Tara Bates, LMFT

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Therapy broadens the scope of our vision, so we can see that we have more options available to us than we might have initially believed.

Maybe you’ve been feeling stuck—caught in painful thoughts, overwhelming emotions, or patterns you’ve tried to avoid but keep running into. It’s exhausting, frustrating, and can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself and what really matters in your life. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to face it alone, either.

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington State, I work with children, teens, and adults to help them reconnect with their strengths, values, and capacity for change. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or navigating life transitions, my goal is to support you in finding more clarity, ease, and confidence in your everyday life.

Our work together is collaborative and guided by your goals. I’ll offer tools like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and communication strategies—skills that can help you better manage the hard moments and show up more fully in the ones that matter. But you set the pace. Your voice, your needs, and your experiences are central in everything we do.

Above all, I want therapy to feel like a safe, steady place for you—a place to explore, grow, and come back to yourself.

A little more about me

I am grateful to be a wife and mother and enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter as well as our two cats, and two dogs. I have lived here in the beautiful PNW for over 25 years and I love spending time outdoors, going on walks in the woods or by the water. I truly believe we have the best setting here in Washington for relaxing and taking in fresh air.  

I’ve always felt a strong connection to the field of therapy as my calling. I care deeply about our human experiences and I remember being described as empathic by others even in my childhood years.  

Through my time spent with others, I’ve learned that human resilience is something truly incredible and is present from birth.  

In my own life, I have sought therapy when I didn’t know where else to turn during major life challenges–when it felt like everything was hitting me at once. I have also found therapy to be helpful for me when I’ve just needed some extra space to clarify my goals.   

I understand that seeking therapy is a big step and may feel intimidating. I am here to offer support and guidance as we navigate this process together.