01 · Who Tamara works with

Tamara works with stress, Anxiety, LGBT and relationship issues

Tamara lists 16 specialisms and 23 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Tamara chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Tamara's own words

What Tamara says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello, and welcome! I'm Tamara Payne, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults. I understand that reaching out for support can feel overwhelming, and I want to acknowledge the courage it takes to begin therapy.

Throughout my career, I have worked with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, relationship concerns, parenting challenges, divorce, fertility-related issues, chronic medical conditions, addiction, anger management difficulties, and life transitions. I also have experience supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community and individuals navigating a variety of personal and family challenges.

My goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where you feel comfortable being yourself. Therapy is a collaborative process, and I believe you are the expert on your own life. My role is to help you gain insight, develop practical coping strategies, and work alongside you to create meaningful and lasting change.

My approach is warm, authentic, interactive, and direct. I don't believe therapy should consist of someone simply listening and taking notes. I actively engage in our conversations by asking thoughtful questions, offering honest feedback, helping you recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and working together to find solutions that fit your life.

I draw from several evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, and Solution-Focused Therapy. Every person is different, so I tailor treatment to your unique goals, experiences, and strengths.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, navigating relationship difficulties, struggling with self-esteem, coping with major life changes, or simply feeling stuck, you don't have to face it alone. My hope is that our work together helps you gain clarity, build confidence, strengthen your coping skills, and move toward a life that feels more balanced, peaceful, and fulfilling.

I would be honored to be part of your journey.

Tamara Payne, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Tamara works

The 6 approaches Tamara lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Tamara lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Tamara's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Tamara runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Tamara practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Tamara's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Tamara at this point.

2. Naming Tamara specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Tamara is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Tamara.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Tamara

Built from what Tamara actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Tamara's - Tamara has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 20 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

New Jersey

Licence

NJ LCSW 44SC05312400

Licence number

44SC05312400

Licence expires

31 Aug 2028

NPI

1275841231

Years in practice

20

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

12 Aug 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Tamara's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Tamara. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.