DeeMarla Tavares

I'm Marla Tavares, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Idaho with over 16 years of experience in community mental health. I joined Heritage Health through Family Support Services in 2008 and have spent my career working with complex and rewarding populations across the mental health spectrum.

My specialty is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and I am passionate about teaching it. I work with adults and seniors navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, borderline personality, grief, and serious mental illness. I am also deeply committed to supporting first responders and military communities through my work with the Red Blue Foundation.

My practice is telehealth-based in Idaho. I am a licensed clinical supervisor, and I look forward to seeing if we are a good fit.

DBT is my specialty, and I am enthusiastic about teaching it. My work centers on helping clients hold the opposing forces of acceptance and change, and building practical skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

I also use EMDR for trauma, and draw from ACT, CBT, attachment-based therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused approaches depending on what each person needs. I customize the work to the individual.

My goal is straightforward: to empower people to create positive, lasting change in their lives.

Our first session is a chance to get oriented together. I will ask about what has brought you to therapy, what you have been experiencing, and what you are hoping our work together will help with. I will also share how I work and what to expect from the process.

I work best with clear goals and a concrete plan, and I will help us build that from the very first session.