Her grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo ha-Levi, converted to Christianity around 1390 and was baptized as Pablo de Santa María, becoming bishop of Burgos in 1412.

Later, in 1449, she transferred to the Cistercian Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos at behest of her uncle for unspecified reasons, where she became deaf.

Dayle Seidenspinner-Núñez and Yonsoo Kim argue that the transfer occurred because of family political strategy and hostility of the Franciscans, who rejected conversos.

After being devastated by the initial onset of the illness, Teresa meditates in the silent prison of her deafness and ultimately concludes that God has afflicted her in order to separate her from the distractions of everyday noise.

In contrast, the genre Teresa employs, the libro de consolaciones (book of consolations), was primarily authored by men and addressed a male audience.

He inclined His ear to me when I, besieged with great anguish and adrift in a deep sea of misfortunes, called upon Him with the Prophet, saying, “Save me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul” [Psalm 68:2].

(Translation from Seidenspinner-Núñez, 102-3)Ultimately, Teresa concludes that the criticisms of her opponents call into question God's authority to distribute gifts and consequently offends him.

While strategically noting that men and women are not equal in all capacities, Teresa also remarks that masculine and feminine roles complement each other because of their differences.