- Years in practice
- 16
- Credentials
- LICSW, LCSW
- Licensed in
- Minnesota, Montana
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Tara
Tara Ashley is a licensed social worker who brings 16 years of experience to her practice in Montana. She uses practical, down-to-earth methods to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Parents and caregivers often find her approach useful when juggling relationship strain and parenting pressures.
She blends acceptance and commitment strategies with cognitive and mindfulness tools to address worry and low mood. Sessions focus on clear skills people can use between meetings, such as shifting unhelpful thoughts and building small routines.
Background and approach
The work is collaborative and paced to each person’s needs. Tara also supports people coping with trauma, grief, and compassion fatigue. She helps clients name painful patterns, learn grounding techniques, and practice new ways of responding.
For those facing separation or career changes, she emphasizes realistic steps and problem solving. Her background includes care around pregnancy and childbirth and women's issues more broadly. She aims to help clients reconnect with purpose and reduce isolation while managing the practical demands of daily life.
Conversations cover both immediate concerns and longer term goals. Tara holds LICSW and LCSW credentials and draws on a mix of evidence-informed approaches. Her sessions are straightforward, respectful, and focused on change that fits each person’s life.
What Tara works with
Everything Tara lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Tara helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Compassion fatigue
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Divorce and separation
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Women's issues
Approaches Tara lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice their thoughts and choose actions that align with their values. Online ACT often focuses on small behavior changes, values clarification, and exercises to reduce avoidance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy targets the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions to reduce anxiety and depression. In video or phone sessions CBT can include tracking thoughts, practicing new coping skills, and reviewing homework together.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and then recommend which methods to try first. That choice is made collaboratively and can shift as needs change during the course of care.
Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and live skill demonstration. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to check in between sessions, fit brief updates into a busy day, or get reminders about practice exercises. These options help people access consistent support while juggling parenting, work, and other demands.
Questions people ask about Tara
What kinds of concerns does Tara address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, grief, and compassion fatigue among other topics.
What is Tara's therapy style like?
Her style is collaborative and practical, mixing acceptance and mindfulness work with cognitive strategies and skill building to address daily challenges.
How much experience does she have?
She has 16 years of clinical experience working with a range of concerns, including pregnancy, childbirth, and women's life transitions.
What credentials and location are listed for Tara?
She holds LICSW and LCSW credentials and is based in Montana.
Which languages are sessions offered in and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Tara?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
More therapists for parents in Montana
All in MontanaDr. Jason Newcomb
LCPC
Montana 22 years in practice
Compassionate, practical support for life changes
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career
Mary Morgan
LCSW
Montana 7 years in practice
Practical support for parents and life transitions
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Self esteem
Onorina Michalsky
LCPC
Montana 8 years in practice
Helping people build clearer thinking and daily habits
- Stress, Anxiety
- Sleeping
- Self esteem