Dr. Tonya Peavy-Mays, PsyD, is a Provisionally Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas. She has been awarded National Board Certification by the American Association of Bariatric Counselors (AABC) and, after completing AABC’s specialized training program in bariatric science, was recently credentialed as a Board Certified Bariatric Counselor (BCBC).
Dr. Peavy-Mays earned her bachelor’s degree in child and family development and completed graduate study in Clinical Community Psychology at Texas Southern University. She later obtained a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Walden University and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from California Southern University. Her interest in bariatric science began during her undergraduate years as a Ronald McNair Scholar at Texas Southern University, where she conducted research on childhood obesity in toddlerhood and infant feeding patterns as early predictors of obesity.
With more than 14 years of clinical experience, Dr. Peavy-Mays has provided mental health services to diverse populations across community behavioral health, juvenile justice, adult corrections, and inpatient psychiatric settings. Her clinical background spans trauma-focused care, depression, anxiety, forensic mental health, crisis evaluations, and pre-employment psychological assessments for law enforcement agencies. She also holds certification in mindful nutrition and is a published coauthor of Feed Your Brain: A Guide to Eating for Optimal Mental Health. In addition to her professional expertise, Dr. Peavy-Mays brings lived experience to her work, having undergone Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) weight-loss surgery.
Dr. Peavy-Mays currently practices at Psychology Works (www.psychologyworkstx.com), where she conducts pre-surgical bariatric evaluations, provides pre- and post-surgical counseling, and completes comprehensive psychological assessments. She also facilitates online court-mandated programs for adult probation and offers clinical supervision for Licensed Professional Counselor-Associates in Texas.
Her commitment to advancing bariatric care led her to pursue specialized training and certification with AABC, where she was awarded an academic scholarship in recognition of her clinical excellence and dedication to the field of bariatric science. Dr. Peavy-Mays’ professional training, extensive clinical experience will further AABC global mission of providing best practices in the care, treatment, and prevention of obesity and related disorders.
Email: glenda@aabc-certification.org
Website: www.aabc-certification.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aabcorg
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/american-association-of-bariatric-counselors/
