Dr. Teresa I. Costa received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2008 specializing in the Ecosystemic Child under Dr. Kevin O'Connor, one of the founders of the Association for Play Therapy. She began working with children in 1986 in a preschool setting as she worked towards her Bachelor of Arts in Child Development. She then joined the University of Oregon campus where she completed her Masters in Early Childhood Special Education. After a number of years as a regional autism specialist she joined the civilian workforce of the United States Air Force as a Director of several Child Development Centers in Montana and California. Through the following years she gained experience with youth and adults involved in the criminal justice system, providing psychological services in a school devoted to children with special education needs and working with families helping them learn to advocate for their children's educational rights.
She and her husband are both Veterans so helping the local Veteran population is also a passion. In November of 2015 Dr. Costa received specialized training in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) from the Veterans Administration. CPT is a proven treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.