Tonya Carpenter, LCSW

Tonya Carpenter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a veteran who brings years of diverse clinical experience to her work. She earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California with an emphasis in Military and Veterans Affairs, and has provided care across multiple settings including a hospital clinical setting, a private practice, school-based behavior intervention for grades 6-12, and services for adults with disabilities. She is currently at Aware after six years in private practice and three years in hospital-based care.

Her clinical focus centers on trauma and military affairs while also addressing co-occurring disorders, substance use, PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, child abuse and neglect, communication and anger management issues, and a broad range of life stressors. She uses a client-centered, strengths-based, and solution-focused stance, blending motivational interviewing with evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She also integrates attachment-focused perspectives when relevant to relationships and family dynamics.

Tonya describes her style as direct and upfront yet warm and nonjudgmental - preferring to ask questions clearly rather than make assumptions. She frames clients as operating as best they can with the tools they have and aims to support them in building a higher quality of life. She is certified in EMDR, moral reconation therapy (MRT), trauma-focused CBT, and trauma narratives. She responds to messages within 24 hours Monday through Friday and notes limited availability in the evenings and some weekends.