About
“An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it is going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming.”
About DR. Tara
Tara Arnold is a psychotherapist with a private practice treating mental health and substance abuse concerns. In her practice, Tara focuses on individuals, couples, families, and groups. Tara’s strengths are in women’s issues, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Tara specializes in treating all eating disorders, with particular focus on women in early adulthood with anorexia. Tara believes in a team approach to mental health and values collaboration with past and present treatment providers to provide the most thorough and effective treatment to consumers.
treatment Philosophy & approach
Tara’s treatment philosophy incorporates a holistic approach connecting mind and body. She educates people on understanding their emotions in connection with their thoughts, physical manifestations, and behavioral urges. Through mindfulness and inward attention, people learn to be masters of their internal world fully utilizing their personal power by defining intentions and acting in their best interests. Tara focuses on cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy techniques in her practice, and she adapts other relevant therapy techniques to fit consumer needs such as RO DBT, nervous system regulation, and somatic awareness. Tara also believes in the benefits of exercise and offers movement and yoga to interested and appropriate clients. Tara Arnold believes that everyone can change, and the first step to change is awareness. She helps clients to identify strengths and skill deficits in order to focus on solutions to life and relationship challenges.
background and training
Tara Arnold received her MSW in 2000 and her Ph.D. in 2003 both from the University of Georgia. Tara started her mental health career at Ridgeview Institute in the Women’s Center in 1997. She continued to practice focusing on adult mental health and substance abuse with a special interest in eating disorders. Dr. Arnold received her LCSW in 2003, and she has worked in various highly respected mental health facilities such as: Ridgeview Institute, Skyland Trail, St. Jude’s Recovery Center, and Charter Winds. She has been in private practice since 2003.
Tara is a current IAEDP mentorship chair and former member of the GSCSW Mentorship Chair and Ethics Comittee. Tara is also intensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and teaches workshops and trains therapists on the use of DBT. In addition, Tara is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Consultant (CEDS-C) and current member of IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) serving as the Mentorship Chair. Historically, she has been active on the board of the National Association of Social Workers as the Athens Unit Chairperson, Executive Committee member, Member at Large, and the Membership Committee Chairperson. Tara is also a Level 3 RO DBT Practitioner and Educator
Now seeing clients in Florida!
In 2013, Tara, along with her colleague, Dr. Erika Pluhar, established WholeHeart Psychotherapy, a counseling and training center located in the gorgeous Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, where she practices today. WholeHeart Psychotherapy has a variety of skilled clinicians offering a range specialties, including: Certified Sex Therapists, Certified Eating Disorder Specialists, Family and Couples Therapists, and Intensively-Trained DBT Therapists.
Images of whole heart Psychotherapy
