- Guilt and shame
- CBT and mindfulness
- Family of origin issues
About Sonya
Sonya Cook is a New York State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 25 years of professional experience. She works with adults who carry stress, anxiety, relationship strain, family conflict, trauma and abuse. She also addresses issues like guilt and shame, attachment wounds, and parenting strain.
Sonya uses clear, direct conversation to identify what is causing distress. She leans on client-centered work to listen first, and then adds cognitive behavioral ideas to notice patterns of thought and behavior. Mindfulness and narrative practices help people name painful memories and separate them from who they are now.
Her approach focuses on practical steps and steady pacing. Sessions look at how daily habits, thoughts, and relationships keep hard feelings alive. She guides people through small shifts that change how those patterns feel day to day.
When trauma or abuse is part of the picture she uses trauma-focused methods alongside narrative work. That combination is intended to help people tell their story differently and reduce the hold of traumatic memories. She also draws on mindfulness to manage panic and overwhelming anxiety in the moment.
Sonya emphasizes respect and sensitivity in conversations. She adapts discussion and planning to the concerns a person brings and works collaboratively on goals. People who want to address guilt, shame, or family roots of distress will find a practical, structured method aimed at steady progress.
How Sonya brings core approaches into online work
Sonya often draws on client-centered therapy to prioritize what the person wants to address. That means she listens first to clarify immediate concerns, then works with those priorities so sessions feel relevant and focused. Client-centered work is useful for relationship strain, family conflicts, and feelings rooted in personal history.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at patterns of thinking and behavior that keep guilt, shame, anxiety, or panic active. CBT offers practical exercises and experiments people can use between sessions to test new ways of responding. Mindfulness practices are used alongside CBT to help manage intense emotion in the moment and reduce reactivity.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and then decide together which methods fit best. That collaboration helps tailor what happens in sessions without promising a specific outcome.
Session formats are not specified in the original biography, so confirm current session options before booking. Many people find online sessions help them fit therapy into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time so it is easier to keep appointments. Licensed professionals can adapt interventions like CBT exercises, narrative work, and mindfulness practices for online meetings to support steady progress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
Which kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, family conflict, trauma and abuse, plus related issues such as guilt and shame and parenting concerns.
What is her general counseling style?
She starts with client-centered listening, then uses clear, practical techniques from CBT, mindfulness, and narrative work to change unhelpful thoughts and habits.
How much experience does she have?
She has 25 years of professional experience providing counseling and therapeutic support.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a New York State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and practices in New York.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How much do sessions cost?
Fees vary with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first appointment?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.