Tara L. James, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Pennsylvania with seventeen years of experience in the field of mental healthcare and social work. Tara's professional career is founded on an undergraduate degree in Psychology (minor in Criminal Justice) from Montclair State University and a graduate degree from Rutgers University with a concentration in Clinical Social Work. Tara L. James is a certified Trauma-Informed Care Trainer through the Lakeside Global Institute and is the founder of Blue Lotus Counseling and Consulting Services based in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
Tara aims to help clients reach their most paramount goals through a strengths based, trauma-informed care approach.
Through regular therapy and counseling sessions, treatment will focus on mental healthcare in the form of assessing such areas as; daily functioning, relationships, depressive symptoms, manic behaviors, maladaptive thinking patterns, risk-taking behaviors, victimization, violent & deviant tendencies, post-traumatic stress & responses, grief processing, adjustment to major life changes & transitions, anxiety responses and job & family stability.
All sessions with Tara L. James encompass a client-centered & collaborative approach reflecting an exploration of self, examination of emotional self-regulation skills, as it relates to daily functioning and empowerment, as well as, relationships and attachments in the form of intimacy, parent/child and co-caregiver bonds, professional relationships, etc. Tara L. James encourages her clientele to look inward to explore personal strengths, examine precise barriers blocking progression and to foster a strong sense of self-worth and empowerment.
Professional Background:
Tara L. James began her career as a clinical counselor in a New Jersey based psychiatric partial care program providing individual and group therapy to adults with chronic mental illness, personality disorders and addiction. While at the program, Tara transitioned to the role of Program Manager & Supervisor where she stayed for several years before taking on the position of Program Coordinator and Counselor for a New Jersey based county-funded program serving at-risk youth, working alongside county officials and clinical case managers to develop and implement treatment to youth facing significant barriers to reaching education and career goals. Following this position, Tara transitioned to the role of Director of Social Work for a rehabilitation center in Pennsylvania, providing guidance, counseling services, support and clinical case management to a department dedicated to providing quality care and counseling services to older adults and residents with chronic disabilities. Since 2018, Tara has taken on the roles of Program Director and Clinical Supervisor for a non-profit family psychotherapeutic program serving Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania, overseeing a program that provides intensive in-home psychotherapy to families with children who struggle with mental illness, behavioral concerns, addiction and intellectual disabilities.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship issues, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Abandonment, Adoption and Foster Care, Attachment issues, Avoidant Personality, Blended Family Issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Co-morbidity, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Dependent Personality, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Dissociation, Divorce and separation, Domestic Violence, Emptiness, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, First Responder Issues, Forgiveness, Gender Dysphoria, Guilt and shame, Immigration Issues, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Money and financial issues, Mood disorders , Multicultural Concerns, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Paranoia, Personality Disorders, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy and childbirth, Prejudice and Discrimination, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-love, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused Therapy
PA LCSW CW021598
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Tara James. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Tara takes the time to listen, guide and offer perspectives that are compassionate and challenging.
Written on Jun 10, 2021 after therapy with Tara for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, self esteem, coaching, compassion fatigue, and adhd
Tara is amazing! She is extremely comforting and understanding but she also isn't afraid to get "Jersey" on you! This is a perfect combination for any client, especially when our trauma can be so deeply rooted that we may not even recognize it! Further, her flexible hours and speedy responses makes her a great choice!
Written on Apr 20, 2021 after therapy with Tara for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, career difficulties, compassion fatigue, and adhd
Tara is kind, honest, and insightful. She changed my life in a very short period of time. I am very grateful.
Written on Mar 17, 2021 after therapy with Tara for 1 week on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and self esteem