About Tara
Tara Ashley is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Montana. She has 16 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Tara focuses on clear, practical steps that fit each person's life.
Her work often centers on relationships, intimacy concerns, and communication. She also supports people facing grief, parenting strain, compassion fatigue, and career uncertainty. Tara helps people address painful experiences like trauma, abuse, post-traumatic stress, and the aftermath of divorce or separation.
Background and approach
Tara uses evidence-informed approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy. She blends these methods to teach coping skills, reduce overwhelm, and build routines that improve sleep and reduce anger. The Gottman Method informs her work around relationship patterns and practical communication tools.
She has a particular focus on women's issues, including pregnancy and childbirth, and on struggles with guilt, shame, and isolation. Tara also supports people dealing with bipolar disorder, mood changes, and questions about life purpose or money and financial stress. In sessions she aims for a collaborative, respectful tone.
Conversations are straightforward and goal-focused, with room for emotional processing. People leave with small, doable steps to try between meetings and a clearer plan for moving forward.
Practical approaches and online therapy that fit your life
Tara often uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and commit to actions that match their values. ACT is useful for stress, anxiety, and when someone wants clearer direction about what matters to them.She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and test new behaviors. CBT is practical for mood management, sleep problems, and reducing worry. The Gottman Method informs her work on communication skills and breaking negative cycles in relationships by focusing on concrete interaction strategies.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Tara will discuss options with each person and tailor methods to their goals, preferences, and day-to-day needs. She aims to blend techniques so sessions are useful from week to week rather than sticking to one rigid model.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls let people see nonverbal cues and practice communication skills live. Phone sessions require less bandwidth and can be easier during a busy day. Live chat or text-based messaging can provide short check-ins, coaching-style support, or follow-up between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, parenting, or school schedules while keeping the focus on practical steps and steady progress.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Tara commonly address?
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How much clinical experience does she have?
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Which languages are sessions offered in and can international clients join?
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 16 years
- Licensed
- Minnesota, Montana
- Languages
- English