Note from the Founder
I have always strived to create something that would truly help people in need. CEDAR is my baby and I know how much struggle I have had to face to build this organization from ground-up. CEDAR stands for Center for Depression Anxiety Relationships, the 3 pillars of crumbling mental health amongst people. Co-incidentally Cedar Hill is also the name of the company, which my childhood role mode, Kate Blackwell, a strong, female character from "Master of the Game" by Sidney Sheldon, started when everything in her life started falling apart. I consider starting CEDAR as my second birth, just like my favorite novel character, Kate.
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Sometimes, everything might seem hopeless, and maybe it is. However, whenever you ask for help, with sincerity, you always receive it in some form or the other!
A quick background!
Sonal Sonawani, a Psychologist, completed her education as Masters in Psychology from Fergusson College, Pune, holding second rank at Pune University. She then completed her education in Couple and Family therapy from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS, Mumbai) and went on to complete Couple therapy at Gottman Institute, US. She is a certified CBT, REBT & Psychodynamic Psychotherapy practitioner. She is also an International Affiliate with the American Psychological Association (APA).
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She is an author of "Breaking point: reclaiming your life from toxic relationships", published by Himalaya Publication. She recently was listed as FOX Story India's 50 under 50 empowered Indians 2024.
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She has several feathers to her cap when she was working with Academy for Counselling & Education, pvt. ltd. for 4.5 years, then associated with Center for Social & Behavioural Change & Communication (SBC3), Uddeshya, Mumbai (NGO) and a brief association with ITeach schools, before she started her own organization, CEDAR.
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With a total work experience of 13 years, Sonal Sonawani has managed to help countless individuals, couples and families. However, what makes her unique is her contribution to combining psychology with technology wherein, she and her team, under her able leadership have already developed softwares that can identify Learning difficulties, developmental disorders and behavioral issues, that make diagnosis and therapy plans easy for counselors to achieve. She has also headed the training, research & development team at ACE, where she has developed several training programs, along with therapy standardization modules that have now been incorporated in a technological mode.
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At CEDAR, Sonal and her team are currently developing mobile applications that can help identify suicidal behaviour and apply immediate, emergency suicide prevention methods in place, to help save thousands of lives.
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With a team of 15 counselors and counting, she presides over the couple and family therapy section (where she conducts these sessions herself), while supervising all cases that are a part of individual therapy, each and every counselor is working with. She works with clients from all over the globe-USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Thailand, Taiwan and France, currently.
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Sonal Sonawani has a presence in the media to a great extent, and intends to utilise this influence for greater impact. However, her presence was solidly marked in the media, with her winning the Indian Achiever's Award, 2021, in the 40 under 40 category.
Contact
If you're seeking job opportunities or just want to connect, you can send an email!
+91 826 5022 503