Find a therapist in Merrillville, IN — covered by insurance

I'm glad you're here! I want to be able to work with you to help you move forward, through the challenges. I enjoy working with individuals through difficult life circumstances, and helping to instill hope. I specialize in grief and loss, depression, trauma, and anxiety. I provide talk therapy and can include art therapy in sessions if requested, to help process thoughts and emotions non-verbally. Art can provide further insight into expression that words cannot do alone. I work with teens and adults in the office and/or via telehealth.

Hi, I'm Soneela! I am a mental health therapist who specializes in working with teens and adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, relationship issues, and stressors. My goal is to create a warm and culturally sensitive space where you feel truly heard. Life can throw curveballs at us but together, we’ll uncover patterns, build self-awareness, and help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

I believe that mental health is an important part of overall health and happiness. Each person has the ability to commit to and foster positive change in their lives. I always strive to work with each client as an individual, fostering their strengths and building healthy coping skills, insight, and empowering courage for change. I am passionate about women's health and issues. I am certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International.

I have extensive experience in working with families, children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced various forms of trauma, both acute and chronic, as well as grief and loss, stress and anxiety, as well as other behavioral health issues.

Maybe what aches most is not the change itself, but the fear that someone you love is slipping out of reach — even if that someone is you. Everything feels different, yet somehow the same. One minute you are putting on pajamas, and the next you are spiraling because it is the first moment of quiet you have had all day. There is this gut feeling that your heart can no longer be bound with band-aids, but soul-searching is a lot before the alarm goes off tomorrow. You do not have to make sense of it all alone at midnight — that is what I am here for.

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside individuals, couples, and families as they work toward healing, growth, and change. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor, and Substance Abuse Professional, I bring both deep clinical knowledge and a compassionate, down-to-earth approach to therapy.

I specialize in helping clients navigate life’s most personal challenges—including relationship and intimacy concerns, life transitions, grief and loss, trauma, and mental health struggles. I also provide substance abuse treatment, DOT/SAP evaluations, and recovery support using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Reality Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, the Duluth Model, and the Matrix Model.

I have a special commitment to serving Black communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people living with HIV, re-entry populations, sex workers, and youth facing challenges. I understand how personal, cultural, and systemic factors shape each person’s story, and I create a safe, affirming space where clients feel truly seen and heard.

In our sessions, you can expect a respectful, judgment-free environment where your voice matters. I believe therapy works best as a partnership—we’ll set goals together, explore what’s holding you back, and develop practical strategies you can use in daily life a more fulfilling life. Whether you’re seeking support for a specific issue or simply want to invest in your personal growth, I’m here to help you take that next step.