Tara A. G. Fairbanks, Ph.D.

Education

I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and M.A. in Psychology at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. I completed my B.A. in Psychology and English Literature at Stanford University. I am licensed as a clinical psychologist (PSY 32174) by the California Board of Psychology.

Clinical Experience

My aim is to help clients live from a place of wholeness and internal sturdiness, even amidst challenging life situations. I encourage clients to dream boldly about the changes they hope to see in their lives. We work to get there by identifying and shifting the patterns keeping them stuck, with the goal of cultivating greater freedom and joy.

I specialize in working with people on relationship issues, as well as with those who have experienced trauma and anxiety. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship in the PTSD Clinic at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, where I also worked with couples in the Couples and Family Therapy Clinic. I have specialized training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an evidence-based approach to couples therapy. I am also passionate about working with women around issues of infertility, perinatal mental health, fourth trimester care, the transition to motherhood, parenting, and role/identity changes. I am trained by Postpartum Support International in treating perinatal mood disorders.

I completed my APA-accredited internship at the Manhattan Campus of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, with a focus on treating anxiety, depression, trauma, health concerns, and body image disturbances. I have diverse experiences working in a variety of settings, including providing psychodiagnostic, forensic, and neuropsychological assessment at Patton State Hospital. I have also provided group, individual, and couples psychotherapy in outpatient community mental health centers throughout the Los Angeles area.

Research

My doctoral research in the Conflict Resolution in Families Laboratory focused on the role of commitment in couples’ relationships. In my dissertation, I investigated how individuals’ commitment impacts their own and their partner’s satisfaction and intimacy. I also participated in projects examining the relationship between couples’ commitment and communication patterns, as well as projects assessing the cultural sensitivity of relationship education programs. My research experience also includes studying emotion regulation in the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory and collaborating with a Los Angeles mental health agency to examine how the effectiveness of trauma-focused interventions varies as a function of PTSD symptom severity.

Phone: (323) 761-9591      Email: tarafairbanks@santamonicatherapy.org