When you meet Tonya Samuels, you meet a therapist who
cares and welcomes every opportunity to instill hope into the
lives of others.

Tonya has always been interested in people who were different
from herself. She learned very early in life to welcome diversity
to better understand people rather than rejecting cultural and
ethnic differences.

Tonya and her husband of more than 36 years have four
daughters, one son-in-love, and five grandchildren. She began
married life traveling throughout the world as an Army wife and
knows all too well the challenges of raising children through
deployments and several duty stations. Tonya chose to follow her 

dream job later in life because of her family. 

In 2013 Tonya received her master’s degree in psychology with
a major in marriage and family therapy from Brandman
University in Lacey, Washington. During that time, she also
completed an11-month master’s level practicum at Behavioral
Recovery Services, an outpatient drug and alcohol recovery
agency for women of minor children.
 
Tonya has worked successfully with other private practices
before launching Pillars of Hope Counseling in 2020.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, Tonya deeply believes that
when motivated people begin working with counselors who
care, they will see positive change.