Tara Bates, LMHC

Tara Bates is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Washington with 12 years of professional therapy experience. She concentrates much of her caseload on clients who identify as LGBTQ and on people and groups practicing polyamory, offering clinical support that affirms non-heteronormative identities and relationship structures. She is also trained to provide family treatment that addresses the particular dynamics and needs of these communities.

Her current availability is limited to Saturday and Monday appointments, and she prefers to coordinate scheduling individually to meet each client’s needs and establish a consistent appointment time. Tara works from a strengths-based perspective, holding that clients are the experts of their own stories and that existing strengths can be mobilized to navigate life’s challenges. She acknowledges the courage involved in beginning therapy and affirms clients for taking that step.

Tara places strong importance on the therapeutic relationship, viewing rapport and mutual understanding as central to effective work. Her clinical approach is flexible and may include talk therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and body awareness techniques, and brief solution-focused strategies.