providing LGBTQ+ affirming, antiracist care and practices through a lens of cultural humility, acknowledging differences in identity, neurodivergence, and lived experience.

Outside of her professional work, Tessa enjoys attending concerts, working on creative projects (often on Canva), soaking in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with her family, her cat Baby Billy, and her blue heeler, Kona.

Professional Biography:

Tessa received her Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2022 from University of Washington and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from St. Edward’s University. Following her MSW, she worked as a DBT therapist in Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) settings, where she provided comprehensive DBT, including individual therapy, leading/co-leading DBT skills groups, skills coaching, and participation on a DBT consultation team.

During her graduate program, Tessa was a DBT trainee therapist at Greenlake Therapy Group, where she provided full-model DBT, including between-session phone coaching. As part of this experience, she completed the University of Washington’s annual comprehensive DBT training through the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPAR), which included a 6-month intensive seminar series (2022–2023) and a 2-day foundational workshop.

Prior to her clinical training, Tessa worked as a therapeutic childcare specialist in a nonprofit residential treatment setting with children and preteens experiencing attachment disruptions and emotion dysregulation, implementing Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). She also completed a graduate practicum with NAMI Washington, contributing to mental health education and outreach while advocating for equitable access to care and reducing barriers to treatment.

Tessa completed DBT Adherence Intensive Training in 2023 and has also completed training in DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE).