Speaking

Download my current Speaker Sheet.

Interested in booking Dr. Tara for a speaking engagement?

Kindness has the exponential power to transform how we think, feel, and behave in the world.

Those who are familiar with my work know that I am passionate about helping individuals and organizations lead meaningful and kindful lives. As an expert in mindfulness skills, positive psychology, and mind-body medicine, I know first hand that we can change our lives through practices of kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and serenity. And the science? It’s simply proving our ancient wisdom that love heals. I want to share this prescription with the world. The 6 pillars of my work include:

Curiosity
Compassion
Courage
Connection
Confidence
Commitment

I can be available to give presentations in colleges, organizations, businesses, and health and wellness settings. If you’re interested in booking, please contact me.

Sample Topics

Flip the Script: Befriending the Inner Critic

Feel like an imposter? Afraid to fail? Sensitive to rejection? Beat yourself up? Compare yourself to the rest of the world? Welcome to life as a human being.

It’s time to meet the inner critics taking up space in your mind. Forget all the hype about banishing or silencing your inner critic. It’s not happening! Yet, you can learn to befriend your inner critics and get curious about their motivations and positive intentions. Then when you’re really ready to evolve, you can release them from their duties. After all, your inner critics have been working hard for you and aren’t going away easily. Not until you love them enough. You will learn ways to connect your head and your heart. It’s designed especially for those of you who struggle with inner critical narratives of “never good enough.” And that’s most of us. (Stay tuned for launch of my new book: The Perfectionist’s Dilemma: Learn the Art of Self-Compassion and Become a Happy Achiever.)

“Never thought being kinder to myself would do a thing. But once I could relate to my inner critics , I found empathy for those parts. This really hit home in a new way.” – Attendee

Overcoming Perfectionism: Learning to Become a Happy Achiever

If you have a love-hate relationship with perfectionism you are not alone. We seem to have a love-hate relationship with the ideal of perfection. We grasp for it even when we might know it’s unrealistic. If the notion of perfection is compelling yet cringe worthy, it may be that you are trapped by perfectionism — a human need to be perfect, flawless or exceptional in order to achieve recognition, status and happiness. Perfectionism is neither personal failing or a cherished ideal. It is not about what you do or don’t do well. Perfectionism is in large part your nervous system’s response to avoid the potential threat of exclusion or rejection. Societal narratives, including expectations in the workplace, can unwittingly provoke a fear-based response, and have the opposite effect, such as low productivity, high burnout, or trigger inner algorithms of compare and despair. It’s time to radically change the inner code. Learn how to strive for excellence with more ease and joy—and yes—become a happy achiever. The goal of this workshop is to introduce the EVOLVE method for transforming perfectionism into happy achievement. More at KindMinds.co.

“This talk was a ray of light in my dark tunnel. My perfectionism had blinded me from seeing the sun on the other side of the clouds. I now have a glimpse at hope.” – Attendee

“The most important thing for me was realizing that (1) I have perfectionistic tendencies that aren’t helping me and (2) other people have them, too – i.e., I’m not alone in this. Of the things we’ve learned, I will be intentional about absorbing positive experiences and not dismissing my efforts.” – Attendee

Kindness as a Prescription for Living Your Best Life

Based on my book, The Kindness Cure, I share the relevant findings about the science of kindness and compassion; how we can make sustainable changes in our lives, encourage more kindness for individuals, teams, and organizations we work with, and how to ignite goodwill and generosity for what we stand for, even in times of hardship and uncertainty. Through specific skills and daily practices, I will help you cultivate a kinder, gentler orientation to life that dissolves feelings of fear, apathy, and stress — and ultimately help you feel more connected, courageous, and inspired.

The Secret Sauce for Success: Self-Compassion

In a world that reinforces success, performance and productivity, it’s easy to habituate to high levels of stress and to lose a sense of self. This is especially so in cultures that reward pleasing, performing, perfectionism, and productivity. While ambition, passion and motivation are key values in seeking goals and dreams, can they co-exist with a sense of inner peace, calm, and serenity? Practices of self-compassion, courage, and “kindfulness” in daily life can offset the stress response. Learn how to strengthen your resilience, confidence and purpose with certain self-care skills, that when practiced regularly, can promote positive “neuroplasticity” and build enduring positive traits.

Creating Kinder Cultures at Work

Truth be told, kindness is a good prescription for a life well lived. Kind actions and a compassionate attitude bode well for both physical and mental health. We might try to be kinder than we think we are, especially at work. Why? For one, according to research, a majority of people are miserable at their jobs even if they say they’re happy to have one. Two, we spend over 30% of our lives working. Might as well try to enjoy it, right? Third, when we behave in kind ways, the positivity that arises then spreads to others. Moreover, new leadership models show that soft skills, like mindfulness, compassion and selflessness, make for better workplaces and more engaged, productive employees. Learn how kindness works—at work.

Cultivating Resilience in the Workplace

Instinctually, women are caring, kind and compassionate people. We carry empathic traits honed over generations of caregiving and kinship that have allowed humans to survive. Yet, pressures to perform at the highest levels, strive for excellence, and also protect personal time, are unprecedented and growing. Naturally, women may feel the strain of appearing that they have it together and that work-life balance is a myth. No matter how well-educated, resourced or supported one may be—at work or at home—the demands may exceed any one’s ability to cope, leading to discontent and burnout. Certain self-defeating patterns may emerge, including negative inner dialog of never being or doing enough. The goal of Dr. Tara’s session is to redirect attention to ways of increasing self-compassion and resilience, rekindling joy in your work, and reclaiming a sense of confidence.