Dr. Tara Pipia, Ph.D., began her career as a high school physical education teacher and adjunct faculty member at a community college in Middletown, N.Y., the city of her birth. With a bachelor’s in English, she transitioned in 2002 to an editing and sports writing position at a local newspaper in the same town. In 2009, Dr. Pipia embarked on a new chapter, joining the Army National Guard. Throughout her 10-year career, she held various positions, including logistics officer at the Pentagon, Afghanistan convoy commander, and senior instructor at the New York Officer Candidate School.
During the challenging times of COVID-19, she seized the opportunity to return to school, earning a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology and an ICF Leadership and Transformative Life Coaching Certification from Sofia University. Dr. Pipia aspires to guide those in recovery from various addictions on how to maintain sobriety and thrive through physical and mental fitness. She recently published a book, SOBER UP Spartan Style: Recovery through Racing.
Education:Â
Ph.D. Transpersonal Psychology – Sofia University
ICF Leadership and Transformative Life Coaching Certification- Sofia University
B.A. English Literature – State University of New York at New Paltz
Educational Research:Â
Ph.D. – The transformative effect of Spartan Racing on the substance use population (8 in-depth interviews and 274 survey responses)
Published book SOBER UP Spartan Style: Recovery through Racing (updated the research results from Ph.D. and added multiple interviews, data on Spartan DEKA racing, and updated the substance use recovery statistics). It can be found at www.tarapipia.com
Licensures & Certifications:Â
ICF Associate Certified Life Coach
Spartan and DEKA Certified Coach
Parkinson Regeneration Level I and II Coach
Spartan Resiliency Trainer
Army Master Resiliency Trainer
Army Master Fitness Trainer
Army Equal Opportunity Leader
Research & Training Interests:Â
Transformation and healing through movement; transformation through nature; substance use recovery through fitness, community, and nature; women in recovery; spirituality and running; women and competition; dream analysis; food addiction; exercise addiction; and general group healing.
