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Tonya M. Lawyer

Certified EMDR Therapist

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

217-766-8557

Hello.

One of the most important decisions you will make in your healing journey is choosing the professional you want to work with. It is important to me that you have a good understanding of my treatment philosophies, the skillsets I bring, and how I can assist you on your healing journey.

My philosophy is we are on your healing journey together. Whether it is in the more traditional format of weekly sessions or we share more time limited space, such as an EMDR Intensive, we are a team. What does this mean? It means I am always holding you in your best and highest good and will never see in you your own untrue beliefs, such as "I'm not good enough". That's a big twist, isn't it? You are the expert on you and the answers you seek are already inside of you. During our work together, we find a way to remove the blocks so you can access them. I don't believe in "re-creating" you. While shifting will happen, my goal is to help you return to your Authentic Self.

I create a safe, trusting environment with you while you are here. What does this mean? You will have my undivided attention for the time you are here. I provide a cozy, comfortable and private setting. I show up authentically. You are going to get the real me and not some mumble jumble of clinical terms, non committal comments or clinical detachment.

I am not here to judge you. I am here to explore with you and to help you return to your Authentic Self.

How do we get you back to your Authentic Self and get you reconnected to your personal power? Well, for me it is by using the modality of EMDR to help you remove limiting and/or untrue beliefs you have about yourself. If you have experienced some form of trauma: C/PTSD, PTSD, or even a single incident trauma such as a car wreck, I am going to recommend EMDR. I have witnessed time and time again, its ability for rapid and profound change for a person.

If we work one on one together, I require a weekly commitment so we can keep the consistency and flow going. This is what I call the "take our time" process of peeling back the layers. It is a very organic process when you and I meet weekly. We learn each other's energy and eventually we get settled in our own special "flow". Most of my individual clients work with me for 3-4 years (yes, that's every week). A commitment to the process and a willingness to hang in there when it is hard are very important for this healing journey.

Some folks are unable or unwilling to make a long term time commitment and choose to participate in an EMDR Intensive. This person chooses a different healing experience, yet just as profound, in a much shorter time period. An EMDR Intensive participant gets all of what I bring to my one on one clients except in a much shortened period of time. You will see me laser focused on making sure you get the very best opportunity for deep healing in the EMDR Intensive.

Here are some of the pieces I bring professionally to my role as a counselor:

I have ongoing personal and professional experiences with humans: our struggles, our pain and sufferings, the causes, the barriers for change and the common thread of we aren't good enough. I get it.
I learned how important thinking and our beliefs are to how we feel and the choices we make. I have advance trainings in thinking errors and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This can be helpful in the later stages of healing from trauma once we get the brain back "online" via EMDR. It is also helpful in the treatment of anxiety and OCD.
I have extensive experience and advanced trainings in addictions. I have extensive knowledge of resources for sobriety. I view addictions through a trauma informed lens which means I believe there are many paths to sobriety.
I have extensive trainings in trauma and all things trauma: ego states, mindfulness, somatic, dissociation, EMDR, resourcing for safety, and Complex PTSD (C/PTSD).
I am a Certified EMDR Therapist which further demonstrates my commitment to this treatment modality. At this level, I have had more advanced EMDR trainings and ongoing clinical consultation. I have advanced EMDR skills that can help you achieve rapid and permanent healing.
I show up for you. Once I agree to accept you as a client I am responsibly committed to working with you on your healing journey.
I have 30 + years of clinical experience I bring to your healing journey.
I accept and respect your personal power and your role on your healing journey. My goal is to get you firmly connected to your personal power and hear you Roar!

On a more personal note:

I suck at math
My happy place is camping
Nature is very healing to me
My fur babies are: 2 dogs: Goji and Rosie, 1 cat: Bhodi (keep scrolling down to see the dogs)
I can do hard things
The Serenity Prayer is my "go to " tool

Thanks for listening. If you have more questions about how I work as a counselor or to inquire about doing an EMDR Intensive, please reach out to me.

take care,

tonya

My Background

My very first professional job was as a probation and parole officer in KC, MO. This is when I first started to learn about addiction and how trauma impacts people and changes them. I learned how trauma, left untreated, will take a person's sense of self worth which can be a very dark place to live. While I wore a very different "hat" in this role, it was undeniably one of the best learning experiences in working with humans that has led me to the deep healing work I currently do with my clients.

I began my counseling career working with adolescents, who had experienced trauma, living in residential care. Next, I worked with adults struggling with substance use disorders both out-patient and in the county jail. I have only worked with adults since this time.

My first private practice, in 2003, was primarily focused on DUI services and substance use disorders. After about 10 years in DUI services and addictions, I was really crispy fried, burnt out, and needed to take a break from being a counselor. I sold this business and took a few years off.

I returned to private practice in 2017. I felt recharged and energized to solely focus on mental health counseling. I really found my niche in working with folks who needed healing from trauma. I became a tad bit obsessed with gaining knowledge and clinical skills in all things trauma. My background in addictions, the criminal justice population, the folks who had shame and took the risk to trust me and my own personal experiences in life, all prepared me for where I am now. I love what I do and I am grateful.