Therapy in Phoenix. Online in Arizona, Massachusetts & Ohio.
Compassionate Therapy for Meaningful Change
Meet Tara (she/her), MSW/LICSW,
ACT/EMDR/ Self-compassion informed therapist
You second-guess yourself, question whether you’re “good enough”, and worry about what other people think about you. You overthink, compare yourself to others, and don’t feel confident in who you are.
There might be experiences from your past that continue to impact you today—showing up in your relationships, your emotions, or the way you see yourself.
You know you want something to change. You want to trust yourself more, feel more confident and for life to just feel easier.
You’re in the right place
My Approach
It is an honor and a privilege for me to be trusted with your story, and I don’t take that trust lightly. I see our relationship as something deeply meaningful, and I genuinely care about you and your well-being.
I’m here to understand your experience as you see it, not impose my own assumptions or tell you who you should be. I bring empathy, compassion, curiosity, and a non-judgmental presence to our work.
While I bring knowledge and experience to the room, I don’t see myself as the expert on you. I believe you have innate wisdom about your own life, and I’m here to help you reconnect with it, strengthen your trust in yourself, and discover what feels right for you.
I’m also incredibly grateful to my clients for continually deepening my understanding of the many ways people experience and move through life, and that is one of the things I value most about being a therapist.
A relaxed, down-to-earth environment — Therapy with me doesn’t feel formal or intimidating. I want you to feel comfortable just being human.
A space where you can be completely yourself — You don’t have to filter yourself, have the “right” answers, or worry about being judged.
An opportunity to develop trust in your own wisdom — I won’t position myself as the expert on you. My role is to help you better understand yourself and trust your own instincts.
A relationship that matters — I don’t take your trust lightly. I genuinely care about you and feel privileged to be part of your journey.
Intentional, thoughtful therapy — I’ll be present and purposeful in our work while staying responsive to what you need in the moment.
What to expect from therapy with me
You don’t have to figure it out alone
Together, we’ll slow down and get curious about what’s happening beneath the surface. We’ll identify the patterns that keep you stuck, and make room for the emotions that may be difficult to sit with on your own.
You’ll learn how to relate to yourself with more compassion, discover new ways of responding when old patterns show up, and work towards a relationship with yourself built on trust.
There will be plenty of room for the hard stuff, and there will also be room to laugh, be curious, and simply be human. Most importantly, we’ll create space for you to understand yourself more deeply and move toward a life that feels more like your own.
I am an inclusive therapist.
Aligned with my values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, my practice is LGBTQ+ affirming, neurodivergent-affirming, Health at Every Size®-aligned, and a welcoming space for people of all races, cultural backgrounds, religious practices and abilities.
A little bit more about me..
When I’m not with clients, I love spending time outside in nature, practicing yoga and mindfulness, and connecting with family and friends. I’m also someone who cares deeply about social justice and creating a more compassionate, equitable world, and I bring those values into both my personal life and my work. I’m naturally curious and love continuing to learn, which means I’m often attending workshops, taking trainings, or discovering new books.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can expect therapy to be collaborative, compassionate, and genuinely human. I’ll listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, and help you make sense of what you’re experiencing without telling you who you should be or how you should live your life. We’ll work together to understand your patterns, explore what matters to you, and find ways to create meaningful change. I’ll bring my training and experience to our work, while always respecting that you know yourself better than anyone.
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No—and that’s intentional. I don’t believe therapy is about me having all the answers or telling you what’s best for your life. Instead, I’ll help you slow down, get curious, and explore what feels right for you. I will offer perspectives, tools, or suggestions when they’re helpful, but you get to decide what fits. My goal isn’t for you to become better at following advice; it’s for you to become more confident in trusting yourself.
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That’s totally okay! You don’t need to come to therapy with a perfectly organized list of problems or know exactly what you need. We can start wherever you are and figure it out together. Sometimes simply talking about what has been on your mind that week can lead us somewhere important. You don’t have to have therapy figured out before you start.
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Insight is valuable, but understanding something intellectually doesn’t always mean you know how to feel or respond differently. You may already know where your anxiety comes from, understand why you’re hard on yourself, or recognize the patterns you fall into—and still find yourself repeating them. Together, we’ll work on moving beyond simply understanding your patterns to developing a different relationship with your thoughts, emotions, and yourself.
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Not before you’re ready. While your past can sometimes help us understand what you’re experiencing today, I won’t push you to revisit experiences simply because they happened. We’ll move at a pace that feels right for you and focus on what you need in the present. If exploring past experiences becomes an important part of your healing, we’ll approach them thoughtfully and with care.
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My approach to therapy is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that you are the expert on your own life. I draw from approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindful Self-Compassion, and EMDR, tailoring our work to you rather than following a one-size-fits-all formula. We’ll explore the patterns, thoughts, and stories that may be keeping you stuck while also paying attention to what’s happening in your body and emotions. My goal isn’t simply to help you feel better in the moment, but to help you develop a different relationship with yourself—one rooted in greater self-trust, compassion, and freedom to live in a way that feels meaningful to you.
Therapy isn’t always easy, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming either. Sometimes progress means slowing down, being honest with yourself, and gently exploring things that may feel uncomfortable. I’m here with you throughout the process, helping you move at a pace that feels right for you.
Therapy Approaches
ACT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you develop the skills to make room for life's inevitable challenges while staying connected to what matters most.
EMDR
EMDR is an evidence-based treatment that helps your brain process distressing experiences so that they become less overwhelming and lose their emotional charge.
Self-compassion
Self-compassion-focused therapy helps you quiet your inner critic, respond to yourself with greater kindness, and learn to respond to your emotions without being hard on yourself.
Experience
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American University, BA Psychology and International Peace and Conflict Resolution
Smith College School for Social Work, MSW
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Clinical Intern
Smith College Counseling Services, Clinical Intern
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Licensed in the state of Arizona, License #21327
Licensed in the state of Massachusetts, License #124548
Licensed in the state of Ohio, License #I.1800916
I believe in continually expanding my knowledge and skills as a therapist. Over the years, I have completed extensive training across a range of therapeutic approaches and areas of clinical practice. Below is a selection of trainings that have been particularly influential in my clinical work.
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Center for Mindful Self Compassion, Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy Certificate
Center for Mindful Self Compassion, Self Compassion for Shame
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EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Basic Training
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ACT for ADHD
ACT for Autism
Certified ADHD Professional (ADHD-CCSP) Intensive Training Course: Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing ADHD Across the Lifespan
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ACT for Perfectionism and People-pleasing
You deserve support along the way
This might be the right space for you if want to..
Be fully yourself without worrying about feeling judged.
Feel understood rather than told what you should do.
Work collaboratively with a therapist who trusts in you.
Laugh, be vulnerable, and be human in the same space.
Feel comfortable enough to explore the parts of yourself you usually keep hidden.
Learn to connect with and trust yourself more deeply.
Do meaningful work without therapy feeling overly formal or intimidating.