Dr Tessa Brudevold-Iversen

Clinical Psychologist

Tessa is Clinical Psychologist registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board and ACC, and a member of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists.  She has worked in both the public and private sectors, and have also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Seattle, Washington in the United States working partly with Dr Marsha Linehan, who developed Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Within New Zealand, she has been a main researcher on several initiatives, including a Cochrane Review of effective treatment for depression for adolescents and on a treatment development study for adolescents using DBT to treat eating disorders.  She has also been involved in implementing the Family Connections programme in New Zealand, which is an international programme that supports family members of individuals who experience severe emotional dysregulation.

Tessa specialises in working with adolescents, adults, and families who are experiencing a variety of challenges including depression, anxiety, trauma, emotion regulation problems, self-harm, suicidality, relationship problems, family difficulties, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, body image difficulties, and managing stress and difficult transitions throughout life.  Tessa believes in using evidence-based models of therapy, and have experience using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Maudsley Family Based Treatment (FBT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE).

She believes it is important to work from a warm, compassionate, non-judgemental stance so that you can feel understood and heard and to develop a genuine and connected therapeutic relationship; when change is required this can then be explored openly and collaboratively to help you achieve your goals and live a meaningful and fulfilled life.