Tessa bridges somatic awareness and healing techniques, ritual and depthful personal experience with professional training.

Completing her BA in International Studies with a focus on Asian cultural practices from Leiden University, she continued her studies in the field of Organizational Anthropology and graduated from VU University (MSc) in Lookism. Her academic graduation thesis gave birth to To Face The World through which she started an online platform for qualitative anthropological research on the experiences of individuals with a facial difference.

She has studied academic extracurricular tracks in human flourishing, Buddhist rethoric, account of beauty and aesthetics and positive phychology as well as studied and trained as an Ayurvedic nutrionist, emotional wellbeing coach, (archetypal) feminine embodiment, marma skin therapist, epigenetics, kashmir shavist tantric practice, jungian psychology, and yogic practictioner. Especially with her risk of losing eyesight and her stance in life with a birthmark, Tessa has found profound ground, presence and inner flourishing to live wholeheartedly through these modalities of healing. She continues to deepen her devotional practice.

Her highly personal graduation research, brought her to uniting her formal studies in the field of social psychology, anthropology and cultural studies together with her heart for emotional-wellbeing, yogic studies, devotional somatic practice, ritual, her spiritual endeavours and love for the depths of beauty and aesthetics. This union of study and practices has resulted in an inspiring and grounded method that is practical, focussed on the body, and evokes inner widsom. Since 2019, she has guided numerous individuals and groups on beauty, visibility, and body intimacy in private mentorship, key-note speaking, university teaching and writing. 

Her first book capturing her unique life path was published on September 20th, 2022.

Tessa lives in Amsterdam from where she also runs her practice. She is a lover of sculpting, ceramics, reading and dance as creative self-expression and can often be found on the shores of Portugal's wild coasts.