About Sonya
Sonya Drottar is a California licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, and major life changes. She creates a calm space where people can speak honestly and feel heard.
Sonya uses straightforward methods to help clients tackle problems. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to notice and change unhelpful thinking. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take workable steps forward.
How Sonya works
Mindfulness skills are part of Sonya's approach so people can practice staying present and managing strong emotions. Motivational Interviewing supports those facing addictions or readiness for change by building internal motivation rather than relying on pressure. She often helps people dealing with family and parenting concerns, caregiver stress, chronic illness, grief, and trauma.
Sonya also supports those facing relationship problems, codependency, and career stress. These focus areas are addressed in practical, goal-oriented sessions. Sessions aim to be collaborative.
Sonya listens first, then offers plain strategies and exercises to try between sessions. She adjusts tools to fit each person's life and priorities, making changes as progress is made.
Sonya lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
What Sonya works with
The areas below are the ones Sonya selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
Also listed
- Addictions
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 25 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose small value-driven actions instead. It can be useful for anxiety, life transitions, and finding clarity about what matters. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing patterns of thinking and behavior that cause trouble, which is helpful for anxiety, stress, and coping with difficult situations. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and understanding the person's experience so they feel heard and can find their own solutions.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to your goals and preferences, explain different methods, and together you will try approaches that fit your needs. Plans are adjusted over time based on what helps most.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video works well for an in-depth conversation, phone can fit into a busy day, chat or text can be useful for quick check-ins or when typing feels easier. These options let people access licensed professionals from different locations and fit sessions into their routines.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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