Tara Ashley , LICSW, LCSW

Tara Ashley, LICSW, LCSW, brings more than 16 years of clinical experience to her Montana-based practice, guiding people through stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma recovery, and life transitions. She draws on a broad set of specialties including parenting, compassion fatigue, grief, intimacy-related concerns, sleep difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career changes, bipolar disorder, depression, and coping with significant life changes to tailor care to each person's situation.

Her work often focuses on issues such as divorce and separation, guilt and shame, isolation and loneliness, questions of life purpose, financial worries, post-traumatic stress, pregnancy and childbirth, and women’s health concerns. Tara emphasizes a compassionate, adaptable style that honors each individual's unique journey and priorities. She emphasizes collaboration, helping people explore their experiences, build resilience, and move toward meaningful personal growth and recovery.

With designations of LICSW and LCSW - acronyms that indicate advanced clinical social work licensure and training to provide psychotherapy - Tara offers thoughtful, individualized guidance for those facing professional burnout, relationship strains, or a desire for deeper self-understanding. Her approach is respectful and client-centered, meeting people where they are and supporting practical steps toward change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Tara Ashley draws from several evidence-informed approaches to help people address a range of concerns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping individuals clarify their values and take meaningful action even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present - it can be useful for anxiety, avoidance, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, targets unhelpful thinking patterns and teaches practical skills to change behaviors and improve mood, often helping with depression, anxiety, and stress-related problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, emphasizes emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, which can be especially helpful for intense emotions, relationship difficulties, and trauma-related symptoms.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Tara works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and personal preferences, adjusting techniques over time as progress and circumstances evolve.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - provide flexibility for scheduling and allow people to access care from their own environments. These formats can make it easier to maintain continuity of care during busy or changing life circumstances and support consistent work on goals between sessions.