Tamara Spears , LMSW

Tamara Spears is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with 25 years of experience in human services and clinical settings, including both inpatient and outpatient therapy. She has worked with people facing a wide range of concerns, such as depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, career stress, OCD, adult ADHD, anger management, and the effects of past trauma or emotional abuse. Her experience spans helping clients navigate grief, addiction, self-esteem struggles, and life transitions as well.

Her counseling style is warm, person-centered, and interactive. Tamara emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while avoiding stigmatizing labels. She blends practical, evidence-informed techniques with supportive listening, tailoring conversations and treatment plans to each person’s unique situation. Her toolkit includes solution-focused strategies, cognitive-behavioral methods, dialectical behavior skills, humanistic and psychodynamic perspectives, and motivational interviewing to help clients identify goals and develop concrete coping skills.

Tamara aims to guide and encourage individuals as they take steps toward meaningful change, offering a collaborative partnership that adapts to each client’s needs and preferences. As a Michigan-based LMSW, she brings decades of experience to complex personal and interpersonal concerns while honoring each person’s values and strengths.

Therapeutic Approaches Adapted for Online Care

Tamara combines client-centered therapy with cognitive-behavioral techniques to support change in an online setting. Client-centered therapy focuses on empathetic listening and collaboration, helping individuals explore values and strengths while feeling heard. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and develop healthier behaviors, which can be especially useful for anxiety, depression, and ADHD-related challenges.

She also integrates elements of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) when emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness are priorities, offering skills to manage intense emotions, reduce impulsivity, and improve communication. Together these approaches provide tools for coping, problem-solving, and building resilience in everyday life.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is a collaborative process. Tamara works with clients and licensed professionals to determine which methods best match each person’s goals, needs, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit care into a busy life. These formats offer flexibility in scheduling, consistent access to support across distances, and multiple ways to engage so clients can choose what feels most comfortable and effective for them.