Meet Dr. Sonya H. Cha, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2011, armed with a Master of Science degree from Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology. Not only does she hold a Ph.D. in Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University, but she is also the CEO and founder of the Center For Integrated Care. Dr. Cha’s career spans over a decade, specializing in trauma-focused treatment, couples therapy, family therapy, Christian Counseling, and individual therapy. Her bilingual proficiency in Korean adds a unique dimension to her practice.
As a dedicated mother of four, Dr. Cha navigated the challenges of life, from juggling parenting responsibilities to pursuing a Ph.D. and managing a thriving private practice. Now, we have the privilege to explore her wisdom, especially relating to personal well-being and mental health. In this interview, we go over her book Unconditional Beings Living in a Conditional World: The Underlying Dilemma and what inspired her to share her experience with the world.
Can you share a bit about your personal journey and what inspired you to become a spiritual self-help author?
Growing up in a single-parent home after my father had passed away was challenging. I found my spiritual awakening during my college years. Since then my spiritual journey has been my main support through tough terrains when things were out of my control. This inspired me to continue my education to research mental health and effective interventions. My experience and research led me to write a self-help book to assist others in deepening their understanding of their mental health and effective ways to manage stressors.
Your book, Unconditional Beings Living in a Conditional World: The Underlying Dilemma, has a captivating title. What led you to explore this particular theme, and what do you hope readers will gain from it?
The title of my book was inspired by 10 years of experience in mental health, encountering various cases towards effective treatment. Most have lived as conditional beings, longing for approval and depending on external factors to give them value and worth. When one can learn to become unconditionally loving people, a stronger self will evolve. This book sheds light on working towards a self-approbated ego. Self-approbation is defined as self-approval. Once the ego can begin to approve oneself, one can make healthier choices and apply coping skills that become more effective. Many people are unaware of what is happening in the ego system that impairs their ability to change. Learning about one’s ego and how to be self-approval is key to making this change.
Your work often involves practical spirituality. How do you guide readers in applying spiritual principles to their daily lives? Are there specific exercises or practices you recommend?
There is a chapter on spirituality that shows how it can be used to benefit the ego and mental health. There are many things outside of one’s control as well as limitations to the human capacity that one must accept. Due to this, additional resources, such as spirituality can expand that capacity, creating inner strength to overcome uncontrollable stressors.
Have you been stuck with situations that are out of your control? I’m sure many of us deal with these issues and can benefit from expanding our spirit and soul which is less talked about. From my personal experience; prayer, church community, accountability group of women for prayer, and reading God’s word has given me inner strength and resiliency amid trials and tribulations. Our spirit and soul are parts of our body that are crucial in times of chaos and crisis along with managing uncontrollable matters.
In today’s fast-paced and often hectic world, how can individuals strike a balance between spiritual growth and the demands of modern life? Any specific tips or insights?
We live in a fast-paced world that makes it difficult to manage so many facets of our lives. Although we have many things to expedite progress, it still feels like time is against us, leaving people feeling more empty and wondering if there is any meaning in our lives. This book talks about developing a self-approbating ego first to begin working on a balanced life. If one is unable to find value and worth in oneself, most of their choices will create an imbalance that deters them from their dreams and interests. The imbalance causes more depression and anxiety, which is more difficult to change as time passes. Many people are unaware that true, lasting change comes from within rather than external change. Spiritual growth can help develop these skills and aptitudes to overcome the incapacity of humans that limits our ability to address our ever-changing world.
How do you envision readers engaging with your book? Are there specific actions or reflections you encourage them to undertake while reading?
Readers can start on any chapter of interest as each chapter informs stages and levels about our ego as well as interventions for them. There are fictitious case examples to solidify the concepts and theories. Some examples one can relate to and others are those that someone close can be related to. This book is an easy read that can be uplifting, giving hope to those who are unable to find help or answers.
Can you share any memorable experiences or feedback from readers who have applied the principles from your book? How has your work impacted their lives?
One of the readers shared that she finally realized the reasons for her issues. She felt conflict was attacking her from all areas of her life. Once she realized the underlying dilemmas in her life, it opened a new insight that freed her from her despairing thoughts. Many of our thoughts ruminate on the negative or things that have not yet come to pass. This can lead to depression and anxiety which makes it difficult to get through daily life. She started being more conscious of her thoughts and was able to redirect them more easily. I have witnessed many of my clients recover from their mental health through ego therapy and spiritual integration.
Do you have any upcoming projects or areas within the realm of spiritual self-help that you are excited to explore in the future?
I am excited to work on a book around the areas of control. It seems anyone who has had trauma or growing up in a loving home has control issues, either too much of it, too little, or not enough. Control is a major part of our lives that impacts our thoughts, emotions, and spirituality. I will write about what control is and examples of how it is portrayed in many different ways. Having control with God and our situations can be important in changing our lives for the better.
Find the Author
Unconditional Beings Living in a Conditional World: The Underlying Dilemma
Why is it so difficult to love yourself and understand the underlying issues to your problems?
In our fast-paced world, it feels like there is not enough time, money, energy, or mental capacity to pursue everything. What is the secret to managing all this and making room to help ourselves find balance in our lives? There’s a conflict between our need to be loved unconditionally and the limited 
support we get from this conditional world. We call the mental state we need to reach a self-approbated ego.
You will see how the integration of mental health and spirituality can improve your quality of life. Discover how the ego works with ego plasticity to shed light on identity and relationship issues, while finding sustainable happiness and improving self-esteem. The subconscious naturally seeks unconditional love and respect. This process toward self-approbation can further expand our capabilities in this ever-changing world.
Dr. Sonya H. Cha is a graduate from Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology, practicing as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a Ph.D. in Performance Psychology, and working as a part-time university professor. This approach to life is one she benefited from herself. There were long periods of time when things seemed impossible, from raising four kids, working full-time, managing a Ph.D. program, and founded a group practice, Center for Integrated Care that provides mental health and psychiatry services to the community. Through her spirituality and self-approbated ego, she was able to manage all of this and more, while passionately fulfilling her dreams. Her area of specialty includes trauma-focused treatment, couples therapy, family therapy, and Christian counseling. Her passion is to unearth potential and optimize capacities for people so that they can live healthier lives.
Every life has an element of struggle. Identify your Underlying Dilemma so that you can begin your journey of self-care and self-improvement. It’s the most important journey you’ll ever take.
