About

Tessa is a dedicated and compassionate licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience in providing therapeutic support to individuals and families. After beginning her career as a therapeutic foster care case manager with a St. Louis-based organization, she gained profound insight into the complex histories of children and families facing significant challenges. This experience fueled her deep respect and empathy for those navigating trauma and adversity.

Upon obtaining her clinical social work license, Tessa spent nine years working at a respected non-profit organization in the St. Louis area, where she provided individual, and family therapy aimed at treating and preventing child abuse and neglect. She has worked extensively with children, teens, and adults coping with various forms of trauma, anxiety, depression, attachment-related disorders, ADHD, challenging behaviors, and emotional regulation difficulties.

 
Throughout her career, Tessa has also served as a supervisor to licensed clinicians, licensed master’s level social workers, and graduate students pursuing their Master’s in Social Work. Her leadership has been marked by a commitment to clinical excellence and the development of future social work professionals.

 
Tessa is the founder and lead therapist at Butterfly Effect Counseling & Consulting LLC (BECC), which was established in June 2018. With a passion for providing compassionate, high-quality, and confidential therapy services, Tessa has dedicated her career to helping individuals and families navigate life’s challenges and find pathways to healing and fulfillment. BECC offers unique, personalized therapeutic approaches to support clients on their journeys toward mental and emotional well-being.

In response to the growing demand for counseling services, Tessa also launched Missouri Group Counseling Services LLC (MGCS) in 2025. The mission of MGCS is to reduce waitlists and provide individuals and families with faster access to the essential support they need with a focus on group therapy services. By creating more opportunities for timely interventions, Tessa seeks to help clients embark on their path toward peace and growth as soon as possible.
 

With a wealth of experience in trauma-informed care, mental health treatment, and professional development, Tessa remains passionate about making a lasting impact on the lives of those she serves, while contributing to the education and growth of the next generation of social workers. 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2008

Training and Certifications: 

Internationally Certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Clinician (PCIT)

Level One & Level Two Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)

Missouri Rostered Trauma Focused - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Clinician (TF-CBT)

Integrative Treatment for Complex Trauma (ITCT)

Modular Approach to Treating Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Conduct (MATCH)

Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Motivational Interviewing 

And more!

Education:

University of Missouri - St. Louis

Master of Social Work 2005

Bachelor of Social Work 2002