Yacob Tekie, PhD.
Director of Clinical Services and Operation
Dr. Yacob Tekie is a distinguished bilingual licensed clinical psychologist, holding a PhD in counseling psychology, and he boasts a wealth of expertise and experience. His specialization lies in individual therapy catering to children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Tekie employs a comprehensive approach to therapy, drawing from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral interventions, as well as Emotion Focused Therapy infused with Multicultural Psychology principles. This enables him to effectively address a broad spectrum of psychological and emotional challenges. He provides services, both in English and Tigrigna.
With extensive clinical experience, Dr. Tekie has cultivated a profound understanding of issues ranging from trauma, depression, and anxiety to adjustment difficulties, school or professional underachievement, and relationship conflicts. Furthermore, he extends his therapeutic services to couples and families, offering valuable support and guidance.
Dr. Tekie currently holds the position of a staff psychologist and serves as the coordinator of the Let’s Talk program at the University of Pennsylvania, Student Health and Counseling. He also contributes as a Professor of Psychology at the Graduate School of Education (PennGSE, part-time) in Philadelphia, PA.
In addition to his role in academia and clinical practice, Dr. Tekie serves as the founder and director of Clinical Services and Operations at Tesfa-House Psychotherapy & Consulting LLC. In this capacity, he spearheads the vision, strategy, organizational culture, company growth, and leads a dynamic team committed to delivering exceptional services.
Dr. Tekie’s dedication to mental health extends beyond his professional roles. He has conducted numerous mental health-related workshops tailored for refugees, immigrants, torture survivors, and marginalized groups across North America, Europe, East Africa, and the Middle East. Furthermore, his expertise as a social science researcher is evident in his specialization in survey research and program evaluation, with a primary focus on East African refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers, particularly those from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan. His research delves into their traumatic experiences, resettlement challenges, and integration processes.
Dr. Tekie brings a rich background in substance abuse counseling and racial literacy and trauma therapy to his practice, further enhancing his ability to address complex mental health issues.
His impressive educational journey includes an APA-Accredited Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK), as well as a Master of Science in Statistics and Graduate Certificate in Statistics, Evaluation, and Measurement from UTK. Dr. Tekie earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Asmara and completed his doctoral psychology internship (residency) and post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. His exceptional academic achievements have earned him several prestigious awards, including recognition as the best PhD student at the University of Tennessee as well as Model of Excellence award as part of the Eating Concerns Team at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the Society for Refugee Healthcare Providers, National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP), Philadelphia Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (PSPP), Association for University and Association for University College Counseling Center Outreach (AUCCCO)
Dr. Tekie is based in Philadelphia, USA