Tara Whitecotton, LCSW

Licensed in Illinois · 3 years in practice

Tara Whitecotton helps people who are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck.

License and registration

LCSW, Illinois: 149029547 · expires November 2027
NPI: 1063394674 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 3
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Tara

Tara Whitecotton helps people who are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck. She works with adults coping with depression, grief, stress, relationship strain, or big life changes. Tara is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - practicing in Illinois and focuses on practical steps people can use right away.

In sessions she listens closely and treats each person as the expert on their life. Conversations focus on building coping skills, improving communication, and finding small changes that add up.

Background and approach

She uses straightforward tools to relieve symptoms and support day-to-day functioning. Tara draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside client-centered listening and mindfulness practices. These methods help people notice unhelpful thoughts, try small behavior changes, and clarify what matters most to them.

She also uses motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques to set achievable goals and keep progress moving. That can look like planning one small action between sessions or testing a new way of handling a difficult conversation.

People come for help with a wide range of concerns including trauma and abuse, parenting stress, eating and body image struggles, chronic health or caregiver strain, and career worries. Tara aims to create a calm, practical space where people can try different strategies and figure out what works for them.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Tara lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Grief
Depression
Coping with life changes
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Eating disorders
Parenting issues
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Abandonment
Adoption and foster care
Aging and geriatric issues
Attachment issues
Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Blended family issues
Body image
Cancer
Caregiver issues and stress
Chronic pain, illness, and disability
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Control issues
Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
Dissociation
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Eating and food-related issues
Family problems
Fertility issues
First responder issues
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Hoarding
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Impulsivity
Infidelity
Isolation / loneliness
Jealousy
Life purpose
Midlife crisis
Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Money and financial issues
Mood disorders
Multicultural concerns
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Paranoia
Personality disorders
Phobias
Postpartum depression
Pregnancy and childbirth
Prejudice and discrimination
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Self-harm
Self-love
Sexuality
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Tara names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Therapeutic approaches for online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - ACT helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on identifying personal values and taking small committed actions that match those values, which can help with anxiety, depression, and life transitions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In online sessions this often means learning to test unhelpful thoughts and trying brief behavior experiments to reduce symptoms and improve daily routine.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and building a trusting therapeutic relationship. That approach creates space for clients to explore feelings and make choices at their own pace.

Deciding which approach to use is a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about needs, goals, and preferences, and try different strategies until something fits. The plan can change as progress is made or priorities shift.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation; phone sessions can be shorter check-ins or work when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit support into a break or to record thoughts between sessions. These options help people keep therapy consistent while fitting sessions into their daily routine.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does Tara address?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, parenting strain, eating and body image concerns, bipolar challenges, and major life changes.

What is her general therapy style?

Sessions are collaborative and down-to-earth, combining active listening with practical tools and small, achievable steps toward goals.

What background does she bring to her work?

She has three years of clinical experience working with a range of emotional and life challenges and focuses on skills people can use between sessions.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She holds an LCSW license in Illinois and practices as a licensed clinical social worker in that state.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Therapy can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.

How does payment and cost work?

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?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

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