New to Grow
My name is Sonia McKee and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LW61517947) and have experience as Mental Health Therapist. Growing up, I thought there was something wrong with me because I was so scared of life and failure. There were times when I could not stop the racing thoughts, my heart beating so fast, feeling like I was out of breath, sleepless nights, headaches, and muscle tension. I tried to ignore my worries, fears, anxieties, and stress. Mental health and treatment were very stigmatized, which lead to me suffering quietly. As I grew up, I realized I was not alone in experiencing anxiety. I was determined to find the secret of being brave and having courage while managing anxiety. As I started to improve, I decided that I wanted to share the information I have learned with others so they could also face life while managing their anxiety, stress, and worries.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session includes a mental health assessment to identify challenges you are experiencing and get to know each other. Identifying treatment objectives and goals are also an important part of the first session. I hope to support and guide you while you learn new skills to manage life challenges. We are capable of doing hard things and overcoming anxiety, depression, and trauma. I hope you learn to be kinder and more compassionate toward yourself. I hope you realize how important you are and you are ready and willing to work towards making positive changes.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
As a therapist, I utilize strength-based, non-judgmental approach utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention, exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR to help clients overcome challenges and find hope. I am a compassionate mental health therapist who strives to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard and understood. I believe in the power of a strong therapeutic relationship and work collaboratively with clients to help them navigate challenges, build resilience, and move toward meaningful change. My approach is client-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive, drawing from evidence-based practices while honoring each person’s unique experiences and strengths. I am committed to ethical care, ongoing growth, and meeting clients with empathy, respect, and genuine care throughout their healing journey.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My ideal clients is ready to identify what works best for themselves and are ready to make positive changes. I have learned that anxiety/stress response is a normal reaction when we are in danger. Anxiety becomes a problem when our brain perceives something as dangerous but it is not. The fight/flight/freeze response can occur when we perceive we can’t handle a situation, big emotions, loud sounds, multitasking, traffic, and feeling overwhelmed. The good news is we can learn to manage worries, anxieties, and fears. I am passionate about helping people who are struggling with anxiety, stress, life transitions, depression, and trauma. I enjoy seeing people overcome their challenges and go after the life they want.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be used with multiple different mental health conditions. Conditions include anxiety disorders, depression, stress, life transitions, and trauma/PTSD. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, evidence-based form of therapy that focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is based on the idea that the way we think about situations influences how we feel and how we act, and that changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors can lead to meaningful emotional relief. In CBT, clients work collaboratively with a therapist to identify negative or distorted thinking patterns, develop more balanced perspectives, and practice practical coping skills. Therapy often includes goal-setting, skill-building, and between-session practice to help clients apply what they learn in real-life situations. CBT is present-focused and solution-oriented, helping individuals better manage challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, and life transitions. The approach is collaborative, empowering, and tailored to each person’s needs, with an emphasis on building long-term skills for emotional resilience and well-being.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
Anxiety Disorders including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can all be effectively managed when the source of the anxiety is identified and an individualized treatment plan is implemented. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is an evidence-based treatment most commonly used for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related anxiety conditions. It focuses on helping individuals face feared thoughts, images, situations, or sensations (exposure) while gradually reducing the behaviors or mental rituals used to relieve anxiety (response prevention). In ERP, clients work collaboratively with a therapist to approach anxiety-provoking experiences in a planned, supportive, and gradual way. Instead of avoiding distress or engaging in compulsions, clients learn to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort until anxiety naturally decreases on its own. Over time, this process helps retrain the brain to recognize that feared outcomes are less likely or less dangerous than they feel. ERP empowers individuals to regain a sense of control, reduce anxiety’s hold on daily life, and build confidence in their ability to cope without relying on compulsions. The therapy is structured, compassionate, and tailored to each person’s pace and goals, with an emphasis on long-term change rather than short-term relief. Effective treatment for anxiety often includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and/or Exposure Response Prevention. These therapies often include identifying and changing negative thought patterns and beliefs, skills to reduce the fear response in the brain, and helping your brain to learn when anxiety response is unhelpful.
Compassion Focused
Compassion-focused care is an approach to mental health treatment that centers on warmth, empathy, and understanding, especially for people who struggle with shame, self-criticism, or feeling “not good enough.” It recognizes that many emotional difficulties develop as a result of life experiences, trauma, or survival responses—not personal failure. In compassion-focused care, the therapist helps clients cultivate self-compassion, emotional safety, and a kinder relationship with themselves. The focus is on soothing the nervous system, building inner strength, and developing the ability to respond to distress with care rather than judgment. Clients are supported in understanding their emotions, learning to regulate them, and gradually replacing harsh self-talk with more supportive and balanced perspectives. Overall, compassion-focused care aims to help individuals feel safer within themselves, deepen self-acceptance, and move toward healing with patience, courage, and understanding.