About Tessa Gordon, (she/her), LMFT, RYT
Tessa Gordon, MA, LMFT, RYT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BA in Psychology from the University of Southern California, and her MA in Clinical Psychology from Phillips Graduate University. Tessa is certified Nia Instructor, Advanced Pole Instructor, certified Body Project facilitator, member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, the Academy of Eating Disorders, Facial Pain Association, ReAuthoring Teaching Community, DiversAbility Leadership Collective, Yoga for Eating Disorders community, and serves as board member and Secretary on the non-profit Eating Disorder Recovery Support. Invisible Disability warrior, eating disorder awareness advocate, and activist in the fight against weight stigma and body discrimination. Combining her clinical and lived experiences with her passion for social justice, Tessa works has been actively involved in the eating disorder field for over a decade and has provided therapy at a variety of community counseling centers and treatment facilities. Now in private practice she specializes in eating disorders, non-visible disabilities, chronic illnesses, neurodiversity, trauma, relationships and navigating unique challenges faced by those with lived experience and are now looking to move from client to clinician. As a registered Yoga, Nia, and Mindful Movement Instructor, Tessa helps people reclaim body-focused forms of movement by shifting language and intention to foster an inclusive and empowering environment for all bodies. Described by her clients as the anti-therapist, Tessa is passionate about working closely with individuals, and their loved ones to discover and connect to their hopes, values, passions, and interests, and support them in re-(dis)covering what their “anti-eating disorder” life will look like. In addition to her work as a therapist, Tessa provides training to other professionals on narrative therapy and eating disorders, the use of therapists lived experience and insider knowledge, as well as mind-body movement and its role in body image acceptance/tolerance. Additionally, Tessa has spoken about weight stigma and bias in healthcare, the therapeutic relationship, and advancing the field of eating disorder treatment. ADHDer, GPNwarrior, Spoonie, RecoverED, Solopreneur, Proud Plant Parent, and Dog mum to the BEST German shepherd ever, Aspen are just some of her multiple identities. Want to meet him? He makes appearances in her sessions, both over Zoom and Walk + Talk sessions. She loves hiking, yoga, aerial, peanut butter, sushi, carrot cake (her own recipe only) and bubble baths.
Breaking the Rules — To Break Free
Traditional therapy norms often fail to match the intensity of an eating disorder. This workshop invites clinicians to examine when and how to break the “rules” of therapy—ethically and strategically—to truly help clients recover. Learn how to challenge outdated clinical assumptions, embrace direct engagement, and use radical permission as a tool for dismantling the eating disorder’s control. Through case studies and experiential exercises, participants will leave with a bold, unapologetic approach to helping clients break free.