01 · Who Tara works with

Tara works with relationship issues, intimacy-related issues and self esteem

Tara lists 10 specialisms and 20 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Tara chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Tara's own words

What Tara says about the work

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

Licensed by the State of California with 30 years of experience, I provide an opportunity for people to explore their emotional landscape as they navigate difficult life transitions. By supporting their sense of self and encouraging their capacity to manage change, I have helped clients sort through conflicts in their relationships, understand barriers to intimacy, re-discover their enthusiasm for life, build trust in themselves and others, and push through barriers to career growth and accomplishment. A cooperative and tolerant approach is key to happiness. I work to offer this tone in my professional relationship with you. This in turn creates an environment of freedom and creativity in our sessions. I understand, the courage required to take the pivotal steps to pursue your sense of purpose and fulfillment. I am pleased to be selected by you to support & empower this journey.

Post Script: I am deeply influenced by the writings of Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Piaget, Carl Rogers, and Adi Da Samraj, to mention a few. Also, the trainings of Virginia Satire, Michael White , Gabor Mate, Ellyn Bader, John and Julie Gottman, William R. Miller and David Whyte have enlarged my sense of what it is to be human and how to relate productively to our thoughts and feelings.

Tara McBrearty, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Tara works

The 6 approaches Tara lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Tara lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Tara'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 Tara runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

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.

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.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Tara 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 Tara'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 Tara at this point.

2. Naming Tara specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Tara 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 Tara.

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 Tara

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

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “With 30 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

California

Licence

CA LCSW 27798

Licence number

27798

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1407564107

Years in practice

30

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Tara'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 Tara. 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.