Tara’s 20-year professional career has its roots and longevity in the public health sector. She’s been fortunate enough to work as a Mentorship Facilitator and Health Educator within schools and the community; a Mental Health Therapist specializing in addiction treatment; a Business Owner; a Research Manager; a Family Wellness Facilitator (aka Mother), a Childcare Provider; and a Motivational Interviewing Trainer, Practitioner, and Coder. She enjoys empowering individuals of all ages to explore, discover, and engage in behavior that promotes personal and public health (mental, physical, and social). She’s dedicated the last 10+ years of her career to continuously practice the skills of empathy, listening, and motivational interviewing and has taught these skills to diverse populations in New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Utah. She has recently lived 17 months abroad in Penang, Malaysia where she volunteered with the nonprofit group IBU (meaning mother in Malay), that focuses on providing young families with a supportive community & resources. She personally knows how parenthood is a demanding job and deserves value & support. She is currently interested in the topics of parenting, childhood education, nonviolent communication, historical justice, human rights, world health, and exploring her role as a global citizen.
Tara understands the importance of humility and openness to feedback in the life-long use of MI skills. She realizes that no one is perfect with MI skills, and she has a particular interest in creating safe, honest feedback experiences for MI practitioners. Her most recent MI work includes participation in a Spanish MI coding group and MI trainings for Project Echo.
