From Purpose to Practice: Dr. Sonnie Elliott-A Hometown Healer’s Journey

Dr. Sonni Elliott’s story begins in the heart of Kansas City, where she was born and raised. A proud graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences, she credits local mentors and teachers with sparking her early love of learning[1]. “I still think so highly of [the] really, really wonderful teachers that I was blessed to have… that instilled the desire and love of learning,” Elliott reflects[2]. Science quickly became fun for her – “before STEM

became a thing”, she laughs, recalling experiments in biology and chemistry classes[3]. That passion carried her through a biology major (with a minor in chemistry) and ultimately propelled her to take the plunge into medical school[4]. Yet psychiatry wasn’t always the plan. “Psychiatry was not my plan. Neurology was actually my plan initially,” she admits, explaining that after realizing she wasn’t adept with surgical skills (“I was not good with my hands, and therefore could not be an OBGYN”), she pivoted toward the study of the brain[5]. It wasn’t until a fourth-year rotation at the University of Illinois in Chicago that a pivotal experience on a psychiatric consult team “grounded” her and opened her eyes to the field’s true calling[6][7].

Moving through intensive care units, emergency rooms, and labor & delivery floors as part of that consult service, Elliott witnessed firsthand “how the mind affects the body”[8][9]. “That was my introduction to psychiatry,” she says – an introduction that showed her the “importance of understanding how mental health is intricately related to the way that your body works”[10]. From then on, she was hooked. She completed her M.D. with honors in psychiatry and neurology at St. Louis University[11], then a four-year psychiatry residency at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago[12]. Equally important, she carried forward a guiding principle instilled throughout her education: “You treat people how you want to be treated… how you want your mother or your father or your grandmother to be treated”[13][14]. This compassionate, golden-rule philosophy would later become a cornerstone of her own practice.

A Sunrise for Mental Health in Kansas City

After years honing her expertise in hospital systems and community clinics across the country, Dr. Elliott felt a pull back home. In 2019, the world was rocked by a pandemic that brought isolation, loss, and unprecedented mental health challenges. Elliott was practicing in Detroit at the time, but witnessing the “bravery that a lot of people went through… surviving COVID” and the toll of “the number of people that we lost… [and] isolation” made her re-evaluate her path[15][16]. “It prompted me to just live life. If I’m going to encourage other people to live life and take chances, I’m going to also do the same,” she says of the realization that hit her during those difficult days[17]. In that spirit, Dr. Elliott took a leap of faith and moved back to Kansas City around 2021 with a dream: to build something new and hopeful for her community.

She founded Sunrise Psychiatry in Overland Park with a clear mission “to provide effective and compassionate

mental health care to those struggling with treatment-resistant depression”[18]. In just three years, her clinic has grown into a beacon of hope for the KC metro, helping “hundreds of people with depression” find relief through innovative therapy[19]. As a Kansas City native, Elliott takes pride in bringing cutting-edge treatments home. “You took… cutting edge neuromodulation like TMS and brought it home to Overland Park, right down the street,” a Kansas City Thrive interviewer remarked, noting how her local clinic is “giving real hope to people… who were struggling”[20][21].

From the outset, Sunrise Psychiatry was designed as a “caring, forward-thinking leader” in mental health, built on the values of empathy, engagement, and education[22][23]. “Empathy, engagement and education are the clinic’s cornerstones,” Dr. Elliott emphasizes[23]. In practice, that means blending heartfelt human connection with forward-looking treatments. It’s a deliberate contrast to the old, stigmatized notions of cold psychiatry or a pill-pushing “big pharma” industry. Elliott is creating a different narrative – one patient at a time – rooted in listening, learning, and innovating.

Science, Empathy, and New Hope Through TMS

At the heart of Sunrise Psychiatry’s innovative approach is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a ground-breaking therapy that Dr. Elliott championed early in her career. She first encountered TMS back in 2008, just as it earned FDA approval for treating major depression[24]. For a young physician intrigued by the brain, this new technology was exciting. “Medications have their limitations… there’s always [the question]: what’s coming next? What’s going to help us provide further care, to help move people more towards recovery?” Elliott says of her mindset during training[25]. TMS seemed to offer an answer: “something that wasn’t invasive, something that wasn’t a medication, but could provide relief for people”, she notes – a therapy that could improve symptoms even when traditional treatments failed[26]. “Not all disease processes find a cure, but if you are able to improve outcomes… it’s how can we move the ball forward,” she explains, her voice imbued with a mix of realism and optimism[27][28]. In TMS, she kept a mental “back pocket” tool as she moved through her professional career[26], waiting for the right time to deploy it.

Sunrise Psychiatry made TMS a core offering – and importantly, made it accessible. “TMS is covered by most insurances at this point – Medicaid, Medicare, most commercial insurances,” Dr. Elliott points out[29][30]. Many people don’t realize they may already qualify. “In order to be eligible for TMS, most people only have to have tried two to three medications,” she says, noting that therapy requirements have largely been dropped[31]. For countless patients, that criteria is easily met – “a number of people have already tried two to three medications… and have never even seen a psychiatrist”, she adds[32]. Often, those medications provided little relief or came with untenable side effects. As Dr. Elliott frankly puts it, “Who wants to take a med to feel better if it makes them feel worse? That’s a hard thing to encourage people to consider”[33]. TMS offers a way off that discouraging merry-go-round.

So what exactly is TMS? In simple terms, it’s a non-invasive neuromodulation treatment that uses a “targeted,

magnetic pulse to one of the areas of the brain affected by depression,” Dr. Elliott explains[34]. Patients sit comfortably in a chair as an electromagnetic coil delivers gentle pulses to stimulate neural activity in regions tied to mood regulation. There’s no anesthesia, no pain – and after each session, “you drive yourself home and resume your day,” as one TMS provider famously described the ease of treatment[35][36]. Each session at Sunrise lasts only a few minutes. “The TMS treatment could be anywhere from 3 minutes up to no more than 18 minutes at a time,” Dr. Elliott says, depending on the protocol[37]. Sessions are typically done five days a week over about 6 to 9 weeks. Crucially, results don’t take forever to manifest: “We can start to see improvements within 2 to 3 weeks,” often far faster than the 6-8 week trial required for antidepressant medications[38]. “With meds, we’re asking people to hurry up and wait… for 6 to 8 weeks before they notice any improvement,” Elliott contrasts[39]. TMS, by comparison, offers new hope on a shorter horizon – a lifeline to those who have “tried everything” but still struggle.

Empowerment Over Paternalism: A Personal Touch

While the science of TMS is exciting, Dr. Elliott insists that technology is only as good as the humanity behind it. Her approach upends the old top-down doctor-patient relationship. “We are moving away from paternalistic systems where the expectation is that it’s my job to just tell you what you need to make you better,” she says[40][41]. Instead, education and empowerment are central. “It’s… about autonomy,” Elliott continues. “In order for [you] to make your own decision, it is my role and responsibility to give you the most information… so you can ask more questions and make informed decisions”[42]. In her eyes, a psychiatrist is “an informer, an educator, a guide – not a parental subject that makes decisions for others, but one that can help others craft their own decisions and get stronger in the direction of the care they want”[43][44]. Patients are treated as partners in their healing process, not passive recipients.

That ethos permeates Sunrise Psychiatry. Everyone is met with respect and warmth, whether they’re a high-schooler battling anxiety or a grandparent facing decades of depression. Dr. Elliott’s team takes time to answer questions through any avenue – “all throughout the day, through a number of different avenues,” she says. “However a person has a question, that’s where we’re going to meet them to give them the answer”[45][46]. For some, that first inquiry might come through a phone call by a concerned family member; others reach out by email or even through a therapist acting on the patient’s behalf[47][48]. Elliott understands that severe depression can leave people so overwhelmed that they need an advocate. “We have people that have their therapists call for them, because [the patients are] just so overwhelmed with their symptoms that they almost just need an advocate,” she shares[49]. However the door opens, Sunrise steps through to help.

From the first visit, patients feel the difference. The clinic environment is designed to be comforting and human. Each treatment room is private and quiet – but if you prefer company, that’s welcome too. “We do

conference calls with mothers and fathers, pediatricians, therapists… We have spouses and daughters and aunties that come to appointments,” Dr. Elliott notes with a smile[50][51]. New mom coming in for TMS but can’t find a babysitter? No problem: “We have space for people to bring their kiddos,” including moms “2 to 3 weeks postpartum” who may be grappling with postnatal depression[52][53]. The lobby might have a children’s show like Bluey playing on TV to entertain little ones[54][55]. “We can’t expect people to completely put their lives on hold” to get treatment, Dr. Elliott says matter-of-factly[56][57]. Full-service care, in her view, means accommodating real life. “If people need to take some time off work, I’ll fill out the paperwork,” she adds. “If people still need to work, but they need to shave off a little time so they can get to the appointment or take a longer lunch, I will fill out that paperwork”[58][59]. Whatever it takes to lower barriers – that is what Sunrise strives to do.

One recent patient testimonial illustrates the clinic’s impact. “I struggled with depression and anxiety since I was young and… most of the time I was able to manage with medications. However, shortly after I gave birth to my son… I was struck with severe postpartum depression and anxiety, and medications were only having a minimal effect,” the young mother shared[18][60]. Her story is all too common – and exactly where Sunrise Psychiatry steps in with a new option. By offering TMS in a supportive setting, Dr. Elliott has been able to help patients like her find relief and reclaim their lives as parents, professionals, and people. It’s the kind of outcome that fuels Elliott’s passion. Each success story, each time a patient’s “symptoms are gone” or a long-standing depression lifts, it reaffirms why she took that brave leap back home[61][62]. In the first three years alone, approximately 3 out of 4 Sunrise patients saw improvement and the majority achieved full remission from depression – mirroring national TMS success rates and bringing those statistics to life here in Kansas City[63][64].

Thriving Forward: Why It Matters Now

In a post-COVID world, the need for empathetic, community-rooted mental health care has never been greater. Dr. Elliott often says the hardest step for someone suffering is making that initial call. That’s why Sunrise Psychiatry prioritizes responsiveness and rapid access. The clinic usually schedules new patients within 7 to 14 days of outreach – “two weeks max,” as Elliott assures[65][66] – far quicker than the months-long waits typical in psychiatry today. If TMS is appropriate, they aim to get insurance approval and begin treatment within another week or so after the consult[67][68]. In some cases, a person can go from first phone call to first TMS session in just 2–3 weeks. “If a person is calling, they don’t feel well,” Dr. Elliott emphasizes. Speed matters, because suffering doesn’t wait[69][70]. By streamlining onboarding and literally “walking someone off the ledge” of doubt or fear, Sunrise restores a sense of hope and momentum when it’s needed most[71][72]. “The call is the hardest part, and we want to make sure they feel supported, that we’re with them through that process,” Elliott says[73][74]. That process doesn’t only include the patient but “whoever they trust to be kind of a wraparound support for them”, whether family or friends[75][76]. In Dr. Elliott’s eyes, healing is a team effort and a community affair.

Kansas City Thrive readers understand the power of community-driven leadership, and Dr. Sonni Elliott embodies it. By combining state-of-the-art treatment with a servant’s heart, she and her Sunrise Psychiatry team are changing the landscape of mental health care in Kansas City. They are destigmatizing advanced therapies like TMS and making them part of the neighborhood – as accessible as a local clinic visit, as comfortable as a chat with a trusted friend. Patients are not only finding relief from chronic depression, anxiety, and OCD, but are doing so without abandoning their daily lives and identities. “We want them to continue to be able to thrive… We just want to be an assist to help them feel better while still living their life,” Dr. Elliott says, summing up her philosophy[77][78].

Looking ahead, Dr. Elliott’s work signifies something larger: a new dawn for mental health in our community. It’s a future where seeking help is not shameful but empowering, where cutting-edge science and heartfelt empathy intersect. It’s a future in which a young student inspired by great teachers comes back home as a doctor to lift up others. “I had a dream that if I returned back to Kansas City…” she once mused[79] – and today that dream is reality. In a modest office near College and Metcalf, people are rediscovering joy and purpose, one magnetic pulse at a time. Hope is alive and well in Kansas City, and each morning at Sunrise Psychiatry, Dr. Sonni Elliott and her team greet it with a smile – ready to help it grow.

Sources: Dr. Sonni Elliott interview (Kansas City Thrive podcast)[1][17]; Sunrise Psychiatry mission statement[18]; KSHB Kansas City Spotlight[23][19]; City Lifestyle report on TMS[61][63].

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [20] [21] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [65] [66] [67] [68] [69] [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] KCT Audio Podcast Interview

[18] [34] [60] KC Spotlight | Safe and Effective Treatment for Depression

https://www.kshb.com/entertainment/kc-spotlight/kc-spotlight-safe-and-effective-treatment-for-depression

[19] [22] [23] KC Spotlight | Sunrise Psychiatry Celebrates Milestone

https://www.kshb.com/entertainment/kc-spotlight/kc-spotlight-sunrise-psychiatry-celebrates-milestone

[35] [36] [61] [62] [63] [64] Relief From Depression

https://citylifestyle.com/articles/relief-from-depression