Sonja Stengel
Sonja Stengel is a licensed psychotherapist with board certification in Creative Arts Therapy. Sonja's approach to working with clients is rooted in Humanistic theory with a focus on Client Centered therapy, which is based on the belief that the client is capable of change through developing insight and awareness of behaviors, thoughts, and patterns. Sonja partners with the client in developing goals of treatment and employs a variety of techniques, including art making and talk therapy, to achieve those identified goals. She works with adolescents, adults and geriatric populations in individual and group formats.
Sonja received her Masters in Creative Arts Therapy from Hofstra University and her BFA in Visual Arts from SUNY Purchase. In addition to her practice at Subject To Change, Sonja works at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Medical Center, providing individual and group psychotherapy and art therapy to adults in the acute inpatient Behavioral Health unit, the inpatient medical units as well as supportive therapy to patients and family members on the oncology units.
Sonja has presented at numerous institutions on her work with acute care patients and art therapy, the therapeutic use of disclosure in treatment and creating healing environments. Her art has been exhibited nationally and been published internationally in art and literature periodical.
Javier F. Urrutia
Javier is a Licensed Creative Art Therapist (LCAT) and Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) with more than eleven years of experience providing music psychotherapy services. Areas of experience include: rehabilitation, medical trauma, loss, and bereavement.
Javier follows a humanistic, music-centered, and patient-centered philosophy. This means that he sees music as a dynamic human activity -not an object- that engages our biological, psychological, and socio-cultural expressions; in other words, music can express and heal parts of the self beyond the realm of words.
As a therapist, he is warm, empathic, sincere, and responsive to your personal self-analytical journey. As a musician, he is a talented guitarist that enjoys improvising, singing, and playing different kinds of music: classical, latin, jazz, rock, and more.
Academically, he holds a dual degree in Music and Philosophy with a Classical Guitar certification from Florida State University, a master's in music therapy from New York University, and a post-master's level I certification in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy. Javier worked at MJHS Hospice and currently provide music psychotherapy for the medical adult inpatient population at NewYork-Presbyterian—Columbia Medical Center.
Nathan J. Miller
Together, Nathan and his clients may address relationship challenges, family conflict, grief, trauma, or a sense of lost direction, always centering on each person’s unique values, potential, and capacity for growth. Drawing on mindfulness practices, coping strategies, creative processes, and the unique healing qualities of music, he helps clients shift from self-limiting beliefs to self-affirming narratives. His sessions focus equally on cultivating resilience and clarity as well as discovering meaning and joy in everyday life.
Nathan holds a Master’s degree from New York University and a Bachelor’s degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He is a skilled multi-instrumentalist, proficient in piano, guitar, drums/percussion, and voice, bringing a rich musical perspective that informs his therapeutic work. He has served as a music therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and currently provides supportive psychotherapy and music psychotherapy services for the medical adult inpatient population at NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
He is a therapist well suited for those who value depth over quick fixes, insight over platitudes, and transformation that truly endures.
Nathan has over a decade of experience guiding individuals through life’s complexities with a blend of depth, curiosity, and practical insight. His approach is rooted in psychodynamic psychotherapy, enriched by his background in music therapy, the science of Positive Psychology, and a Level 1 Certification in Guided Imagery in Music (GIM)—a distinctive combination designed to foster both self-understanding and lasting change.
He provides a space where individuals can pause, reflect, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Whether clients are navigating anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem concerns, or significant life transitions, his work moves beyond symptom relief to uncover deeper patterns, motivations, and untapped strengths.