At JANUS, Tara serves as a compassionate and insightful guide for individuals navigating some of life’s most pivotal transitions. Currently working towards her Masters in Social Work at University of Illinois Chicago, Tara comes to Janus with a background in therapeutic life coaching, social engagement strategy, and curriculum development.

Tara’s professional journey has always centered on creating opportunities for transformation. Her work began in the collegiate transition space, where she helped emerging adults build the emotional, social, and executive functioning skills needed to thrive beyond the classroom. During her time at EDGE Learning and Wellness, she co-designed an executive functioning intensive for college-bound students, developed a neurodiversity-affirming social skills curriculum, and launched career partnership initiatives that connected clients to hands-on, real-world experience.

Tara’s approach is deeply relationship-based — she believes trust, attunement, and presence are the doorway to change. She is known for integrating evidence-based tools from DBT, ACT, and CBT into her coaching to support clients in building emotional regulation, self-worth, and authentic direction.

Her work also extends into community mental health, where she facilitates identity-affirming processing groups for LGBTQ+ individuals in recovery and supports adults through substance use and behavioral health challenges. 

At JANUS, Tara specializes in supporting young adults, neurodivergent individuals, and those feeling “stuck” at life’s threshold — helping them build the clarity, confidence, and momentum to walk through the next doorway.