Tara D’Orazio, LMFT
Working with me feels like a really good conversation - one where you're deeply listened to, taken seriously, and respected as the expert on your own experience.
I'm intensely curious about people. I'll ask thoughtful questions, share what I’m noticing, offer feedback, and sometimes gently challenge you when I think there’s something important to look at.
My approach is active and engaged. You won’t be left feeling like you’re talking to yourself for an hour. There will also be room for humor, because therapy can hold both difficult things and moments of genuine laughter.
Approach
I draw from approaches including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), existentialism, exposure-based approaches, and somatic and nervous-system-centering work. I don’t believe in squeezing every person into one therapeutic model. We’ll use what makes sense for you, your goals, and where you are in the process.
Sometimes our work may involve making connections and understanding patterns. Sometimes it means carefully approaching something you’ve spent years avoiding. Sometimes we’ll get curious about a part of you that seems determined to criticize, protect, numb, please, control, or run away.
The goal isn’t to turn you into a different person.
It’s to help you have more freedom in how you live as the person you already are.
Training & Background
I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB) and a Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies with a minor in Human Sexuality from California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
I am trained in EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and continue to pursue advanced education in trauma, attachment, dissociation, neurosciences, and approaches that help translate insight into meaningful change.
My early clinical training included acute crisis response as a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) counselor with Standing Together to End Sexual Assault. I met survivors in hospitals, homes, and safe cottages during forensic exams, providing immediate emotional support and helping them navigate systems that could feel overwhelming at an extraordinarily vulnerable moment.
Outside the Therapy Room
I’m a bit nerdy, funny, and intensely curious well beyond psychology. I am an avid fiber artist, Dungeons & Dragons player (favorite class: Cleric) and lifelong learner. I am usually reading far too many books at once in a feeble attempt to absorb new knowledge as fast as it’s published. A list of my favorite clinical books are included on the resources page.
Certifications and Advanced Training
IFS Level 2 Training; Intimacy From the Inside Out
IFS Level 1 Training; IFS Institute
EMDR Basic Training ; EMDR Education and Training Center
Flash Technique ; Dr. Philip Mansfield
Foundations of the IFS Model ; Richard Schwartz, Pamela Krause, Toni Herbine-Blank
Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR): An extension of Psychological First Aid, Wildfire Mental Health Training ; Dr. Patricia Watson and Dr. Joe Ruzek of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD
California Certified Sexual Assault Counselor ; Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center (now Standing Together to End Sexual Assault)
Professional Memberships
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Redwood Empire chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (RECAMFT) – Board of Directors President 2020
North County San Diego chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (SDNCC) - Board of Directors 2025
EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD)
American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)