As I look back over my life there have been a variety of individuals that have been there for me during some very difficult times. And I think that is one of the reasons that I have always wanted to help people and walk alongside of them during the ups and downs of their own personal journey.
Each person is shaped by their early experiences in life and the families they grow up in. I am no exception. Those early experiences in my life made a lasting impact on me. But I believe it has been my experiences with feelings of pain, loss, grief, worry, and anxiety that pulled me in the direction of first becoming a therapist. I am continually filled with joy and amazement as the different people I work with, in all different ways, face their own struggles and bless me as they allow me to walk beside them as they harness the courage to take responsibility for the choices in their lives.
Bottom line, change is difficult, and often life is not fair. What helps each of us as we wrestle through the ups and downs of life this side of Heaven, is to know that we are not alone in our challenges, and that we don’t have to carry our burdens by ourselves. With patience and persistence, we cultivate greater confidence, a deeper sense of our identity and value, richer relationships with ourself, our partners, and our children, and balance/health of our minds, bodies, and spirits.
I believe that being a therapist is not only a vocation but a calling. I am currently in full-time private practice after serving almost 8 years in the community mental health field. I earned my Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and hold an undergraduate degree in Psychology from there as well. I Love this profession and have been privileged to work with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds, striving to consistently provide compassionate care in a non-judgmental environment. I am committed to providing a safe, hope-filled space for you to explore your experiences, gain insight, and progress toward healing and transformation from the inside out.
Therapy teaches people how to feel. In this day and age where being chronically “busy” and on the go is the celebrated norm for most in their twenties and thirties, simply feeling the fullness of an emotion and working through it no matter how messy, is a luxury we cannot afford to deprive ourselves of. Therapy also teaches people about how much our genetics and family history and upbringing influence who we become and how we do (or don’t) handle our problems as adults. This perspective is helpful when navigating the tumultuous seas of the real world.
Most importantly, therapy shows that it is okay to be broken. It is okay to not have it all figured out and not understand why our minds work in certain ways. This is a part of growing up, and a part of the delicate and beautiful process of figuring out who we are and what our strengths and weaknesses are in the areas in life that matter most like love, work, and relationships.
And when we learn to love ourselves in spite of the parts of us that feel crazy or messy or weird, we will have fulfilled one of the major goals of therapy: acceptance. And that is a beautiful thing — a truly beautiful thing, indeed.
Beside treating common issues like depression and anxiety my special interest areas include:
Couples: I believe in relationship and love working with couples to help them establish (or re-establish) and maintain a strong, secure, and satisfying couple bond by teaching skills and actually facilitating deeper emotional connection experiences in therapy. I will work with marriage, pre-marriage, and re-marriage issues. I often guide couples through the difficult and painful process of recovering from affairs. I also treat sexual problems and addictions.
Adult-Children of... I have a heart to compassionately help and support people recovering from a variety of difficult childhood family situations, experiences, and traumas. These include Adult Children of addictions, divorce, parental infidelity, perfectionism, mental illness of parent(s), and abuse of all kinds (physical, emotional, mental, verbal, sexual, and spiritual).
Personal Growth and Self Awareness: Ever wonder WHY you do and don't do the things you do and don't do--especially those unhelpful and repetitive patterns of relational failures and difficulties? Often these patterns or models are ingrained from early experiences and have dropped off the radar of our consciousness and now function automatically from their little secret control room. Stop living a life mysteriously dictated by your unseen autopilot and reclaim your power to make choices "on purpose." I believe this is a key to long-term change and recovery.
You deserve all the good that life has to offer, yet you don’t have to wander through the journey alone.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Family conflicts, Grief, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Blended Family Issues, Body image, Caregiver issues and stress, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Divorce and separation, Domestic Violence, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, Fertility Issues, Guilt and shame, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy and childbirth, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-love, Sexuality, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, Imago Relationship Therapy, Jungian Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy
OH LPCC E.0500094 SUPV
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Tonya Coover. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Tonya is thought full, supportive and understanding. Appreciate your expertise.
Written on Jan 31, 2022 after therapy with Tonya for 10 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
Tonya was incredibly helpful and insightful during our sessions. She was able to guide me through a difficult time with patience, empathy and understanding. Her caring manner and natural grace was very helpful and greatly appreciated. I would recommend her to anyone struggling through a difficult time.
Written on May 17, 2021 after therapy with Tonya for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, intimacy-related issues, and self esteem