Sonia Martin, LCSW

Certifications:

LCSW, license #086062

Areas of Focus:

• Anxiety
• Addiction
• Bipolar disorder
• Communication issues
• Depression
• Working with the homeless population, including trauma-informed care for serious mental illness as well as harm reduction for substance use disorders.

Education:

Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, Master of Social Work with a focus on Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families, 2013

University of Vermont, Bachelor of Arts, Major in Psychology and Minor in Music

Sonia’s Recent Articles

Professional Background

 I have been working in the field since 2011, and most of my focus and experience have been with the homeless population.  The unique thing about this area of the field is that it exposed me to a wide range and variety of clinical cases and settings. 

As an intern at the Manhattan and Bronx VA Hospitals, I worked on a dual-diagnosis inpatient unit.  This entailed engaging with Veteran’s that struggled both with substance use issues and serious mental illness.  The treatment was brief, generally a stay of 2 weeks to a month, and in this, I honed my skills in trauma-informed care and crisis intervention.  Many of the patients would come to us in full psychosis, actively suicidal, and/or under the influence.  Treatments were variable and I learned many different modalities to approaching treatment including group therapy, talk therapy, medication, and ongoing outpatient support.

Working for Center for Urban Community Services and Breaking Ground I worked with the homeless population exclusively and in a variety of settings;  I worked at a women’s mental health shelter, a supportive housing residence, oversaw the homeless outreach for the borough of Queens, and ran a men’s safe haven.  Throughout my time I worked closely with folks with serious mental illness, primarily diagnoses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance use and dependence, and more.  The populations I worked with were very diverse in race and ethnicity as well as age and circumstances.  This gave me a chance to provide clinical interventions and support in many different ways as each case was very unique.  I was robustly trained in Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, Housing First, Trauma-Informed Care, and more.

I transitioned to the role of a therapist part-time in early 2020 and then full-time at Housing Works as a therapist and a supervisor.  I have treated couples and individuals with various presenting issues including but not limited to, communication, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, disordered eating, and boundary setting.  In developing my own private practice I have enrolled in formal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the Beck Institute and have also deepened my knowledge in mindfulness and somatic work.

Additionally, I have provided clinical supervision in a variety of capacities over the years including MSW and BSW Interns and LMSW’s pursuing their clinical license.  Mentoring has been a large part of my professional career and I am currently the clinical supervisor for Brilla Charter Schools.  I supervise 8 individuals, a mix of social workers and school counselors, providing guidance in crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, treatment planning, and more for children ages K-8.

Professional Affiliations

• Beck Institute – Current student of their CBT training program
• Member of National Association of Social Workers

Book Contributions

• Relational Social Work Practice with Diverse Populations by Judith Rosenberger, LCSW, PhD