Hi, I’m Tara.

My loved ones joke that I can chat up a brick wall.

Usually, while they’re standing by the door at some event, coats on, waiting for me to finish talking to someone I just met. That same curiosity about people and their stories is what led me to social work and, eventually, to becoming a therapist.

I’ve also learned a lot about relationships from my own life. Being a wife, mother, stepmother, sister, daughter, and friend has shown me how love and frustration can coexist in the same moment; how people can care deeply for one another, while still causing hurt.

We are all layered, all made up of parts that rise, fall, and freeze, sometimes all at once. When we can see ourselves and others with that kind of depth and complexity, a real connection has a chance to take hold.

Let's Connect

What it’s like to work with me.

A woman with glasses and loosely curled brown hair sitting on a dark gray sofa surrounded by blue pillows, smiling and looking to her left. In front of her on a wooden table are bowls of oranges and colorful small toys, and a potted plant with round green leaves. A tall floor lamp with a woven lampshade is visible in the background to her left.

The “how” of my work

My approach brings together Relational Life Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and somatic work. RLT helps couples move from reactivity and blame toward connection and shared responsibility. It’s direct and practical, focused on honesty, respect, and understanding how early experiences and social messages shape how we relate today.

Internal Family Systems invites curiosity and compassion toward the different parts of ourselves, like what they protect and long for, and helps us heal and lead from our true self. Somatic work brings the body into that awareness, helping emotions find a place to land and integrate.

I often bring in creative elements like art, film and music to open new ways of connecting. I’m also a Certified Integrated Sex Therapist, supporting individuals and couples in exploring intimacy and sexual well-being.

I stay active in ongoing training, but I learn just as much from clients, from art, and from the everyday moments (and brick walls) that keep me noticing, and chatting.

The Space Matters.

A bright living room with a wooden coffee table holding a potted plant and a bowl of oranges, a dark gray sofa with a light blue pillow, a floor lamp, a framed floral artwork on the wall, and a window with cream curtains letting in sunlight.

A wooden bookshelf with four compartments; the top left is filled with books, the top right and bottom left with woven baskets, and the bottom right with art. Three potted plants are on top of the shelf.

A wooden table with a white vase holding colored pens, a glue stick, various papers including stickers with tropical and space themes, and a notebook or magazine underneath.

A cozy corner with a black leather sofa, a wooden side table with a potted plant, a black mug, and a white dish with candies, near a window with cream-colored curtains.

Because therapy can ask a lot of us, I try to make the space welcoming. The lighting’s soft, the seating’s comfortable and there’s usually tea on. You can borrow a book, take home an art kit, or hold one of the small objects I keep around if you’re restless. If we meet virtually, I do my best to bridge the distance with shared resources, and small ways to stay connected.

The Story Behind What We Hold

The name What We Hold comes from Maira Kalman’s Women Holding Things, a book of poetry, illustrations and commentary exploring the literal and metaphorical things we hold, from everyday things like groceries and teacups to intangible ones like dreams, sorrow, love, and responsibility.

It was gifted to me by a friend, a fitting reminder that connection itself is something we hold.

“There is never an end to holding, and certainly there is often the feeling of never doing enough, and then there is the next day and the next day, and one holds on.”

— Maira Kalman

A woman wearing a black blazer and jeans holding a book titled "Women Holding Things" with a colorful illustrated cover of a woman's face on it.

Things we hold, big and small, everyday and profound.

We hold elevators for strangers. We hold sway. We hold hands. We hold our breath. We hold space. We hold up. We hold it together. We hold ourselves to high standards. We hold firm. We hold grudges. We hold each other in high regard. We hold tears back. We hold seats for friends. We get a hold of ourselves. We hold court. We hold someone accountable. We hold our horses. We hold our tongues. We hold out hope.

We hold on.

Let’s talk more about what you hold.

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