Therapists in Philadelphia, PA

I have experience providing mental health therapy to a variety of populations in therapeutic settings. I have provided therapy to individuals struggling with all types of addiction and addictive/ compulsive behaviors. I have worked extensively with individuals and couples who identify on the GLBTQ spectrum and who were experiencing sexual and gender identity issues. I treated individuals who experienced domestic violence and or sexual trauma. I treated individuals struggling with a variety of sexual health issues and dysfunctions. I have experience providing therapy to people of color who were HIV+, helping them manage issues related to their sexuality, relationships, sexual and gender identity.

I am a Syrian, Queer, & Genderfluid clinician. As an immigrant kid raised in queer subcultures in the Pacific Northwest, my therapy practice is inspired by writers, creators, and organizers who complicate the narratives of our human existence. I believe the personal is deeply political and therapy is a tool to help us identify how our bodies, relationships, and internal beliefs have been impacted by systems of power and oppression. I utilize celebration, gentleness, and reflection alongside various modalities to inform my practice in session for a customized approach with each person who enters into a therapy relationship with me.

I love being a therapist and helping individuals develop a deeper understanding of, and connection to, themselves and others. I value building a strong therapeutic relationship based on acceptance, trust, and empathic understanding, where individuals feel safe, heard, valued and empowered to heal and make the positive changes for which they desire. I use a variety of methods in my work, including relational, cognitive, behavioral, and emotion-focused interventions in an integrative fashion to address each person's unique concerns. With children, I incorporate developmentally-sensitive interventions and mediums for self-expression.

You matter! This tenet is central to the work. For 20 years, this is what I have been passionate about helping folx to realize, intellectually and actually in their day-to-day lives. Life is a series of events (great and small), associated emotions, and responses. These make up our diverse lived experiences. But how do we make sense of them? For some, how do we recover from them to go on to live the lives we desire? In the past, I have also worked with families and groups. These days, I find beauty in continuing to work with individuals to co-create a safe-enough space for clients to explore vulnerability and find their voices.

As a licensed psychologist, board certified clinical hypnotherapist and medical psychotherapist, I have been in private practice for 30 years in center city Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill,Pa. I am primarily Jungian, feminist, and cognitive/behavioral in orientation and use a blend of whatever suits the person and situation. My specialties include relationships, depression and anxiety/panic, self-esteem. trauma, and life transitions. I am widely published, formerly on staff at the Belmont Center and at Hahnemann and Temple Universities.The goal is to diminish negative symptoms and patterns, facilitate individuation, find your path and personal meaning in life, at work and in relationships.

I have experience working with a diverse set of populations, including those who have struggled with anxiety, depression, intimate partner/domestic violence, sexual abuse, and trauma. I work with individuals struggling with unhealthy relationship patterns, relational violence, trauma, mood disruptions, and work dissatisfaction/burnout. I also work with couples on communication, trust, intimacy, and learning how to "fight fair." I am passionate about advocating for and working with BIPOC individuals, the LGBTQIA+ community, and survivors of relational and/or sexual abuse.

Developing a relationship with a compassionate, skilled therapist who can help you be present with current life stressors or past traumas, can be an important part of healing. In my practice I work with adults and adolescents with a variety of issues but specialize in issues related to sexual trauma (childhood or adult), childhood emotional/physical abuse, domestic violence, lack of parental attunement, and growing up in a home where alcohol and drugs were abused. I also work with couples who are experiencing challenges in communication, connection and how past trauma effects this. I provide clinical supervision to therapists.

There are many reasons you may be seeking therapy — marital and familial conflict, grief & loss, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, self-esteem, sexual abuse, domestic violence, or relationships are among the most common reasons. Perhaps you have asked yourself questions such as “how long will this pain last?” “when will I be good enough?” “how can I learn to love myself” “Why me?’ "How do I get out?" I want you to know you are not alone! Together we can explore your needs. You want to be happy, let's explore the barriers keeping you from living the best version of you. You need tools to navigate life, let's create a road map.

To imagine an ideal client, I’d imagine someone that is open and willing to take an honest look at themselves; have a willingness to commit to building a safe space to heal and someone that can work remotely. They want someone who brings good energy to the space and they want to feel valued and heard.

I am licensed in Pennsylvania with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, trauma/abuse, drugs/alcohol, coping with grief/loss, low motivation, self-esteem, and confidence. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling/happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

My ideal clients are Domestic Violence Victims, Human Trafficking Victims,Sex Trafficking Victims, Life Coaching, Grief Counseling, and Addictions clients. My clients needs and goals will be assessed during their initial consultation. After the initial consultation a SMART Format treatment plan will be developed All information in regards to the client will be held extremely confidential in guidelines to the HIPPA law. Clients are seen by appointment only. All clients are seen out of a We Work Office building or via tele health. Blurb -“Tara has been recognized as one of the Top Mental-Health Coaches by Coach Foundation.”

As a therapist and a fellow individual who is quite familiar with the majestic peaks and the harsh valleys of our human experience, I understand the importance of holding a secure, safe and abundantly compassionate space filled with warmth and thoughtful considerations of your challenges as you enter the therapeutic space with me. Additionally, I recognize the importance of my showing up in our shared space as an authentic person – I am unapologetically myself and I can guarantee that the cold clinical encounters of the typical therapy experience does not exist in my corner of the world.

I remember my own experience meeting my new therapist. I was anxious to talk to a new person. I did not know if I would make sense. I did not want to feel judged. I remember feeling lost and hopeless. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to change the bad feelings and I resisted to believe that there was something wrong with me. I wanted someone who could guide me to understand my world and myself. I wanted a safe space. I needed to find someone who could collaborate with me in changing and resisting. I did not want a therapist who treated me as a study object. I just wanted to feel fully human.

With 30 years of extensive experience working with individuals, couples and families my focus is on the resolution of problems (hence the name RESOLUTION COUNSELING). The goal is to improve relationships and facilitate positive change. I am certified in chemical dependency and related issues and treat many other disorders. Direct in my approach, I offer insights providing options for making changes. Breaking free of old, conditioned patterns is critical to finding fulfillment and happiness. Learning how to make healthy choices will enhance one's life. I instill HOPE that change is possible because once you have the tools you have the ability to move forward!

I work comfortably with people from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and people within the LGBTQ community. In my practice I see adults, adolescents, and couples. I have a direct, interpersonal style in which I support and assist individuals in meeting their personal goals while helping them to process past and present issues related to trauma, child abuse/neglect, addiction(s), grief and loss, depression, or anxiety that may be interfering with their progress. I approach my clinical practice from a socially conscious perspective, working always to view personal difficulties within the sociocultural context in which we live.

I can help you cope and heal from sexual and relationship trauma. Trauma can fracture who you are as a person. It can make you feel unlike yourself, distant from others, changed forever. This does not have to be permanent. Together, we can build resilience, access your strengths, and free you from your past. Learning to understand your trauma, manage symptoms, change patterns, and increase self-esteem can help you cultivate the life and meaningful relationships that you want. Most of my clients have experienced rape, sexual assault, childhood abuse, systemic oppression, and/or violence from a partner.

In my work with my clients, I try to create a warm and empathic space where you can feel safe enough to reconnect to hope and purpose. I feel honored to be present with my clients as they navigate and explore their inner and outer lives, and bear witness to their healing and recovery. I have a specialty in trauma, anxiety, mood disorders, and relational issues. Other mental health concerns I work with include substance abuse, depression, ADHD, self-harm, and stress management.

I believe in meeting people where they are, perpetuating meaningful and supportive connection. I enjoy working with clients who are experiencing abuse, neglect, and trauma and who are suffering from the consequences of that trauma. I will help you understand your specific trauma responses and how to change them. You can find relief. You can heal. My goal is to support you in making changes in your life that will lead to positive outcomes and a fulfilling life.

Emotions, relationships, communication, loss, addictions, trauma, change. Regardless of our age, these human conditions, specifically those unwanted or unexpected life experiences, finds us all. Being teased or bullied as a child, being rejected by a lover, friend, or authority figure, being victimized &/or witnessing violence in the home, being abused or neglected, losing the ones we love, the high-risk lifestyle of addiction, poor health and disease; life can wound us. But life is a continuum; It is both pain and joy. It's been said, "Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional." You don't have to suffer anymore.