Finding Hope Across Continents: The Journey of Dr. Sugi

In 2010, Sugandika expanded her knowledge at CUNY (Brooklyn College) with a degree in counseling psychology, which became her bridge between worlds, and later she completed her doctorate with a 4.0 GPA. The program provided a framework for weaving her global experiences into the fabric of American mental health care. Instead of following a predictable path, she used this foundation to craft a career defined by its remarkable range. Over twenty-five years, she has traversed a spectrum of treatment settings, from serving as a master certified substance abuse clinician to assessing impaired driving offenders in New York. Her professional reach is notably expansive; she currently practices as a licensed psychotherapist across six states, holding an LMHC-D in New York and LPC licenses in New Jersey, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and Virginia. She even brought the sharp focus of a Six Sigma Black Belt to her leadership in behavioral health, proving that true healing blends deep empathy with strategic insight.

Turning Resilience into Action

Now, as CEO and founder of her own coaching and consulting firm, Sugandika stands at the crossroads of clinical research and human resilience. Her outlook sharpened further after completing the Science of Well-being at Yale University, deepening her resolve to find hope even in the darkest topics. She has brought these insights to the TEDx stage three times, exploring immigrant resilience and the power of sports as a lifeline. Whether translating TED talks into Sinhala or representing the United States as a Fulbright Specialist, she keeps her work rooted in real-world mental health solutions.