Rakiya Sheikhali, LGSW, Therapy in Plymouth, Minnesota

Rakiya Sheikhali, LGSW, helps children, teens, adults, and older adults throughout Minnesota navigate emotional challenges with compassion, cultural awareness, and evidence-based mental health care. As a Social Worker at LifeStance Health, she provides individual therapy for clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. Rakiya is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive therapeutic environment where clients feel safe exploring their experiences, strengthening coping skills, and building confidence in their daily lives. Rakiya is especially passionate about supporting individuals facing trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, cultural identity concerns, and major life transitions. She works with adolescents and adults who may feel overwhelmed by stress, emotional pain, or uncertainty about their next steps. Her therapeutic approach emphasizes collaboration, emotional safety, and practical strategies that help clients better understand themselves and move toward meaningful personal growth. Rakiya values the importance of honoring each person’s background, identity, and lived experiences throughout the healing process. Using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practices, Rakiya tailors treatment to meet the unique needs of each individual. She has experience supporting clients with ADHD, PTSD and trauma-related concerns, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and childhood behavioral issues, while also offering additional support for grief, sleep disorders, postpartum depression and anxiety, and school avoidance. Rakiya works with a diverse range of populations, including individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, people with autism spectrum disorders, and those with developmental disabilities. Rakiya brings warmth, curiosity, and empathy into her work with clients and families. She enjoys spending time with family, learning about mental health and personal growth, staying active, and connecting with people from different cultures. These interests strengthen her commitment to lifelong learning and helping clients feel understood and respected in therapy. Rakiya speaks Somali and English and provides services in both of these languages.