Tara has completed a child and adolescent psychiatric fellowship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and became nationally board certified as a PMHNP in 2019. Prior to that, she has 12 years of nursing experience including trauma, progressive care nursing, and psychiatric emergencies before graduating with a Master of Science (MSN) advanced training at the University of San Diego. She also served in the United States Air Force as a flight nurse and nursing services instructor and manager.

Tara has experience treating patients with severe mental illness who oftentimes carried comorbid medical illnesses, substance use disorders, suboptimal health insurance, and/or housing insecurity diagnoses. She is known for her non-judgmental openness and ability to empower others. Her flexible and whole-person approach is evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and client-centered.

Tara has lived all over the U.S. and found she felt most at home in Hawaii. The last time she lived in Hawaii in 2015, she was a float nurse at Adventist Castle Hospital. She missed the aloha, ohana, green lush ‘aina, and ono poke. She is grateful for the opportunity to move back to her forever home in 2022 and for the ho’ohana at OhanaPsych.