Hi, I’m Tara
This sh*t is hard
Let’s be honest—parenting is the hardest job we’ll ever have. There is no manual to reach for when the plan goes sideways. I had a very nice plan and then — PLOT TWIST — I found myself parenting through an unexpected international move with an infant, a global pandemic with a toddler, major career curveballs, a series of serious family illnesses, and many deep personal reckonings. I looked, but could not find a pause button. On the outside, I seemed fine, but inside, I was drowning, and my family was taking the toll.
Sound familiar?
“STOP YELLING AT ME!”
Despite consuming stacks of parenting books and endless podcast episodes, I was stuck in a cycle of yelling and guilt. I didn’t have a model for another way of parenting.
My parents did their best, but their parents were gentle or compassionate. I know they loved me, but I did not want to raise my kids using fear, threats, punishment, and yelling like I was raised.
But guess what?
When you are dysregulated and just trying to survive, you reach for whatever you have.
I was dying for something better: connected, intentional, peaceful, meaningful. That’s what led me to parent coaching.
I started Good Roots to help you stabilize yourself with deep roots so you
can weather the storms in your parenting journey and enjoy the ride.
Enjoy the wild ride of
parenthood
Our family story is full of pivots, meltdowns (theirs and mine), detours, and drama.
Parent coaching helped me find the pause button. Slowly, I replaced reactivity with regulation, yelling with connecting, and threats with play.
Now I help parents turn theories into practices, discover healing insights about how they were raised, and provide support every step of the way.
I apply my professional background in capacity building and systems strengthening, education in family psychology, and training as a certified parent coach to help others have stronger families.
Time is our only non-renewable resource. Become the parent you want to be today.
The Greenhouse is enrolling!
Meet Tara
As a certified parent coach, international development professional, and mom of two fierce, funny girls, I blend my training with real-life experience - from burnout as a working mom to the transformative journey of breaking generational cycles in my own parenting.
I have a knack for making complex info easy for ALL of us to understand and apply to our lives. As your coach, I will boil down the parenting research, cognitive development, and neuroscience into something you can use to be more confident and authentic in your daily parenting.
Parenting is the hardest job I’ve ever had; I’ve yelled, bribed, threatened, and sat in that defeated place of “this isn’t how I want to do this.” So I know how you feel and this is a judgment-free zone.
We will explore the parenting journey with curiosity, compassion, and a whole-person approach to parenting support—one that meets you where you are and helps you grow deep, strong roots for the life you want to build.
I have a Master’s in Sustainable International Development and a Bachelor’s in Family Psychology. I have additional education in Interpersonal Neurobiology, trauma healing, and Polyvagal Theory. I am also a certified yoga instructor.
Plant mom with 90+ houseplants and a thriving little urban garden.
Human mom to two elementary age girls, who self-identify as the sporty one and the artist.
I’m usually in pajamas by 7:30 pm, but I still love a dinner party that lingers way too late into the night and going out dancing to a loud, sweaty, live music show.
My calm is morning coffee on the porch, walking my rescue pup Nori, swimming in the ocean, and yoga.
Answering “Where are you from?” is complicated. I grew up outside of Oklahoma City, my adult home is in Boston, and I then moved to Lebanon and Jordan as a humanitarian. Now I’m in the Washington, D.C., area, based in Arlington, VA where we are putting down roots.
My non-negotiable: coffee must be black and hot.