Tara Jaffar

Tara is an integrative child psychotherapist in training, applying different therapeutic modalities to working with children and young people. Her approach draws on the arts, which includes painting, clay, sand tray, writing, music, voice, movement and drama, as well as simple meditative techniques and short guided meditations where helpful. Her training includes working with parents, either alongside the child (in Parent Reviews) or as a parent-only intervention (Parent Work), and prefers to engage the school as well, to support the system around the child and optimise treatment.

In addition to child therapy, Tara completed two years of Gestalt (adult) psychotherapy training, and has undertook shorter intensive courses on applying Creative Approaches to Working With Children and Adolescents, and Healing the Wounds of History: Drama Therapy in Collective Trauma and Intercultural Resolution. Tara is also a qualified Playback Theatre practitioner, and has a background in applied arts and theatre, engaging communities towards positive social change. Tara originally studied Archaeological Science (BSc) and Middle Eastern Studies (MA), whilst working in a national museum. She came to therapy via interfaith and intercultural community work, and continues to be interested in how diversity, culture and intergenerational experiences impact therapeutic work.

Open, creative and flexible in her approach, Tara follows the pace of the child, whilst gently challenging familiar patterns and ways of thinking and being.