Sonja Stengel, MA, is a licensed psychotherapist with board certification in Creative Arts Therapy. Sonja's approach to working with clients is rooted in Humanistic theory with a focus on Client Centered therapy, which is based on the belief that the client is capable of change through developing insight and awareness of behaviors, thoughts, and patterns. Sonja partners with the client in developing goals of treatment and employs a variety of techniques, including art making and talk therapy, to achieve those identified goals. She works with adolescents, adults and geriatric populations.

For individuals seeking art therapy:

The traditional "art in therapy" session uses imagery as a means of accessing emotions and thoughts. This therapeutic approach is helpful to individuals seeking a creative, yet structured pathway to developing personal awareness; making connections to mind/body/emotional states of being. In a supportive and nurturing environment, Sonja assists the client in looking at how the images we make can reflect larger parts of ourselves and facilitate feeling better integrated.

Sonja received her Masters in Creative Arts Therapy from Hofstra University and her BFA in Visual Arts from SUNY Purchase. Sonja currently works at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Medical Center, providing individual and group psychotherapy and art therapy to adults in the acute inpatient Behavioral Health unit as well as supportive therapy to patients and family members on the oncology units.