When Tara May was just five years old, her kindergarten teacher asked the class a simple question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

While other children dreamed of becoming firefighters or teachers, Tara's answer surprised everyone.

"I just want to be me."

She didn't realize it then, but those five words would quietly shape the course of her life.

Growing up, Tara often felt the tension between who she was and who others hoped she would become. Her family envisioned a future as a medical doctor. Determined to meet those expectations, she entered college as a premed major. But something didn't feel right.

A conversation with the campus counselor changed everything.

She discovered that counseling wasn't simply listening. It was learning to understand another person's story while setting aside her own assumptions, values, and opinions. A therapist's role isn't to tell someone how to live, but to empower them to make decisions that reflect their own values and goals.

That philosophy became the foundation for Blue Leaf Mental Wellness Center, which recently celebrated nine years of serving individuals and families.

Today, Tara and her team of therapists help individuals navigate anxiety, trauma, grief, divorce, life transitions, neurodivergence, menopause, phobias, pregnancy and infant loss, and relationship challenges.

Stress builds over time, often quietly overwhelming the nervous system until one more challenge feels like too much. Seeking support before reaching that breaking point can make all the difference.

As an EMDR expert, consultant, and trainer candidate, Tara has presented nationally on trauma recovery and maternal mental health. Yet the accomplishments she values most aren't found on her résumé. They're found in the lives of the people she has the privilege of walking alongside.

The words she hears most often, and never takes for granted, are, "I finally have my life back."

What inspires Tara most is witnessing the resilience of the human spirit, seeing survivors reclaim a sense of safety, grieving parents rediscover joy, and individuals overcome fears that once dictated their lives.

Because healing isn't about becoming someone different. It's about becoming the best version of yourself.

Contact Blue Leaf Mental Wellness Center at 360-904-1008 or visit blueleafcenter.com.