Tara Ashley, LICSW, LCSW - Therapist in Montana

About Tara

Tara Ashley is a licensed clinical social worker who uses practical, evidence-based therapies to help people facing hard life moments. She is a LICSW and an LCSW with 16 years of professional experience in Montana. Tara focuses on issues like stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and parenting in a straightforward and steady way.

Her style is warm and down-to-earth. Sessions aim to identify clear goals and small, workable steps. She combines talk therapy with skills practice so people leave with tools they can use between sessions.

Background and approach

Tara has worked with a wide range of concerns across many life stages. She regularly addresses grief, compassion fatigue, sleep struggles, anger, and self-esteem. She also supports people dealing with career questions, financial stress, and major life changes such as divorce or separation.

Her training includes approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, client-centered work, and the Gottman Method. These methods are used to build coping skills, change unhelpful patterns, and strengthen important relationships. Tara offers sessions by video call, phone, live chat, and text messaging.

Sessions are billed through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed and scheduling follows according to therapist availability.

Therapeutic approaches and how they translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, often called ACT, helps people clarify what matters most and take small actions toward those values. It focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, which can help with anxiety, grief, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, targets the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It teaches practical skills to change patterns that feed stress, depression, or sleep troubles.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences. That means trying techniques, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan together over time.

Online sessions use video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit into busy lives. These formats allow flexible scheduling and let people continue work from home or while caring for family. Licensed professionals can use these options to teach skills, review homework, and track progress without requiring travel, which makes consistent care more accessible.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Tara address?

Tara works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, parenting, grief, and many life transitions. She also sees people for concerns like sleep problems, anger, self-esteem, and career or financial stress.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her approach is collaborative and down-to-earth, mixing talk with practical skills practice. Sessions focus on clear goals and small steps people can try between meetings.

What is her background and experience?

She has 16 years of experience as a licensed social worker in Montana. That experience includes work with trauma recovery, compassion fatigue, and transitions like divorce and separation.

What credentials and location are listed?

She holds LICSW and LCSW credentials with MN LICSW 31959 and MT LCSW BBH-LCSW-LIC-50251, and practices in Montana.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English only. International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are offered?

Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. This gives options for different comfort levels and schedules.

How does payment and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started with Tara?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. After that, scheduling is arranged based on therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 16 years
Licensed: Minnesota, Montana
Languages: English

Next step

Talk to Tara

Takes a few minutes
Nothing to set up just to look
Stop at any point

Book with Tara