Therapist Spotlight: Teresa Gross, LPC
Quick answer: Teresa Gross, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor at Austin Mindfulness Center whose primary approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She works with adults facing anxiety and panic, major life or career transitions, relationship challenges, grief, and personal growth—with mindfulness woven into every session.
In this therapist spotlight, we sit down with Teresa Gross, LPC, to talk about her path from high-tech corporate marketing to counseling, the skill she wishes the whole world would learn, and how mindfulness shapes her work with clients in Austin.
Why did Teresa Gross become a counselor?
She followed a long-standing, heartfelt desire to turn her passion for personal growth, deep curiosity about personality, and fascination with human nature into a profession.
Teresa began her transition from high-tech corporate marketing to the healing arts through massage therapy and yoga instruction, but she knew from the beginning that she wanted to be a therapist. "Now after years of facing my fears, learning to trust life, and having finally settled into my life's work as a fully licensed and credentialed professional counselor, I cannot imagine doing anything else that could bring me greater joy," she says. "I treasure each and every opportunity to gently guide others to know, accept, and love themselves; live their lives full-on, full-out from the heart; and enjoy more peace, freedom, and vitality in their relationships and daily lives."
What does Teresa Gross help clients with?
The most common concerns her clients bring are anxiety and panic, major life or career transitions, relationship challenges, and personal growth.
Her ideal client is someone challenged by major transitions, struggling in their relationships, burdened by anxiety, derailed by depression, or grieving a loss—and willing to fully engage in the therapy process, committed to exploring their "growth edges," and open to mindfulness. If she could teach the world a single life-improving skill, it would be self-acceptance: "It's certainly not easy at times and likely takes a lifetime." That focus on working with anxiety pairs naturally with our anxiety counseling services.
What is Teresa's approach to therapy?
Her primary approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which uniquely combines cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness interventions.
For Teresa, mindfulness is "a way of being, approach to living, access to full contact with life, an essential form of inner strength training, and an empowering practice." ACT isn't only intended to relieve symptoms and facilitate positive change—it expands and deepens one's experience of life. That's why she makes mindfulness a daily priority herself, even if only for a few minutes a day.
How does she bring mindfulness into sessions?
She introduces mindfulness as a concept, explores various practices to find what fits each person, and creates present-moment experiences through breathwork, short meditations, and guided visualizations.
This individualized approach—matching the practice to the person rather than the other way around—is the heart of mindfulness-based therapy at our practice. Teresa's own self-care mirrors what she teaches: yoga, meditation, spiritual practices, Enneagram studies, time with family and friends, a good read or movie, quiet solitude, and the occasional wellness retreat.
A few personal favorites
Asked for one book she'd recommend to all her clients, Teresa names Way of Mastery by the Shanti Christo Foundation. Her favorite quote comes from Rumi: "Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot. Seek the path that demands your whole being." And her dream dinner party guests? Mother Mary, Jeshua, and master therapist Irvin Yalom. What inspires her to keep doing this work is watching transformation unfold—"greater love, fulfillment, and meaning in life that inevitably emerges from the challenging pursuit of positive change and growth."
Getting started. Curious whether ACT and mindfulness-based counseling are right for you? Our mindfulness therapy team in Austin can help you find the right fit.
Frequently asked questions
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
ACT is an evidence-based approach that combines cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness interventions—helping you accept difficult inner experiences while committing to actions aligned with your values.
Who is a good fit for therapy with Teresa Gross?
Adults navigating anxiety or panic, major life and career transitions, relationship struggles, depression, or grief—especially those open to mindfulness and willing to engage fully in the process.
Do I need mindfulness experience before starting?
No. Teresa introduces mindfulness from the ground up and tailors practices—breathwork, short meditations, guided visualizations—to each person's preferences.
Get started with a therapist at Austin Mindfulness Center—in person in Austin or online across Texas.
