Dr. Sonja T. Van Laar, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Psychologist with over 30 years of experience providing compassionate, evidence-based care for individuals across the lifespan. She earned her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University and completed postdoctoral training in Neuropsychological Assessment at Fielding University. She holds active licensure in both Florida and California.
Throughout her extensive career, Dr. Van Laar has developed a broad clinical and leadership background across outpatient, inpatient, and multidisciplinary medical settings. At Kaiser Permanente in California, she served in various roles including Women’s Health Behavioral Medicine Specialist, Pain Management Consultant, and Manager of the Addiction Medicine Chemical Dependency Recovery Center. She has also worked extensively in neuropsychological and psychological assessment, child and adult therapy, crisis intervention, and program development across diverse clinical departments such as Neurology, Urology, and OB-GYN.
Dr. Van Laar is particularly recognized for her ability to integrate psychological services within medical teams and for developing innovative treatment programs. Her work includes the creation of outpatient substance abuse programs, parent-teen DBT groups, and mental health curriculums for postpartum depression and anxiety. She approaches therapy with optimism, drawing from a wide range of modalities to help clients build resilience, develop coping strategies, and achieve meaningful change.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Dr. Van Laar enjoys a balanced lifestyle filled with creativity and outdoor recreation. She loves golfing, creating paper crafts, and spending quality time with her husband and their black Labrador. Her decades of dedication reflect not only her clinical excellence but also her lifelong passion for helping others thrive emotionally and psychologically.