More about Tonya
Mental health care is a really private, personal, and vulnerable space. I know first hand how difficult the first step in seeking mental health treatment can be. During my time in the Marine Corps, I had a traumatic experience that led to more than a decade’s long battle with debilitating anxiety and severe episodes of depression. Once I realized the impact my mental health was having on my family, I sought treatment through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I had the great fortune to work with a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who provided the warmth and sense of safety I needed to heal and regain my life back.
I went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from Valparaiso University in 2015. My family relocated to Salt Lake City, UT where I worked in an adult inpatient psychiatric unit at a local hospital and also a VA Medical Center. I saw my previous struggles in many of the patients and felt called to do more to help. This led me to return to school and earn my Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree with a Psychiatric-Mental Health specialization from the University of Utah in 2019. Throughout the course of my academic and professional career of 9 years, I have provided psychiatric care for a wide array of disorders related to anxiety, mood, psychosis, and trauma in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, community mental health centers, free clinics, emergency departments, adolescent correctional facilities, and within the Department of Veteran Affairs.
My husband Terence and I are both U.S. Marine Corps veterans. I have been enamored with Terence since we met in 2005 while deployed in Iraq. Over the past 18 years, we have built a life we are proud of while raising our three charismatic children. In my free time, I enjoy photography, alternative music, going to the beach, and watching Westfield football.
