Murphy-Harpst Children's Centers Donate Who We Are What We Do Get Involved Careers Contact Support Virtual Tour Tara Tara came to Murphy-Harpst as a teen, after suffering from years of neglect from absent parents. She often had to care for her siblings, and had no support or care coming from relatives. Often left alone for days, Tara grew withdrawn and would often turn to self-harm. Her neglect resulted in extreme emotional sensitivity as well as left her several grade levels behind her peers. Tara came to Murphy-Harpst to develop communication skills, to discover her self-worth, and to learn to trust adults. At first, this was very difficult. Being quiet and shy, Tara felt like she didn’t belong anywhere. She had difficulty communicating her feelings which led to frustration and outbursts; but she found solace in the equine therapy program. Tara learned that although she could not communicate her struggles to her therapist yet, she could connect with the horses. Every time she had a free moment, Tara was down at the Horse Barn taking care of the horses. Eventually, Tara began to open up to her therapists and started the healing process. After over a year of clinical therapy and educational remediation; Tara was ready to rejoin her family. There was no more need to self-harm, as she had grown to see herself as a worthy and loveable person. She learned that the horses loved her no matter where she came from, and that her Murphy-Harpst family would be there for her no matter where she was going. Now, Tara is thriving at home with family members. She recently graduated high school, and is planning to go to college to study Communications. A regular visitor at Murphy-Harpst, Tara can still be found down at the Horse Barn. When Tara grows up, she hopes to be an equine therapist to help children like her one day. Interested in a career where you could help kids like Tara? Visit our Careers Page Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) History Leadership and Staff Board of Directors Affiliations and Partners Church Partner Resources Sign Up for Updates Sign up here to receive our monthly e-newsletter and other important news from Murphy-Harpst: Mailing address Harpst Campus 740 Fletcher Street Cedartown, GA 30125 General Inquiries: 770-748-1500 Who We Are What We Do Get Involved Careers Contact Support Donate Now PRIVACY POLICY WELLNESS POLICY COPYRIGHT 2020 - MURPHY-HARPST - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MURPHY-HARPST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER.