- Founded by a registered psychologist
- Online, in every state and territory
- No referral needed to start
- Non-religious and non-12-step
Founded by a registered psychologistSound familiar?
On the outside, you're holding it all together.
Most people who come to us are capable, busy and good at what they do. Privately, one behaviour has started taking up more room than they'd like.
- You're good at your job, and no one at work would guess.
- You've told yourself you'll cut back. More than once.
- The drink, the bet or the late-night scroll has quietly become how you switch off.
- You've stopped before. It didn't stick.
- You don't want rehab, and you don't want a label.
- You want to deal with it privately, before it costs you more.
You're good at your job, and no one at work would guess.You're not out of control.You're solving the wrong problem.
Book a confidential call
The question behind our work
What is the behaviourtrying to solve?
The behaviour isn't the problem. It's just been a well-practised solution to one, like switching off, handling pressure or getting through the week. Work out what it's solving, and you can solve it a better way.
Stopping isn't the same as changing. Change is what we build with you.
How it works
The 3-Step Recovery Blueprint: a clear path, designed for lasting change.
Lasting change takes more than stopping. The 3-Step Recovery Blueprint follows how adults learn best: what, then why, then how. Each step answers one question about your problem, and the same question about the solution.
Everyone starts at Step 1. Each step builds on the one before.
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Start here
Step 1 of 3
What
Recovery Kickstarter
4 weeks · Month 1
Find the real problem.
It's rarely the drink, the drug or the bet. It's what's driving it. Pin that down first, so every bit of effort goes where it counts.
- Your problem
- What's really driving it?
- The solution
- What will actually help?
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Step 2 of 3
Why
Recovery Essentials
12 weeks · Months 2 to 4
Understand why, for you.
Make sense of how the pattern developed in your life, and why this approach is the right way through. You start using practical tools as you go.
- Your problem
- Why did it develop this way for me?
- The solution
- Why is this the right approach for me?
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Step 3 of 3
How
Empowered Recovery®
15 months · Months 5 to 19
Put it into practice, in your real life.
160 practical tools, strategies and techniques, with support that steps down over 15 months. Time to practise until the new way becomes yours.
- Your problem
- How do I overcome it?
- The solution
- How do I make it part of everyday life?
Support that steps down as you grow
Weekly at the start. Fortnightly as you build skills. Monthly as your confidence grows.
Only the first five months are weekly. Choose to work in a group (waitlist open), individually, or directly with our founder (by application, limited spaces). You start with Recovery Kickstarter and decide your next step from there.
Weekly5 months
Fortnightly4 months
Monthly10 months
Why it works with your life
Real support, without stepping away from work, family or life.
Your sessions and program tools come to you, on your laptop, tablet or phone, wherever you're most comfortable.
Online, wherever you are
No travel time and no waiting room. Sessions and program tools are all online, so they're easy to fit into a working week.
Private by design
Because everything happens online, only the people you choose to tell need to know. Your treatment stays confidential, except in the rare situations where the law requires us to share information.
No referral needed
You don't need a GP referral or a Mental Health Care Plan to start.
You don't have to stop to start
No formal diagnosis, no label and no promise of lifelong abstinence required. We start where you are.
A psychologist-led program
All program content is created and filmed by our founder, a registered psychologist. Your sessions are with our registered clinicians.
Support between sessions
More than 200 tools, workbooks and videos, there whenever you need them, not just when you're in a session.
What we help with
Help with alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography and other addictive behaviours.
You don't need a formal diagnosis to start. Many people simply want to change a pattern, such as binge drinking, before it costs them more.
Not sure if it's a real problem? Take the free quiz- Alcohol
- Cannabis
- Crystal methamphetamine (ICE) and other stimulants
- Prescription medication
- Gambling
- Pornography
- Other compulsive behaviours
Is this the right level of care? The TARA Clinic is designed for people at low to moderate risk. If you need a medically supervised detox or more intensive care, we'll tell you, and point you towards the right level of support.
We're not a crisis service. For immediate support, visit Immediate Support. In an emergency call 000.
The TARA Clinic
Low to moderate risk
Private, online outpatient treatment designed for lasting change, for people who are still functioning but losing control of a behaviour.
Private inpatient care
High to acute risk
A hospital or residential stay, often covered by private health insurance. This includes anyone who needs a medically supervised detox.
Level of risk, from low to critical
Lower risk
Higher risk
Not sure yet?
Is it a habit, or is it costing you more than you think?
The free Reliance Self-Audit Quiz is private and takes around 5 minutes. You'll get a clearer picture of where you're at, and what could help next.
Private. Free. No call needed.
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01
Answer a few private questions
About what you're doing, how often, and what it's costing you.
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02
See where you sit
Get a clearer sense of where you're at right now.
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03
Choose your next step
Self-directed tools, a structured program or a confidential call. It's your call.
The clinic behind the program
Clinically governed. Independently recognised.
2017
The TARA Clinic founded
15 years
Our founder's experience working in addiction
200+
Tools, workbooks and videos in our programs
5
Business award finalist listings, 2023 to 2026
What our clients report
Our programs are designed for lasting results, so we also measure how clients are going years after they finish. Of those who completed Empowered Recovery®, average self-rated wellbeing rose from 1.7 out of 5 at intake to 4.5 at program completion. At follow-up in 2025, between two and four years after completing, it averaged 4.3. Client satisfaction averaged 4.7 out of 5 at completion and 4.6 at follow-up.
Self-reported measures. Individual experiences vary.
Standards and recognition
- Psychologists registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and counsellors registered with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), with external clinical supervision and an Advisory Board.
- First accredited under the Australian Service Excellence Standards (ASES) in 2022. Our ASES renewal is underway.
- Finalist, Australian Small Business Champion Awards (Psychology), 2025 and 2026.
- Finalist, Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards (Professional Medical Services), 2024.
- NSW State Finalist, Telstra Best of Business Awards (Championing Health), 2024.
- Finalist, Brightest and Best Business Awards (Professional Healthcare and Medical), 2023.
Our founder and clinical lead
Built by a psychologist who knows addictive behaviour from the inside.
The TARA Clinic was founded in 2017 by Tara Hurster, an AHPRA-registered psychologist with 15 years' experience working in addiction. TARA stands for Therapeutic Addiction Recovery Assistance.
Tara also has her own lived experience of recovery. It's why every program here looks at what's underneath the behaviour, not just how to stop it.
Recovery doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of fear, guilt and shame. It can mean a life so full you forget the behaviour was ever there.”
As heard on Unstress with Dr Ron Ehrlich, Psych for Life with Dr Amanda Ferguson, This Complex Life, A Rehab Diary, and Hardiness with Dr Paul Taylor. Presenter at the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Conference, 2023.
Other ways in
Here for yourself in a different way, or for someone else?
Start on your own
The Recovery Toolkit
A guided 4-week reset for taking back control, with short videos and a workbook each week. A once-off purchase, no sessions required.
See the ToolkitFamily and friends
Worried about someone you love?
Our family program is coming. Join the waitlist to hear first when it opens.
Join the family program waitlistHealth and legal professionals
For Referrers
A clear, evidence-informed referral pathway for GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists and lawyers.
Refer a clientPrivate Client Program · By application
Private, in-person care. Discretion first.
For people in the public eye, elite athletes and high-net-worth families who need the highest level of privacy. Our only face-to-face option: an intensive, one-on-one program with our founder, delivered in person at a suitable private location within Australia.
Places are by application only. Every location is assessed for safety, security and suitability before a place is confirmed.
Limited places each year. Every enquiry is handled in confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions about online addiction treatment, answered.
Straight answers to what people ask before they reach out.
See all FAQsWhat is The TARA Clinic?
The TARA Clinic is an Australian online outpatient addiction treatment clinic for people who want to take control of addictive behaviour without stepping away from work, family or life. It was founded in 2017 by Tara Hurster, an AHPRA-registered psychologist, and the name stands for Therapeutic Addiction Recovery Assistance. Its core program, the 3-Step Recovery Blueprint, is evidence-informed and designed for lasting change.
Can I get help for addictive behaviour without going to rehab?
Yes. Many people don't need residential rehab. Counselling is the most common type of alcohol and other drug treatment in Australia, making up a third of all treatment episodes in 2023-24 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). The TARA Clinic is a private, online outpatient service, so you get a structured, psychologist-led program while you keep living at home. If you need a medically supervised detox or more intensive care, we'll tell you, and point you towards the right level of support.
Is there an alternative to AA and 12-step programs?
Yes. The TARA Clinic is a non-religious, non-12-step alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and similar programs. You don't need to take on a label or commit to lifelong abstinence to start. Our approach is evidence-informed: we work out what the behaviour is trying to solve, then build better ways to solve it.
What addictive behaviours does The TARA Clinic help with?
The TARA Clinic works with alcohol, cannabis, crystal methamphetamine (ICE) and other stimulants, prescription medication, gambling, pornography and other compulsive behaviours. You don't need a formal diagnosis to start. Many people simply want to change a pattern, such as binge drinking, before it costs them more. If you're not sure whether your behaviour is a real problem, start with our free Reliance Self-Audit Quiz.
Can I keep working during treatment, and will anyone find out?
Yes, you can keep working. Everything runs online, so there's no travel time or waiting room, and sessions are easy to fit into a working week. Your program tools are there whenever you need them between sessions. Because it's all online, only the people you choose to tell need to know. Your treatment is confidential, except in the rare situations where the law requires us to share information, such as a serious risk to someone's safety. You don't need a referral from a GP to start.
How long does treatment at The TARA Clinic take?
The 3-Step Recovery Blueprint is designed for lasting change, not a quick fix. It runs over 19 months in three steps: Recovery Kickstarter (4 weeks), Recovery Essentials (12 weeks) and Empowered Recovery® (15 months). Support steps down from weekly to fortnightly to monthly as your skills and confidence grow.
Is The TARA Clinic covered by private health insurance?
Not at this stage, because The TARA Clinic is an outpatient service rather than a hospital. Programs are privately funded, and you don't need a GP referral or a Mental Health Care Plan to start. Current prices are on our pricing page.
Can I use my superannuation to pay for treatment at The TARA Clinic?
No. The TARA Clinic doesn't encourage or help anyone to access their superannuation early to pay for our programs. Your super is there for your future, and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) says early release on compassionate grounds should only be considered as a last resort. If cost is a concern, talk it through with us on your confidential call, and see the options on our pricing page.
Where does The TARA Clinic provide addiction treatment?
The TARA Clinic provides addiction treatment online, Australia-wide, in every state and territory. Sessions and program tools are all online, so you can take part from home, work or wherever suits you. Our head office is in Waverley NSW.
From the blog
Straight talk on addictive behaviour, pressure and recovery.
Practical, evidence-informed reading on what drives the behaviour and how to take back control.
Your next step
Start with a private conversation.
Book your Personal Recovery Assessment. We'll talk about what's going on, what you want to change and whether the 3-Step Recovery Blueprint is the right fit. If it isn't, we'll point you towards what is.