Faculty and Staff

Tara Matta FALL 2021 Cohort Send email

Tara Matta earned both her BA in psychology and her MSW from the University of South Florida. Her professional experience includes extensive clinical social work in the geriatric and neuroscience fields, from working in various congregate living facilities to geriatric behavioral health to providing psychotherapy, education, and resources to caregivers of and individuals diagnosed with Memory Disorders. Tara has also developed a broad inpatient program to identify and assist these caregivers upon admission to the hospital that is still operating today. She also owns and operates her own private practice providing psychotherapy to multiple populations including young adults and older adults who may struggle with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship concerns or caregiver burnout.

Tara’s passion for social work started as a child, as she knew she always wanted to help people more than anything else. As she grew older, she found social work to be an evidence-based field that offered both microscopic and macroscopic opportunities to elicit change. When social work faculty presented one day about the field of clinical social work in her undergrad practicum course, she knew she had found her path and her people.

Tara is excited to again be part of USF because USF offers diversity, inclusion and promotes evidence-based practice. It also houses extensive amounts of staff both knowledgeable about and involved in the intersection of geriatric care and neuroscience.

As a Ph.D. student, Tara plans to focus her research in the areas of geriatric mental health and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Lewy Body Demetia and Parkinson’s Disease.

When not in classes, Tara enjoys yoga and exploring multicultural cuisines.