Tara Hartley, LCSW
Helping people rewrite their stories and cope better
Details
| Name | Tara Hartley |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | Illinois |
| Licensed in | Illinois |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 9 |
About Tara
Tara Hartley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois. She brings nine years of clinical experience to conversations about stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and relationship concerns. Tara aims to create a respectful, compassionate space where people can talk about what matters most to them.
Her work emphasizes Narrative therapy alongside client-centered and cognitive behavioral approaches. She helps people unpack the stories they tell about themselves and notice patterns that limit their choices.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on practical steps and new perspectives rather than labels. Tara has background that includes work with substance use issues and trauma. That experience informs how she listens for safety, coping skills, and strengths a person already uses.
She tends to tailor sessions to the problem at hand, whether it is grief, parenting strain, or struggles with intimacy and commitment. Her style is warm and interactive. Conversations aim to be clear and direct, with tools and small experiments clients can try between meetings.
Tara avoids stigmatizing language and centers each person’s values when planning next steps. People who choose Tara can expect collaborative planning, focused skill-building, and an emphasis on stories that shape behavior. She encourages steady, realistic change and supports people as they try new ways of coping and relating.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Trauma and abuse among the things Tara works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Tara among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Tara directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Tara directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Narrative and Skill-Based Work Translate to Online Care
Many of Tara's approaches lend themselves well to online sessions. Narrative therapy focuses on the stories people tell about themselves and how those stories shape behavior; in sessions clients review moments from life, name recurring themes, and try new storylines that open different choices. Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening, empathy, and the client's own goals; it supports building trust and exploring values in an accepting way. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) uses practical exercises to change thinking and behavior patterns and can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping skills training.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Tara collaborates with each person to decide which methods suit their goals and preferences. That can mean combining narrative exploration with CBT exercises or leaning more on client-centered conversation depending on the issue and what the person wants to try.
Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be easier for short check-ins, live chat supports real-time text interaction, and text-based messaging lets people share between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, try short skill-focused meetings, or maintain continuity when schedules change.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does Tara commonly address?
Tara works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addiction concerns, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting strain, and related problems listed in her specialties.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach is warm and interactive. Sessions focus on listening, exploring personal stories, and trying practical tools between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has nine years of experience as a clinician, including prior work addressing substance use and trauma-related concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in Illinois and practicing there.
Which languages and international arrangements are supported?
Sessions are offered in English. She does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats does she use?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How are costs handled?
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 her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Tara are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Tara where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
Or see other therapists in Illinois »
This is a partner link. We will earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Other listings in Illinois
- Debbie Hayes, LCPC - Illinois
- Dr. Latrice Maric, LCPC - Illinois
- Natalie Eden, LCPC, LPC - Illinois
- Thérèse Fletcher, LCSW - Illinois
- All therapists for stress, anxiety »