Tara Coleman-Starr
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
(I'm off work and won't be able to respond to enquiries between August 31st and September 13th. I apologise for any inconvenience. If you would like to book a consultation, please email me, and I'll get back to you once I return on the 14th. Thank you!)
Hello, I’m Tara. Thank you for being here. I know from experience that searching for the right counsellor can be daunting. If you don't know where to begin or what kind of therapy would help, you don’t need to have all the answers before starting.
I'm an experienced, highly trained therapist with a record of effectively helping individuals, partners, and families with a wide range of challenges. I work with many issues, but my specialisms include:
- ADHD: As someone with ADHD, I have personally felt the pain and shame that it can cause in all areas of life. I can help you soothe your emotions, understand yourself better, and learn practical tools to manage your traits. I can also help you navigate the assessment process if you're currently undiagnosed and support you through the impacts of a late diagnosis.
- Anxiety: Whether generalised anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, or issues like phobias. I am also accredited by the APT to deliver CBT (including ERP) for OCD. It affects many people, but understanding your personal causes of anxiety and triggers can empower you to overcome it and live a calmer and fuller life.
- Self-esteem: Helping you to understand yourself, improve your confidence, overcome shame, and find self-acceptance. Low self-esteem can hold you back in all areas of life, and in a time where there's a huge focus on "self-love", we can feel pressured to find it. I can help you navigate the process, building a genuine, healthy relationship with yourself.
- Relationship difficulties: Whether you’re feeling disconnected, stuck in conflict, or are struggling to rebuild trust or intimacy after being hurt, I can help you to move forward. No relationship is perfect, but if you're spending most of your time feeling like something's missing, arguing, or walking on eggshells, counselling could help you break the cycle and build a more fulfilling, healthier relationship, whether you're friends, partners, or family.
- Trauma and bereavement: If you've been through something traumatic, no matter what or how long ago it was, or are struggling after a loss, I can offer meaningful support. Trauma and grief can be life-shattering and make us feel anything from confused and lost to rage, guilt, and deep sadness. I have experience working successfully with a wide variety of causes and impacts of trauma, with adults of all ages, and would love the opportunity to work with you if you need help.
What it's Like to Work with Me
My approach is warm, down-to-earth, and deeply tailored to you. I believe we should collaborate as equals. While I maintain professionalism and have extensive knowledge, I like to come across as a real, genuine person. I'm not afraid to bring some humour and light into the session where it feels alright to. Clients often tell me they find talking to me easy and that they feel they can say anything, which is always lovely feedback. Whether you're looking for a space to talk openly, practical tools to cope and thrive, or a way to break free from old patterns, I'm here to help you move forward.
Therapy Approaches I Use
As an integrative therapist, I combine different therapy approaches, including CBT to help you change negative thoughts and behaviours, person-centred therapy for deep self-exploration and emotional release, and systemic therapy for understanding and overcoming relationship challenges. I also bring in elements of psychodynamic therapy to make sense of how the past may be impacting your present. For those open to it, I find it helpful to bring in mindfulness to give you better control of your mind and emotions, too. So, if you're struggling with racing thoughts, emotional overwhelm, or are feeling lost, please don't hesitate to reach out. Our sessions will be a safe, supportive space where we will help you achieve your aims in a way that suits you.
Availability
I offer Earlswood based in-person counselling, online, phone, and text-based therapy so we can work in a way that fits your needs and schedule. I currently work afternoons and early evenings (the last appointment starting at 5:30pm) Monday to Thursday.
Sessions run for 60 minutes, giving you extra time to feel heard and supported compared to the usual 50-minute sessions offered by most organisations. They're £60 for individuals, £80 for partners, and £120 for groups of three, with concessionary rates available, and a free 20-minute consultation beforehand to see if we’re a good fit before you part with any money.
You can directly book a consultation/introductory call on this page or send me a text or email, and we'll take those first steps forward. If you're still unsure of where to start or what to look for in a good counsellor, I've written a handy, to-the-point guide which can help you save time and feel more confident in your choice: https://www.rootsinhealing.com/choosing-a-therapist
Warmest wishes and luck on your journey!
Training, qualifications & experience
Experience
- Eight years of experience working one-to-one in a therapeutic capacity.
- Four years of experience working as a mental health and crisis counsellor.
- Experience in leading meditation and therapy groups.
Qualifications & Training
- BA (Hons) in Integrative Counselling Theory & Practice.
- PGDip in Relationship Psychotherapy.
- Level 3 TQUK Diploma in Counselling.
- BACP certificate in Online & Telephone counselling.
- Level 2 APT Accredited Certification in CBT for OCD.
- Certificate in Trauma and Attachment.
- Certificate in Working with Dissociative Disorders.
- Certificate in Flash Therapy.
- Certificate in Meditation & Relaxation Techniques.
- Certificate in Child Counselling.
- Suicide awareness and prevention training.
- NCDV domestic abuse training.
- BACP registered membership.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 - £120.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Reduced fees are available for those on low income and students. Please see my website or get in touch for more details.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
What Happens When You Get In Touch?
Firstly, we arrange a free consultation so that we may get to know one another. You can ask any questions you'd like and get a feel for whether we "click" before we agree to start therapy together. If we both feel like we'd be a good fit, we move on to arranging your first session. You can always take time to think about it first and there is no pressure to start counselling if it doesn't feel right. If you don't think we'd be a good fit, then you can carry on looking for another therapist - no harm done. Or, if I think I'm not the right person to work with the material you'd like to bring to therapy (such as because it's beyond my competency or a subject that's too close to home), I will do my best to help you find someone who is a better fit.
What Happens During Our First Session?
The first session is generally spent setting the foundation for working together - you tell me in detail about what's going on for you and we continue getting to know one another. We may end up setting some goals for working together too, but this may happen in a later session instead. Ultimately, you're in control of what we do during our sessions, and I aim to regularly check in throughout our work to make sure you still feel like we're on track.
