All Parts of You Are Welcome Here.

Welcome. My name is Tess Brieva (they/them) and I live on the unceded, ancestral homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Odawak (Odawa), and Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi) Nations as well as more than a dozen other Nations (AKA Chicago, Illinois).

My therapeutic approach is gender affirming, trauma-informed, non-pathologizing, fat positive, and grounded in the recognition that broader sociopolitical forces are interconnected with mental health. I collaborate with individuals to nurture their inner voice and discover their own version of balance. Overall, my goal is to foster a transformative space that is safe, non-judgmental, and compassionate.

I have previous experience in private practice, eating disorder residential & PHP, and university settings. Alongside my clinical work, my work as an LGBTQ+ educator, researcher, and youth mentor have nurtured my community-oriented and abolitionist therapeutic approach. I received my M.S.W. from University of Michigan in 2022 and my B.A. from Northwestern University in 2019. I am a licensed clinical social worker (#149.030540) in Illinois and am IFS Level 2 trained.

Outside of work, I engage in my own healing journey, walk along the lakefront, play volleyball, participate in mutual aid, eat yummy food, paint and collage, spend time with my partner, and cuddle with my cats.

Free consultation call

    • Community

    • Joy

    • Curiosity

    • Harmony, balance

    • Reflection, accountability

    • Accessibility

    • Warmth, respect

    • Transcendence

    • Liberation, freedom

    • Self-determination, autonomy

    • Harm reduction

    • Explicit recognition of oppressive culture & systems, intersectional lens

    • Anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, #LandBack

    • Abolitionist, abolish the police & prisons

    • Anti-racist, anti-white supremacy

    • Anti-ableist, disability justice

    • Anti-sanist, Mad Pride

    • Feminist

    • Fat positive, anti-diet culture, anti-healthism

    • Sex positive

    • Polyamory & kink affirming

    • Neurodivergent affirming

    • Queer & trans affirming

    • Spirituality & religion inclusive

    • Therapy can be a tool of collective liberation.

      • As we work to dismantle systems of oppression, we must deconstruct internalized beliefs: they are not ours.

      • We collaborate with others best when we have our needs met.

    • Individual therapy is not the end-all-be-all.

      • Therapy will not erase current & historical oppressive systems. Sometimes we’ll just be sitting in the grief together.

      • The pathways to healing are limitless: nature, group therapy, community building, friendships, art, education, the list goes on. Individual therapy can be just one path.

    • We all deserve to experience joy, respect, and connection.

      • That includes you!

I specialize in eating disorders and body image concerns in the queer and trans community. In addition to eating disorders, I work with:

  • LGBTQ+ identity exploration

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • OCD

  • Trauma/CPTSD

  • Dissociation

  • Suicidality & self-harm

  • Neurodivergence acceptance (Autism, ADHD)

  • Religious trauma

  • Resolving guilt & shame

  • Perfectionism

  • Relationship challenges

  • Burn out, work-life challenges

  • Capacity building

  • Those centering collective liberation

Focus Areas

The word I like best to describe my role is facilitator: I am here to facilitate relationships between yourself and all the parts inside you. Many of us move through this life without feeling connected to our ‘Self’ — our inner trust, our clarity, our spirit, our wise one within. Experiences of pain, loss, and oppression create challenges to maintain connection to one’s Self. When we do not have access to our Self, we feel lost, empty, hollow, alone. But when we feel the warmth of Self, we feel capable to handle life and its pains and mysteries. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), also known as “parts work,” I will share my Self energy with you alongside therapeutic tools, techniques, and resources to support you in this chapter.

Internal Family Systems Therapy