- Years in practice
- 25
- Credentials
- LMSW
- Licensed in
- Michigan
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Self esteem
- Focus
- Career difficulties
About Tamara
Tamara Spears is a licensed master social worker with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and parenting struggles. She brings a calm, person-centered manner to sessions and focuses on practical steps that make daily life easier. Tamara talks with clients in plain language and builds plans that fit real life.
Her background includes work in social services, inpatient care, and outpatient therapy. Over two decades she has supported people dealing with trauma, anger, ADHD, addictions, grief, and issues around intimacy.
Background and approach
She also addresses concerns such as self-esteem, career stresses, and mood disorders. Tamara uses an interactive, warm style. She listens first and then helps clients try tools that match their needs.
Techniques come from cognitive behavioral work, dialectical behavior strategies, acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-focused thinking, and client-centered conversation. Sessions aim to be collaborative. Tamara helps people set clear goals, practice new ways of responding, and reframe long-standing patterns like codependency or avoidance.
She also supports practical problem solving for money worries, caregiving stress, and life transitions. Her approach avoids labels and focuses on respect and sensitivity. People who want straightforward guidance, steady support, and skills they can use between sessions will find her style direct and encouraging.
What Tamara works with
Everything Tamara lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Tamara helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- ADHD
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Tamara lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online options that fit real life
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people notice unhelpful thoughts without getting stuck in them and then take actions that match their values. It can help with anxiety, depression, parenting stress, and making life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and teaches practical skills to change patterns that cause distress. CBT is often used for anxiety, mood problems, and sleep or eating concerns.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Tamara will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences. She adjusts techniques over time based on what helps most, so clients take an active role in shaping their plan.
Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy schedules or limited travel options. Video calls let therapists read facial cues and body language, while phone sessions can work when bandwidth is low or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for quick check-ins, skill practice, or when a shorter touchpoint fits the day. These options make it easier to fit therapy around parenting, work, and caregiving duties.
Questions people ask about Tamara
What concerns does she help with?
Tamara supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addictions, grief, parenting struggles, relationship and intimacy-related issues, trauma, and a range of mood and life-change challenges.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Sessions are warm, interactive, and person-centered. Tamara listens first, then helps clients try practical tools and strategies that fit their day-to-day life.
What is her background and experience?
She has 25 years in human services and clinical work, including inpatient and outpatient settings, working with a wide range of concerns from trauma to ADHD.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds a Michigan Licensed Master Social Worker credential, abbreviated as MI LMSW, and practices from Michigan.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.
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