Services
About My Clients
My clients are curious about themselves and interested in improving their lives. I regularly support clients navigating transitional changes in life such as loss, breakups/divorce, shifting parenting roles, and gender identity/sexual orientation alignment. I am a nurturing guide for those traveling the journey to heal from trauma, anxiety and/or depression symptoms. In my clients’ own words, "Tonya gets me. Working with her, I feel safe and accepted and have become more self-compassionate.”
My Background and Approach
I center therapy around you and your needs. You will be seen, heard, and respected. I will listen for not only what you say in session, but also for what you don’t say. I will remember who and what matters to you. Together we will reflect on how your lived experiences and your identities (race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc) have shaped you. Building upon your existing strengths, we will practice self-compassion principles and learn methods to regulate your emotions to improve your well-being. I will teach other coping skills drawn from different models to meet your therapy goals. My therapy approach is informed by my education as a social worker and training on specialized therapeutic models such as: Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), Trauma-Informed Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I am also guided by the wisdom gained from living more than 50 years on this planet.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and that core value is a driving force in my life. Worth and dignity are central to therapy because sometimes you have to reflect it back to clients when they don't see it in themselves. I was fortunate enough to benefit from counselors believing in me when my personal journey included difficult and humbling moments. I am paying it forward with clients. Witnessing my clients better understand themselves, make small and large changes, and live better lives is very meaningful work. As a social worker, I embrace our call to advocate for vulnerable folks. I lead a local PFLAG group, participate in campaigns to get out the vote, and hold positions on local non-profit boards advancing social justice missions. Before I became a social worker, I worked in non-profit healthcare and advanced efforts to expand access to healthcare services, which contributed to the passage of the Affordable Care Act.