Tara Joiner
Tara Joiner
Credentials: MS, LPC
Practice: Concho Valley Counseling, PLLC
Phone: (325) 221-0871
E-mail: tara@conchovalleycounseling.com
Location: 27 W Beauregard Ave San Angelo, TX 76903 United States
Website: https://conchovalleycounseling.business.site/
Insurance Accepted: BlueCross and BlueShield, Optum, UMR, United Behavioral Health (UBH), UnitedHealthcare, Out of Network
Fees: $100 - $120
Specializing In—
Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD), Relationship Issues, Trauma and PTSD
About
I am Tara Joiner, an ACT Certified Cognitive Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor with over 12 years’ experience in the mental health field. Concho Valley Counseling is a private counseling practice located in downtown San Angelo, right next door to the Tom Green Co. Central Library.
In addition to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy) and Certified in CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy), both empirically proven forms of treatment for PTSD and trauma. I specialize in the treatment of various anxiety disorders, including OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), and more. I also provide couples counseling and am Level 1 trained in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
As someone who has OCD, I have a unique preparedness and sensitivity for working with OCD sufferers. I want to spread the message that treatment for OCD not only exists, it has a high success rate, and relief is possible. The most effective treatment outside of medication is a specific type of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which has the strongest evidence supporting its use as a first-line treatment for OCD. The opportunity to help a fellow sufferer move beyond OCD's agony to a place of hope and healing is something I find deeply rewarding.
By and large, my passion is helping ambitious individuals overcome self-limiting, joy sucking, and life shrinking fear. Have you ever been told that you're the only thing standing in your way? The people I'm referring to tend to doubt themselves often. They frequently talk themselves out of just going for it, especially if "it” involves stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new, even though they desire to. These folks have some of the best imaginations when it comes to envisioning worst case scenarios. They're also prone to finding themselves burnt out and bored in their jobs and daily lives because they know they’re capable of much more. Yet fear keeps them stuck.
On the other hand, there are individuals who despite their fears have managed to go after what they want with great achievement. Yet, in spite of external evidence of their competence, they doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. They don’t see themselves as competent and deserving rather they fear they’ve managed to fool everyone. This phenomenon is called imposter syndrome.
Perhaps surprising, it is not uncommon to discover that one’s most limiting fear is of success rather than failure, and for varying reasons. Living daily with a gnawing feeling that you are selling yourself short, wasting your talents, hiding your true self, and not fully living leads to feelings of guilt, frustration, and more fear; such as the fear of regret. Not only are you doing a disservice to yourself by not fully embracing your unique self, you’re also not benefiting anyone else.
As you make decisions throughout the day consider asking yourself, is it I or is it fear in the driver’s seat? Wherever fear goes, does your life follow? If fear is getting the final say you're likely to notice the following: avoidance, procrastination, lack of assertiveness, people pleasing, unhealthy coping strategies, frequent reassurance seeking, settling, and feelings of discontent, envy, guilt, frustration, and/or restlessness.
What if fear no longer dictated your choices, rather you did? And you could choose things and take actions based on what is meaningful, valuable, and desirable to you? I want to help you find the courage to do this; to show up and be seen; to step outside of your comfort zone and stop living small. And guess what, stepping out of your comfort zone actually becomes less uncomfortable when you've learned to love and accept yourself. There is an ease and lightness that awaits when we learn to walk inside our story, drop the masks, and live wholeheartedly and authentically.
I want to help you find the courage to take back the wheel and experience this sense of ease and freedom. Fear doesn't need to disappear completely, nor should it, but it doesn’t have to be an ever-present backseat driver commenting on and attempting to control your decisions and actions. Instead, we can teach fear its proper place.
Opening up to a therapist can be daunting. But finding the right therapist, one you trust and connect with is an important first step. I’d be happy to speak with you by phone to not only give you a chance to get a feel for me and how we connect but to answer any questions you may have about me, the kinds of therapy I offer, my experience and style of counseling, and the therapy process in general. I respect those who are skeptical of therapy and welcome any questions you may have before we decide to work together. It is important to me that my clients feel safe, feel they can trust me, and feel comfortable and accepted no matter what their life experience has been or is. I offer flexible hours, weekend appointments upon request, and the option to conveniently and privately attend sessions online from the comfort of your home.