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TW Portrait of Tara Watts

Tara Watts

Compassionate, practical therapy for life challenges

LCSW Pennsylvania

Experience
20 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Family, Trauma and abuse
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing
Languages
English
Continue with Tara

About Tara

Tara Watts is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Pennsylvania who centers her work on practical, evidence-informed strategies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Background and approach

With 20 years of clinical experience, she draws on a strength-based, person-centered stance to help clients clarify goals and build skills that reduce anxiety, depression, and stress while improving relationships and daily functioning. She has extensive experience supporting people managing trauma and abuse histories, grief, addiction, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and a variety of family and parenting challenges.

Tara emphasizes solution-focused and trauma-informed methods, collaborating with clients to create plans that address communication problems, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, and women’s issues without relying heavily on diagnostic labels. Tara aims to meet clients where they are and to prioritize practical changes that improve quality of life.

She combines motivational interviewing and other therapeutic tools to support motivation and sustain progress, and she maintains ongoing professional development to stay current with best practices.

Integrating evidence-based approaches with online access

CBT is a practical, skills-oriented approach that helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and develop alternative patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression and improve daily functioning. Motivational Interviewing focuses on building a person's own motivation for change through guided conversation and is useful when starting new routines or addressing substance use and ambivalence.

Choosing the right therapeutic approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist will work with clients to explore their goals, preferences, and life circumstances and then tailor techniques from CBT, Motivational Interviewing, or trauma-informed methods to fit the individual's needs rather than applying a single method rigidly.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to work together, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and continue care across different settings. These formats support ongoing skill practice, goal tracking, and timely check-ins so work can proceed between appointments when helpful.

Frequently asked questions

What types of concerns does Tara typically address?
Tara works with a broad set of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, relationship and parenting challenges, anger, self-esteem, compassion fatigue, and ADHD, plus blended family and caregiver stress concerns.
How would you describe Tara's therapeutic approach?
Her approach is strength-based, person-centered, solution-focused, and trauma-informed, incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Trauma-Focused techniques to support practical change.
What is her clinical and professional background?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience providing care to individuals, couples, and families across a range of life challenges and trauma histories.
Where is Tara licensed and practicing?
She holds a Pennsylvania LCSW license with licence number PA LCSW CW016180 and practices with clients located in Pennsylvania.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are conducted in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for working online?
Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on their needs and scheduling preferences.
How are therapy fees structured?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and services are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with Tara?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefDepression

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Blended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsFamily problemsWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Motivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

20+ years

Licensed

Pennsylvania

Languages

English