The first inkling of her future career came in high school when she was running track with a friend. Walking a few warm-down laps, the friend shared details about relationship struggles with her boyfriend. While Toby does not remember what advice she offered, she does remember her friend’s response. “She said I was easy to open up to, and a good listener, and then she said, ‘You should do this for a living.’”

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In the years that followed, Toby heard these sentiments come again and again from a variety of people. In her first job post-university, Toby worked as an administrative assistant at a computer consulting company and colleagues would stop by her desk “under the guise of wanting M&M’s,” but really wanting Toby’s advice on how to handle their relationships. “I was WAY more interested in that than spell-checking or answering calls,” she recalls.

 

That realization prompted Toby to apply to graduate school to earn a social work degree. Toby earned a B.A. from DePauw University and an M.S.W. from the University of Kentucky. Before going into private practice, she worked as a therapist at West Maple Family Counseling in West Bloomfield, Michigan, served as an ADHD Clinic intern within the University of Kentucky Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, and was a school therapist at J.R. Ewan Elementary School in Lexington, Kentucky.

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In addition to her educational degrees, Toby continues her professional development and has completed courses in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, DBT, Anxiety Disorders in adolescents and children, Couples Therapy (working with couples on sex and infidelity), and ADHD training.

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She most enjoys working with people on their relationships, whether individuals, couples, or families. Toby is also passionate about working with Blended Families to build harmony and understanding as their new family takes shape.