Jonelle Tunney, MA

Life is difficult, and sometimes our challenges can overwhelm us. As a recently retired school counselor, I (she/her) gained a wealth of experience in helping young people achieve meaningful growth and a greater sense of well-being. After struggling with some life challenges personally, I made a career of helping others through periods of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, eating disorders, substance abuse, divorce, disability, trauma, abuse, and issues related to gender identity and sexuality. And as someone who identifies as a transgender female, I am naturally a strong advocate and ally for all those within the LGBTQIA+ community. 

My approach to therapy starts from a warm, friendly, positive, and non-judgmental position. I am genuinely interested in hearing a client’s story, and I have deep empathy for the way life looks and feels from their point of view. In creating a trusting and open therapeutic relationship, we can move together toward gaining a new level of self-awareness and growth, through self-discovery, self-acceptance, and positive intentional choices.

In the process, I utilize a variety of strategies that fit the client’s unique needs. This might include mindfulness approaches to focus on living in the present, gaining awareness of harmful thought patterns and allowing for more balanced and productive states of mind, examining what triggers particular behaviors and perspectives and then developing new ways of experiencing the world, forming new ideas about who we can be within the world, and learning to use creativity, nature, the flow state, and physical energy as outlets for transcending troubling emotions.

I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education (Psychology, English), from Central Michigan University in 1998. That was followed by a Master of Arts in Counseling from Western Michigan University in 2007 and over 15 years of counseling experience and credentials within the school system. I recently received my full counseling license. 

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