How It All Started
Ta Mara’s Promise is the manifestation of all of my professional dreams. I’ve been exposed to mental healthcare as a receiver, group co-facilitator, intern, and now as a therapist for over 25 years. Initially, I was reluctant to go to therapy, but after my first experience in purging my inner thoughts, feelings, and dreams, I was hooked. I went from resisting the therapeutic process to looking forward to my next therapy sessions.
As the years passed, I found myself in many different roles and on several different levels in the mental healthcare system. My first job after being honorably discharged from the Army was as a Human Services Care Worker/Psych Tech at the local state inpatient mental health facility. I was providing direct care to individuals with severe mental illness. This experience gave me a respect for the daily/hourly struggle that people with mental illnesses have. During those early years I witnessed deplorable treatment of mentally ill persons, and I vowed to never repeat that in my tenure working in the field.
After graduating from St. Leo University, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I left that position looking for other opportunities. I slowly learned, over a period of five years of trying to find my calling, to no avail, that I must go back to school.
I used to regret not going straight from undergraduate school to graduate school, but in retrospect, I don’t. Now, I realize that I needed to blossom and undergo struggles, failures, and hardship. I understand the vulnerability of exposing your darkest secrets to a stranger. These experiences have made me a more empathetic therapist that sees beyond black and white and realizes that the struggles are within the shades of gray.
MEET TAMARA
My name Ta Mara P. Williams, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, Entrepreneur, CEO/Boss Lady, and Owner of Ta Mara’s Promise. I didn’t start my life with all of these titles. They are a testament to the hard work it took to get them. As I reflect on my life I am amazed by the twists and turns it has taken. I am not that person who knew from birth what I wanted to do with my life. Circumstances and choices, both good and bad, guided me to this place where I’m living my dream.
Now I realize that every challenge, every stumbling block, and every failure has helped me to understand the struggle. I have a firsthand understanding that life is not always “rainbows and sunshine,” and there are storms that can knock you to your knees. I believe it is my job as a therapist to help you see the light in the midst of the darkness.
Working in the mental health field is a sacred act of trust between two people. I believe receiving counseling is the ultimate act of humility. In therapy, a person allows themselves to be vulnerable and expose their lifelong conundrums that have weighed them down for years.
I believe that counseling is an act of service and should not be taken lightly. At Ta Mara’s Promise, we provide a safe space for you to release the burdens of your everyday life.
Lately, I’ve been working to broaden my horizons. I've realized that mental health care is global, and I want to reach the masses. I am learning to use other avenues to spread the message of positivity, gratitude, and hope.
When I think about who I am, I have had many titles and roles in mental health. Each experience has sharpened my motivational tools to bring light and positivity to the individuals who cross the threshold of Ta Mara’s Promise.
Some of the services we provide at Ta Mara’s Promise are trainings, motivational speaking, clinical supervision for LPC & CSAC licensure, music and art therapy, pet therapy, couples, individual, partner, and group therapy.
Come take your first step towards transformation at Ta Mara’s Promise and renew a spark of light in your life.
License and Certifications
Licensed Professional Counselor - Virginia - #0701005823
Certified Substance Abuse Counselor - #0710102326
Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practioner-0718000461
Substance Abuse Professional
Degrees
Bachelor of Arts, St. Leo University - 1997/2003
Psychology
Masters of Arts, Norfolk State University - 2006
Clinical/Community Psychology
Areas of Competence
Age
- Elders (65+)
- Adults
- Adolescents / Teenagers (14 to 19)
- Preteens / Tweens (11 to 13)
Communities
- Aviation Professionals
- Bisexual Allied
- Cancer
- Gay Allied
- HIV / AIDS Allied
- Non-Binary Allied
- Queer Allied
- Racial Justice Allied
- Single Mother
- Transgender Allied
- Vegan Allied
- Anxiety
- Chronic Illness
- Depression
- Drug Abuse
- Family Conflict
- Marital and Premarital
- Racial Identity
- Relationship Issues
- Self Esteem
- Sexual Abuse
- Sexual Addiction
- Sleep or Insomnia
- Spirituality
- Stress
- Substance Use
- Teen Violence
- Women's Issues