Tara Villars, LAC

Licensed Associate Counselor


Tara Villars, LAC
is a Licensed Associate Counselor in the state of Arizona and has an active membership with the prestigious International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP). She earned a Bachelor’s degree and specialized certificate from Marshall University, and a Master’s of Education degree specializing in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Louisville.

Tara specializes in the treatment of a variety of eating disorders, body dysmorphia, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive behaviors, depression, trauma, and other co-occurring disorders.

Tara enjoys working with young adults, adolescents, and adults to achieve life and treatment goals. She has experience working in community outpatient clinics, intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment centers, and inpatient facilities. During sessions, Tara focuses on values, resilience, short- versus long-term benefit, motivation, authenticity, and enthusiasm.

She offers a trauma-informed approach to a variety of treatment modalities, including: Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy​ (ACT)​.

Tara enjoys spending time with her family and friends, attending concerts and festivals, traveling, and caring for many animals. She believes in the healing power of animal-friends and is training her own Australian Shepherd for AAT (Animal-Assisted Therapy) certification.