Tonya Pleasant

Compassionate, skills-focused counseling for life transitions

MD, LCPC Maryland

Experience: 25 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Parenting
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English

About Tonya

Tonya Pleasant brings 25 years of counseling experience to individuals seeking practical, skills-based help for stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and a broad range of life transitions.

Background and approach

She emphasizes building on each person’s strengths while offering concrete tools to address issues such as depression, parenting struggles, intimacy concerns, addictions, sleep and eating disturbances, anger, career stress, and compassion fatigue. Her work also encompasses caregiver stress, communication problems, divorce and separation, forgiveness, life purpose, seasonal affective disorder, self-love, women’s issues, and young adult concerns.

Tonya is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland and holds an MD and the license number MD LCPC LC1574. She integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside approaches that prioritize personal growth and emotional connection.

In sessions she listens attentively, introduces coping strategies and behavior-change techniques, and highlights progress as clients work toward goals. Available in English and based in Maryland, Tonya offers a long history of helping people make measurable changes in their lives through collaborative, goal-oriented care.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

Tonya commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in her work. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns, offering practical strategies for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating difficulties, and stress. ACT emphasizes values-based action and acceptance of difficult internal experiences, which can aid clients coping with grief, life transitions, compassion fatigue, and questions of life purpose.

Choosing a therapeutic approach is part of the collaborative process. The therapist works with each client to determine which methods best match their goals, preferences, and day-to-day realities, and may draw from additional emotion-focused or skills-oriented techniques as needed to support progress.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and communication styles. These options make it possible to continue consistent work on coping skills, behavior change, and emotional processing without travel, and allow adaptation of session pacing and tools to suit individual needs.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?

She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, grief, parenting and family matters, sleep and eating issues, anger, career and life changes, compassion fatigue, and related areas such as caregiver stress and seasonal affective disorder.

What is the therapist's overall approach and style?

The approach blends practical, skills-based therapy with strengths-focused and emotionally attuned techniques. Sessions emphasize listening, coping strategies, behavior-change tools, and celebrating progress toward goals.

How long has the therapist been practicing?

This clinician has 25 years of experience working in counseling and mental health settings with a diverse range of clients and concerns.

What credentials and location are listed?

The therapist holds MD and LCPC credentials and is licensed with the designation MD LCPC LC1574. She practices in Maryland.

Are services offered in other languages or to international clients?

Services are offered in English only, and she is not currently accepting international clients.

What session formats are available for working together?

Clients can meet through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on their preference and scheduling availability.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are billed through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin working with this therapist?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsParenting issuesSelf esteem Depression

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes Compassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Caregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsDivorce and separationForgivenessLife purposeSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Psychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

Maryland

Languages

English