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Kristen received a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications from Syracuse University and a Master of Science degree in Health Education from Saint Joseph's University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist with eight years' experience in public health as a Health Educator/Risk Communicator and has been trained to respond to disease outbreaks, natural and man-made disasters. Once a trainer, she now continues to be a volunteer for the Atlantic County Medical Reserve Corps. Additionally, she has extensive training and experience in serving and advocating for special needs populations.

Kristen is certified in Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) suicide awareness, opioid overdose prevention training and is a trainer for Training for Intervention ProdedureS (TIPS) which is an alcohol awareness and intervention certification for students. As a Certified Health Education Specialist, Kristen helps to support the Wellness Center by developing a variety of programs relevant to students' health needs and trains students to recognize alcohol misuse while providing them with intervention skills through the TIPS certification program. She is the supervisor for the Wellness Peer Education program in which she certifies students through the NASPA Certified Peer Education (CPE) program and assists them with presentations, marketing/promotion of events and other wellness programming. Her goal at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ University is meet the following strategic priorities; to cultivate a safe and healthy learning environment, promote students' sense of belonging, engagement and development and strengthen student success strategies, resources and impact.

Tara is a Licensed Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LCADC) and a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT). Tara is a supervisor for the Residential Life Recovery Housing program and the advisor for ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Sober Ospreys, a student organization with a mission to promote a healthy sober lifestyle. Tara provides individual counseling to students and leads weekly support groups, which focus on sober curiosity and recovery.

Tara received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of the Arts in 2008 and a master's degree in Drama Therapy from New York University in 2011.  Tara began her career as a Creative Arts Therapist working with children and families impacted by interpersonal violence. Prior to her appointment at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, Tara worked for 4 years as a primary counselor at a substance abuse treatment center in NJ, where she supported individuals experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns within a partial care and intensive outpatient recovery program.

Tara offers a whole person, strength-based approach to students, integrating her training in Creative Arts Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), trauma-informed care, and mindfulness into the therapeutic process. Areas of her professional interest include working with students exploring their substance use; those who have experienced interpersonal violence; individuals with anxiety, depression, and/or ADHD/neurodivergence; and LGBTQIA+ persons. Tara’s therapeutic approach is impacted by her experience as a Registered Yoga Teacher, having previously owned and operated a yoga studio for five years, as well as her history co-leading a volunteer organization, which shared trauma-informed mindfulness and yoga practices with mental health professionals and trauma survivors. Tara believes in cultivating belonging, healing, and empowerment, while continuously striving towards diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and accessibility from humanistic and intersectional feminist perspectives.