Tonya Boots, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor at Rein Center, an integrative psychiatry practice based in Iowa City, Iowa. Tonya decided to become a therapist because she enjoys helping people and has a natural ability to listen and empathize with others.

Tonya graduated with her bachelor's degree from St. Ambrose University and earned her master's degree in clinical mental health counseling at Loyola University Chicago.

During her studies, she assisted with published research projects that addressed social justice issues and became very passionate about helping adolescents who experienced chronic and big "T" traumas. She completed her clinical training at an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Chicago that specialized in treating PTSD. After graduating from Loyola, she worked at an adolescent group home in Indianapolis, where she gained valuable experience with crisis de-escalation and helping children and families involved in the welfare system. Many of her early experiences pushed her toward utilizing somatic psychotherapy interventions such as yoga, meditation, guided imagery, and deep breathing to effectively release tension and stress in the body caused by trauma. Inviting her clients to move intuitively and genuinely do what feels good tends to increase awareness of their feelings and bodily sensations and gain a sense of control and ownership over their physical bodies.