Registered Creative Arts Therapist AThR, Grad Dip Psychotherapy and Counselling

Professional Member of ANZACATA

Tara is an experienced creative art therapist and counsellor who loves working with the expressive and transformative power of art-making. She experienced the therapeutic benefits of art first-hand during her undergraduate study as a textile artist at ANU. During her honours year, she faced challenging life events and was able to use her arts practise as a way to express, process and make sense of these experiences. This sparked a desire to pivot career-wise in order to study first Psychotherapy and Counselling at Jansen Newman Institute; and ultimately a Masters in Art Therapy in Melbourne. Tara now really loves facilitating art therapy processes for other people.

In her private practice, Tara uses a trauma-informed approach. She is also informed by attachment theory and relational processes. Tara has found that combining these approaches with expressive art therapy processes creates a safe, gentle and connective way to experience therapy. This approach is suitable for a wide range of different clients of all ages and abilities.

Tara has worked in a variety of different mental health contexts with a diverse range of clients. She has extensive experience working with children, youth and families who have experienced trauma, using creative arts and child-led play therapy. She also has experience working in school settings, in a high care dementia residential facility, in family violence recovery, with neurodiverse children and adults, with adults and children with physical and psycho-social disabilities (NDIS participants), and with adults with mild, moderate and complex mental health diagnoses. Within these diverse contexts, Tara facilitated individual, group and family therapy sessions. Her specialisation at university was in community-building arts processes and she has enjoyed several opportunities to facilitate community art-making.

Tara has taken up on opportunities in her career to advocate for improved services for marginalised groups in organisations and is welcoming, accepting and celebrating of all kinds of diversity. As a member of the queer community, Tara strives to be a safe practitioner for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.