Tessa Nalven, PhD

Postdoctoral Clinician

Tessa Nalven received her PhD in clinical psychology from University of Rhode Island and completed her internship at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Her approach to therapy is flexible and eclectic, and her goal is to meet clients from diverse backgrounds and identities where they are at to help with a variety of concerns.

She particularly specializes in treating clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, and problems related to alcohol or substance use. Dr. Nalven has expertise in several modalities of therapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and exposure therapies. She is currently working towards completing requirements for licensure and is receiving clinical supervision from Dr. Daniel Delaney.

In addition to direct clinical work, Dr. Nalven is a postdoctoral fellow and researcher at the Center of Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University. Her research focuses on health disparities related to substance use, the role of minority stress in marginalized racial and ethnic populations’ substance use, and resilience-based interventions.

Outside of work, Tessa enjoys spending time with her daughter and family pets, going to the beach even in cold weather, and gardening.