Tara Kapinos, LMHC, NCC

Tara Kapinos is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) who serves as Assistant Director of Clinical Services at Riverside Recovery of Tampa. She joined Riverside in 2018 and brings more than three decades of experience in the counseling field, the majority of it in addiction treatment. Since joining the team, she has advanced from primary therapist to lead therapist, then to Clinical Program Manager, and into her current leadership role.

Tara earned both a Master of Education (MEd) and a Specialist Degree (EdS) from the University of Florida’s Counselor Education program, specializing in Mental Health Counseling. She is also a Qualified Clinical Supervisor for the state of Florida. Over her career she has provided substance use and mental health treatment across outpatient, inpatient, and private-practice settings, and she developed and facilitated intensive family programming earlier in her work.

Tara believes that addiction is a treatable, chronic brain disease that calls for compassion, understanding, and a holistic, client-centered approach grounded in evidence-based practice. She works primarily with adults seeking treatment for substance use disorders, meeting each client where they are and building individualized plans around their unique strengths and goals. She discovered her true passion for substance use treatment during her graduate internship, and she continues to find privilege in watching clients regain hope, happiness, and purpose.

Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, attending sporting events, going to the movies, and spending time with family.