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About Tessa

Tessa Suppes is a trauma trained Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 20 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families in the greater DC area.

Tessa’s calm demeanor coupled with her expertise provides an ideal environment to help you reach your goals in therapy. Prior to private practice, Tessa provided intensive home-based interventions for at-risk families under severe stress or with children and/or adolescents who were at-risk for an out of home placement. She also provided short-term intensive services for adolescents and their families in a structured and supportive outpatient environment with the goal of stabilizing the adolescent. Before becoming a therapist Tessa had a successful business career in high tech sales and a long track record of achievement in athletics—honored in the Athletic Hall of Fame at Principia College.

Being patient, persistent, and well-equipped in what she does are important qualities to her.

Her career shift to becoming a therapist coincided with sweeping changes that were taking place in the psychotherapy field—approaches based upon the brain/body connection. As a result, she is trained in the most current and best practices of modern and effective psychotherapy such as: Emotionally Focused Therapy; Sensorimotor Psychotherapy; Psychobiological Approach to Couples’ Therapy (PACT); Ego-State Therapy; Internal Family Systems (IFS); and Imago Relational Therapy.  Tessa’s previous experience in counseling includes working with Peace Corps volunteers. Living outside the U.S. for several years gave her insight into some of the challenges we face when dealing with a cultural transition or inter-cultural / inter-racial relationships.

I look forward to working with you and welcome your questions.

To schedule an appointment, please call: 202-670- 6311.

If you are uncertain about scheduling your first appointment,
I offer a free 20-minute consultation either in person or on the phone.

Training & Education

Post-Graduate Trainings:

  • Year of Living Mindfully (YLM) with Jonathon Foust
  • Complex Trauma Certification Level 1 with Janine Fisher
  • Advanced Trauma Training from:
    – The Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education
  • Psychobiological Approach to Couples’ Therapy (PACT) Level 1
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1 & 2
  • Sensorimotor Training Level 1:
    – Training for the Treatment of Trauma
    – Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute
  • Somatic Imagery & Ego State Psychotherapy
    – Center of Healing & Imagery Level 1 – 5
  • Imago Relational Therapy, Part 1, 2, 3
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy Level 1
  • Affect Regulation in Trauma:
    Integrating Somatically Based Therapies
  • Tools for Transforming Trauma:
    Integrating the Affective Therapies
  • Trauma Treatment: What Works & Why.
    From Neurobiology to Clinical Technique
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
  • Nurturing Parenting Program

Education:

  • Virginia Tech, Falls Church, VA
    – Certification in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Virginia Tech, Falls Church, VA
    – M.A. in Community Counseling
  • Webster University, Vienna, Austria
    – Masters in Business Administration
  • Principia College, Elsah, IL
    – B.A with Honors