“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Hi, I’m Tess, founder of True Relations and your coach on this journey back to self.

I started my career in team development and group dynamics, working in tech to support teams and projects by applying different techniques for group efficiency. I focused not just on the team as a whole, but on the person behind each title—what motivated them, what held them back, and how they worked best. I also led week-long team bonding experiences with students at the school where I had previously studied, deepening my understanding of how people connect, communicate, and grow together.

This journey made me want to dig deeper into the human psyche and behavior. I completed a year-long counseling training to understand how people’s pasts shape them, then trained as a coach to help them move forward. Along the way, I studied somatic practices and the mind-body connection, integrating both into my work. I continue to take courses and remain a lifelong student of human conditioning.

Now, my focus is on helping people break free from the patterns that keep them stuck and find their own voice. I listen deeply, ask the questions that cut through the noise, and support people in stepping into lives that feel more true to who they really are. My work is grounded in attunement—I have a strong intuition for when someone is speaking from their truth and when they’re echoing old conditioning, and I gently help them tell the difference.

My Personal Road to Change.

My work isn’t just shaped by training and experience—it’s deeply personal.

I grew up in an environment that didn’t always feel safe, which taught me early on how to read a room, anticipate needs, and adapt. It also made me hyper-aware of others while losing sight of myself. That pattern followed me for years—into relationships, into work, into the ways I showed up in the world.

Being queer in a culture that didn’t accept it only reinforced that survival strategy. I learned to hide parts of myself to avoid rejection, to make myself more acceptable, to fit into spaces that weren’t built for me. It took time, a lot of unlearning, and real support to step out of that and into a life that felt like mine.

I’ve struggled with anxiety, depression, and the deep fear that I wasn’t enough. I’ve stayed in relationships that weren’t right because I was more afraid of loneliness than the cost of staying. I know what it’s like to feel stuck, to question yourself, to want something different but not know how to get there.

And I also know what it’s like to find your way out.

This is why I do what I do. Because I know how hard it is. And I know what’s possible when you have the right space to figure it out.

So when you’re ready, I’m here for you.

With Care,

Acknowledgments.

  • I remember my first conversation with her. She said something like, “so tell me about you.” Which doesn’t sound like much, but as I’ve sat with Tess time after time, I have come to know that it’s much more of an invitation to really go inward. This shift in conversation from surface-level to deep space, has helped me to process and express things freely and without any judgement. Thank you Tess, for being truly one-of-a-kind and for offering your services to those lucky enough to speak with you!

    Leah M.

  • Tess has an extraordinary capacity to detect where I'm stagnant and guide healing there with her coaching. Her subtle attunement is off the charts. During sessions with her, I am baffled by how instantaneously she knows what I am needing and how to hold space for it.

    Dr. Hall

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Let’s talk.