About Tessa
Passionate about art and integrative medicine,
Registered Art Therapist Tessa Faraone
inspires clients to create beauty in their lives.
With an expansive toolbox rooted in natural medicine,
she views expression as vital to addressing
health of the whole person.
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Honoring the wisdom of the mind body connection
and a whole brain approach,
Tessa compassionately holds space
to guide clients in discovering
who they are and who they want to be.
Miracles Come in Moments
Tessa holds a Bachelor of Science in the Arts from the University of Evansville located in her home state of Indiana. She graduated summa cum laude studying the fields of art, art therapy, and psychology. Attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a recipient of the Competitive Graduate Award, she earned a 4.0 in the Art Therapy Counseling dual master’s program of mental health counseling and art therapy.
Tessa has extensive experience providing individual and group art therapy and counseling services, offering clinical supervision to students and professionals, and pioneering new programming.
She holds a specialization in medical art therapy, serving as lead art therapist within both a pediatric medical hospital and adult medical hospital, with research emphasis in adult oncology. Tessa also served as clinical supervisor and art therapist for adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, TBI, and stroke, as well as other life altering diagnoses, while simultaneously providing therapy services to family caregivers.
Tessa has served as art therapist and mental health clinician in VA medical research exploring healing arts to support our nation’s Veterans. She also served as the nation's first art therapist within a Vet Center developing innovative care for Veterans and their families.
Supporting private clients and teaching in the field of art therapy as associate professor for over a decade,
Tessa loves sharing her experience and the time with students.
Tessa's background includes 20 years of art therapy service in a variety of settings with children, teens, and adults. She currently sees all ages in art therapy practice with the intention that those who she can best support with her integrative, intuitive, and whole person approach find her.
Through her own journey and love of the natural world, she is inspired to continually learn ways to support innate healing and create space for others to discover their gifts. Tessa believes in offering high value experiences as a therapist, mentor, and educator. Honored to share the work on her heart, she travels with a true north goal of rising to opportunity of blessing others.
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“Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.”
Tessa's mentorship is so special.
As my mentor in the field of art therapy she gave me so many gifts of wisdom and love I treasured in my heart, wanting to pass them on in the healing work I would go on to do.
It's beautiful to think about how the healing she helped facilitate in me is healing I can facilitate for others, and how in this way she touches so many lives, not just mine but everyone I meet and to whom I say,
'Here is wisdom that was given me. May it serve you too.'
Rachel Price, Healing Art Workshop Facilitator
At the beginning of my time as an undergraduate student, I felt lost. I had a passion for art and helping others but I struggled to find a connection that worked for me. I took Introduction to Art Therapy, a class taught by Tessa, and my whole life got turned around (in the best way).
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Tessa served as a guiding light throughout my time in college as I shifted my focus toward becoming an art therapist. I not only learned the foundations and history of art therapy but also qualities that would help me to become a successful leader and helper.
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Tessa also found ways to support me that ventured past the classroom setting. When I was applying to my chosen graduate programs, she was there to provide support by answering any questions I had, providing resources, and offering compassion as applying to graduate programs can be a stressful time.
Tessa cares so much about her students. I feel so incredibly lucky to have been one of them.