Tess Pearson

Qualifications / Professional Associations:

• Master of Art Therapy, Western Sydney University

• Certificate IV in Community Services Work, SAL Consulting

• Master of Arts in Creative Writing, University of Technology Sydney

• Diploma of Playwork, Hackney Play Association, London

• Various modules in Applied Psychology, Birkbeck College, London

• Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of NSW

• ANZACATA Registered Creative Arts Therapist

• PACFA Registered Psychotherapist & Counsellor

• ACA Registered Counsellor

• Registered Behaviour Support Practitioner

Summary Professional Experience:

Tess is a dedicated Creative Arts Therapist, Counsellor, and Psychotherapist. Tess combines compassion and expertise in her work and enjoys collaborating with clients to offer person-centred counselling and creative arts therapies which utilise creative arts processes to support clients to foster creative expression, process difficult emotions, and develop skills. 

Tess is also a Behaviour Support Practitioner, with a depth of experience working previously with SAL Consulting as Clinical Support Worker. In this role she implemented lifestyle and behaviour support plans, consulted with individuals, families, and organisations in an information-gathering capacity, and provided a range of supports to clinicians in the forms of research, writing, and collaborating on formulation and content writing for behaviour support plans.

Tess has over 15 years of experience working with children, young people, and adults. She has worked in a range of roles including:

• providing Art Therapy interventions

• providing direct Social Support

• providing specialized Play Support

• Providing Behaviour Support

• facilitating art workshops

• implementation of specific therapeutic programs within Behaviour Support Plans

• assessment and coordination of family support needs

• training and supervision of carers and volunteers

Tess has a background in delivering play support within the Playwork sector in the UK, facilitating play for children and young people with a range of disabilities and neurodiversities, one-on-one, in groups, and in a range of social outreach and cultural community contexts. In Australia Tess has worked with adults and children with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, trauma histories, neurodiversity, and developmental and intellectual disabilities, in direct support roles, implementing behaviour support plans, as a Behaivour Support Practitioner, and most recently providing Creative Arts Therapy sessions with young people.

Tess is passionate about working in person-centred ways which provide opportunities for autonomy and growth. She is particularly interested in how creative processes such as play, movement, sensory exploration, artmaking, and creative writing can support therapeutic change.