Sonia Khaleel

Sonia, LLMSW, MBA, brings a thoughtful and affirming approach to therapy, grounded in the belief that meaningful healing begins with feeling genuinely seen, heard, and understood. She earned a Master of Social Work and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago, and she is committed to listening deeply to each person's story with compassion and respect. Sonia's clinical experience includes providing individual psychotherapy and facilitating support groups for LGBTQ+ adults at Chicago’s Center on Halsted. She has also provided play therapy for refugee children, facilitated parenting groups, and offered case management services to pregnant individuals at World Relief Chicago. Sonia has experience supporting autistic adults, transgender and gender-diverse individuals, couples, and people navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity exploration, life transitions, and relationship concerns. She understands that culture and identity can profoundly shape emotional wellbeing. Sonia welcomes conversations about bicultural identity, family expectations, intergenerational dynamics, and the experiences of immigrants and children of immigrants. Her approach is supportive, strengths-based, and trauma-informed, drawing from psychodynamic therapy, attachment theory, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and somatic approaches informed by Polyvagal Theory. She believes our emotional patterns are shaped not only by present circumstances but also by our life experiences, relationships, and the ways our nervous systems have learned to respond to stress. By integrating insight-oriented work with practical coping strategies and nervous system regulation, she helps clients better understand themselves and foster greater emotional flexibility. Sonia is committed to providing care that is neurodiversity-affirming and tailored to each individual's unique needs. She is passionate about creating a collaborative therapeutic environment where clients can explore their experiences without judgment. She views therapy as a partnership built on trust and the belief that meaningful growth is possible when people feel accepted for who they are.