Tonya Toutge

Do you feel like you are living your very own “Once upon a time”…but the “Happily ever after” seems elusive? Real life is often no fairytale and I want you to know that I will hold space for your story with the honor that it deserves. I see you as the primary author and my role is to help you deconstruct unproductive stories and write a new one that you actually prefer! I will respect your identity, culture, agency, and pace using a strengths-based, person-centered, narrative approach. I also use a trauma-informed lens to look at events that have happened in your story and I often incorporate Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing (SE) and mindfulness in my work with clients. SE is a treatment modality that brings the nervous system into the conversation. I enjoy being creative in therapy and I trust that together we can explore to find what works for you.

At CARE Counseling, I provide individual therapy to female, male, and non-binary clients from age 14 and up. I have a special interest in working with family units, adolescents and their parents, the LGBTQIA+ community, and individuals coping with trauma and anxiety.

I am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist which means I seek to understand not just you, but the systems that influence and impact who you are. I graduated from Saint Mary’s University with a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and did post graduate work at Adler Graduate School in Marriage and Family Therapy. I also have a graduate degree in Theology from St. John’s University SOT and I am open to working with clients with a wide range of spiritual expression or none at all. I am in the process of receiving additional training in Somatic Experiencing and have completed SE Beginning I, II, and III. SE can help people with trauma and stress, but also many common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, poor stress management, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating, feeling numb, anger management, and much more.

When I am not practicing therapy, you can find me delighting in my garden, kayaking, cuddling my animals, traveling, or spending time with my favorite people, especially my young adult children. Humans are endlessly fascinating to me and I can’t wait to meet you!