Soma Wingelaar (she/her) provides a compassionate and nonjudgmental space for people to understand themselves. Focusing on individual strengths and agency is a key component to the collaborative work she looks forward to doing with others. Navigating life’s struggles (and joys!) can be challenging and she is invested in practical tools for understanding one’s goals and managing anxiety. Soma uses mindfulness and a client centered approach to therapy. She fosters a sense of curiosity and exploration in the therapeutic process supported by her background in the arts. She is a strong believer in our innate capacity for creativity or ‘play’ in both children and adults as a tool for resilience. Creative practices in therapy can be both a means of expression and a way to shed rigid or negative thinking.

As a person of color, Soma has a firsthand understanding of oppression faced by those with marginalized identities and acknowledges the complexity of being both an individual and part of a greater community. She believes there are many layers of emotional, subjective, and systemic experiences; unique to each person. She uses narrative therapy in conjunction with psychodynamic therapy as well as creative practices and mindfulness to help each client find a grounded sense of self and strengthen their unique voice. 

Soma holds a masters is Mental Health Counseling from SUNY New Paltz; and a BFA from the University of Michigan, where she studied painting, installation, and printmaking. Creativity plays a significant role in her practice as both a means of expression and a way to shed rigid or negative thinking. Soma is a passionate reader who believes literature and our stories are evidence of both the immense joy and sorrow we experience as humans, and she understands meeting these conditions with radical acceptance can be freeing.

Population

• Children

• Adolescents

• Adults