I’m Tara, a registered clinical psychologist and the founder of Sanctuary Psychology.

My journey into this work has been a long and evolving one, beginning in the late 1990s and shaped not only by formal training, but by lived experience, personal challenges, and many years of reflection. Along the way, I’ve worked in a range of settings including prisons, child protection, family services, and private practice — each offering a deeper understanding of the complexity of what it is to be human, and how humans heal.

Early in my career, I began to recognise the profound and often unseen impact of trauma. It became clear that purely cognitive approaches were not always enough to support meaningful, lasting change. This realisation led me to explore ways of working that engage more deeply with the nervous system, the body, and the emotional layers of experience.

My approach is now grounded in trauma- and attachment-informed practice, integrating EMDR, ACT, and CBT in a way that is thoughtful, flexible, and responsive to each individual. I’m particularly interested in helping people understand the patterns that shape how they feel, relate, and respond to the world — and supporting change that feels genuine and sustainable over time.

I continue to learn and evolve in my work, drawing from both Western psychology and broader perspectives on healing and human development.

 How I work:

My approach to therapy is slow, thoughtful, and grounded in both neuroscience and experience.

Rather than focusing on quick strategies or surface-level change, we take time to understand what your mind and body have learned about how to survive in this world — and why. From there, change can begin to happen in a way that feels real and lasting.

I don’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
The way we work together is shaped by you — your history, your nervous system, and your unique way of being in the world.

This is not about fixing you.
It’s about making sense of you.

If this approach resonates, you’re welcome to reach out