Hi, I'm Tara. I'd like to tell you a little about myself since I will be asking a lot about you! I come from a pretty dysfunctional family background with a lot of addiction and strife. So after I completed undergraduate school, I worked at a residential substance use disorder facility in Virginia, working with families of patient's there. I learned that folk with substance use issues also have depression, anxiety, bi polar disorder, and other mental health and social skill and communication problems. This prompted me to do something I said I would never do...... go back to school. I started Graduate school in 1992 and finished in 1994 and received my MA in Professional Counseling. I worked at a CSB and did my residency there. I started working for myself in February 2001. I work with 18 year old and up. When I am not working, I volunteer with a cat rescue group and I take care of "bottle babies" in the spring and raise them until they are old enough to be adopted. I enjoy going to the movies, the theatre, musicals, reading mysteries, watching netflix and prime video and cooking. I love my 5 cats and one dog. I am very Client Centered, meaning - I don't think the therapy can go very far if there isn't a therapeutic connection. I work with anxiety disorder, substance use disorders, depression, Bi Polar disorder, Parenting . If you do not make yourself a priority, you cannot be the best friend, partner, wife, husband, employee, parent, friend, Truly, I am here to help you in whatever you are experiencing.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together, I will work on getting to know you better and hear more about about your story so I can know how to better help.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I use Client Centered, Solution Focused, Mindfulness, CBT, and Talk Therapy
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe my biggest areas of strengths are listening to what is being said and not being said, reading body language, being present with you during our sessions, making observations. I don't tell people what to do, I don't have that power nor would I want to, but I do share suggestions that you might try to help certain situations.