Hi, I’m Tessa.
I use she/they pronouns and identify as a gay, white, Southern, cis-gendered woman, an author, and a hedgewitch.
I believe in a society we want to live in, that we can create such, together. Hypnotherapy allows me to bring all my passion for people, the inner workings of our minds and imaginations, our histories and personal narratives, the stories of who we are, and combine all that with a self-resourcing approach to healing and wellness and radical change work.
I’m in my third career. I taught university for 12 years—at multiple schools in Virginia and then the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From writing, public speaking to oral history and literature, to graduate courses in ethnography, I centered critical analysis, feminism, racial equity, and social justice in my teaching. I went on to work for the state in food justice and agriculture, again centering community agency and autonomy for environmental justice and racial equity. I worked with schools, teen youth organizations, farmers, and educators, creating numerous statewide programs and collaborations; leading and co-leading countless workshops, courses, and strategic planning efforts; and designing and building theories of change, curriculums, and resource materials. My third and current career as an independent consultant and practitioner combines my decades of somatics training and practice with my recent hypnosis studies (certified in 2022) to combine my fascination with neuroscience, quantum physica, and metaphysics towards healing for change work.
I love animals, plants, being outside, sweating from digging in the dirt or building things, reading in a sunny spot on a chilly afternoon, cooking for loved ones or just to experiment. I’m an herbalist and I love growing and tinkering with medicinals, be they plant or mushrooms. The natural world is my biggest source of joy and connection.
I live, love and learn on the lands of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, on a small homestead in rural Hillsborough, central North Carolina. Here, my wife and I live with a passel of critters, grow vegetables/tea/fruit, innoculate anything and everything with mushrooms, and woodswalk as often as possible. We work with and for our community to support wellness and safety, opportunities for all to thrive.
Just like you, I’m on my journey of discovery and connection, seeking to find and live my purpose. I look forward to connecting with you as you travel your path.
