Tara Hicks
DIRECTOR
PRINCIPAL PSYCHOLOGIST
B(Int & Org Psych); GradDip(App Psych); GradDip (Psychotherapy); MAAPi
Tara is a registered psychologist and psychotherapist. Tara has completed a Bachelor of Interpersonal and Organisational Psychology; a Graduate Diploma of Applied Psychology; and a Graduate Diploma of Psychotherapy. Tara works primarily with adolescents, parents, and young adults presenting with a range of anxiety, mood, and behavioural issues.
Tara’s experience has provided her with the knowledge that symptoms and behaviour are the mind’s way of communicating important messages. Many people incorrectly judge and/or label what they see, rather than looking at the emotional need that is causing the disfunction. Once these needs can be better understood and consciously met, the symptoms and/or unhealthy behaviour often settle.
Tara’s main therapeutic approach is emotion focused therapy (EFT), which supports clients to re-process emotional pain or injury at a neurological level. Tara provides her clients with a safe and nurturing space where they can learn to identify, regulate, and meet their own emotional needs, allowing for a stronger sense of self and a vulnerable connection to others. Tara’s framework for her therapeutic interventions includes attachment-based theory. If you would like to learn more about EFT, please click to link to Tara's podcast 'The Purpose of Emotions'.
Tara is also the director, principal psychologist, and founder of Minded Psychology. Tara’s dream was to create a beautiful and calming space where people could feel safe, understood, and empowered while addressing their greatest vulnerabilities. Tara values an integrative, person-centred, and collaborative treatment approach. This means that Tara sees the mind and body as powerful communicators; acknowledges the client as the expert of their lives; and recognises the impact that involving a client’s family and/or healthcare team can have over their recovery and wellbeing. Tara’s goal was to build a psychology practice that embodied these philosophies, and together with a team of incredible like-minded individuals, Minded Psychology was born.
Tara holds her registration with the Australian Board of Psychology and is a proud member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi).