Tara Merida, LPC

Tara Merida is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Texas with 17 years of experience in mental health. She currently works as a school counselor and brings practical experience supporting students, parents, and community members. Tara focuses on everyday problems like anxiety, grief, anger, and stress while also addressing ADHD, autism, and school-related concerns.

She prefers a collaborative, warm style. Sessions are tailored to each person’s needs and goals. Tara often uses straightforward tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors.

Her background includes work in crisis and trauma settings and training in grief, resilience, and suicide prevention. That experience informs how she handles strong emotions and difficult life changes. She also has training in motivational interviewing and skills for psychological recovery.

Tara emphasizes learning simple, manageable skills. That can mean grounding exercises for overwhelming moments, anger management techniques, or strategies to improve sleep and focus. She talks with clients about what’s realistic for their daily life and adjusts plans as needed.

People who connect with Tara tend to want practical steps and a supportive counselor who listens. She aims to help clients move through painful times, rebuild routines, and find clearer ways to cope. Her approach is steady, encouraging, and goal-focused.

How therapy approaches work online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person without judgment. It helps people feel heard and better able to set goals and make choices about change.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses practical exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and build new habits for anxiety, depression, sleep, and anger management.

Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention practices to ease strong emotions and reduce reactivity. It is useful for stress, grief, and managing overwhelming moments.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will ask about goals, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. Clients are invited to give feedback so sessions stay focused and relevant.

Online work can fit into busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when a longer check-in is needed. Phone sessions are helpful when bandwidth or camera use is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging suit short check-ins, quick coaching, and follow-up between sessions. These options make it easier to keep momentum and practice new skills in daily routines.