Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies
Clinical Team
Tonya Semas, LMFT, RN
Whole Hearts Interim Clinical Director, Truckee
Tonya brings to Gateway over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, in which she has served under two hats: as a hospice nurse and as a registered nurse when she worked as a trauma nurse in a level II trauma center. She has a graduate degree in counseling psychology and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Tonya has worked as a therapist for almost 20 years and is a certified grief counselor. She authored and launched a children’s grief support group, The Bridge for Hospice, and managed it before starting her own private practice. She has also served as an adjunct professor for USF, teaching in their MFT masters program.
When she is not working, Tonya can be found on the summit hiking or running trails with her husband and dog, Fig, mountain biking, and skiing in the winter. She is a believer in the healing power of nature and the ability of nature to help regulate our nervous system. She incorporates being in nature every day and is excited to be a part of Gateway to help others utilize this philosophy.
Rachel Levi, LMFT, CEDS
Certified Ecotherapist, Truckee
Rachel Levi comes to Gateway Mountain Center bringing decades of clinical experience, leadership, and clinical supervision. She founded and was CEO of a distinguished eating disorder treatment center in Southern California before moving to Soda Springs. Rachel has a depth of knowledge in all levels of clinical operations and direct care, including supervising hundreds of licensed and non-licensed mental health clinicians. She leans on her intense curiosity, sense of humor, and compassion to help explore the needs of both Gateway’s mentors and their mentees.
Rachel holds designation as a certified ecotherapist. She has been incorporating nature-based therapies and interventions throughout her career. She embodies her deep connection to the natural world and is passionate in sharing the magic she has discovered. In her free time, Rachel enjoys scuba diving, playing with her dogs, traveling the world, and spending time with her husband.
Austin Sherman, LMFT, CMMT
Clinical Supervisor, Truckee
Austin Sherman is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified mindfulness meditation teacher. Prior to becoming a therapist, she worked in various school settings throughout the Bay Area and studied public health and Spanish in her undergraduate years. Austin currently lives in Alpine Meadows and has a private practice where she sees folks dealing with issues related to trauma, PTSD, ADD/ADHD, autism, LGBTQ+, anxiety, and depression.
Her therapeutic lens blends pragmatic research backed approaches (CBT, DBT, EMDR, mindfulness) with depth psychology (Gestalt, Jungian, Hakomi, IFS). She believes the natural world is one of our greatest teachers and an often-underused resource for healing and creating a more sustainable and compassionate world. Austin supports mentors by creating a space that is grounded, relaxed, deeply curious, and compassionate. She also believes laughter is an important part of the therapeutic process. In her spare time, Austin can be found spending time with friends and family, hiking, biking, skiing, or horseback riding in nature, jumping into a cold body of water, or in the kitchen trying out a new recipe.
Melinda Malher, LPCC, BC-DMT
Clinical Director, San Francisco
Melinda S. Malher (she/her) has worked in leadership as a clinical director, educator, community organizer, and board member. She holds a master’s degree in expressive therapies with an emphasis in mental health counseling and dance/movement therapy Melinda is a licensed professional clinical counselor (#3329); board-certified dance/movement therapist, and certified synergetic play therapist.
Working with youth has been a passion and over the last dozen years, Melinda has worked in special education, inpatient acute psychiatry, community mental health, recreational services, and eating disorder recovery with a variety of young clients and presentations. She was named Leader of Tomorrow and received the Outstanding Achievement Award for her contributions to the American Dance Therapy Association over the years. In addition to her work with Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies, Melinda teaches in a counseling master’s program, takes dance classes, does CrossFit, escapes to nature, and reads often. She is grateful to live and work in San Francisco, where there is always adventure to be had.