About Dr. Sonja Elcic Citrine Research & Consulting
About Citrine

A Psychologist Who Understands
How Practitioners Think.

Whether you are a specialist physician, a therapist, an acupuncturist, or a wellness practitioner, the people you serve make decisions the same way: slowly, carefully, and only after they trust you. Dr. Sonja Elcic built an entire agency around that truth.

Dr. Sonja Elcic, Founder of Citrine Research and Consulting
Meet the Founder

Dr. Sonja Elcic

Founder & CEO · Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

I didn't come to healthcare and wellness marketing through a textbook. My younger sister is a physician in residency. But the providers I connect with most deeply are not always medical doctors. They are therapists, acupuncturists, energy practitioners, psychologists, and wellness practitioners who have devoted their lives to helping people feel better and who deserve marketing that honors that work.

"Whether you call the people you serve patients, clients, or guests whether your practice is a specialty clinic, a therapy office, or a wellness studio my job is the same: to help them find you, trust you, and choose you."

My Ph.D. is in Industrial-Organizational Psychology the science of how people make decisions, form trust, and take action. In healthcare, that matters more than in almost any other industry. People don't choose a specialist on impulse. They research, compare, read reviews, and need to feel genuinely confident before they ever reach out. I build marketing around that reality.

I also grew up watching my parents run their own small businesses. I saw firsthand what it costs when marketing doesn't work, and what it means when it does. That background is why I treat every client's budget like it's my own.

What Makes This Agency Different

Three things that separate Citrine from every other marketing agency a healthcare practice will ever talk to.

A Physician in the Family

Sonja's younger sister is a physician in residency, which has given her an early, personal window into the healthcare world. But the providers she connects with most are as likely to be therapists, acupuncturists, energy practitioners, or integrative wellness practitioners as they are to be medical specialists. Every modality is different. The trust challenge that sits at the heart of all of it is the same.

The Science of Decision-Making

Industrial-Organizational psychology is the study of why people do what they do how they form trust, process information, and decide to act. Most agencies look at what people click. We look at why they click, why they hesitate, and what finally moves them. That foundation informs every ad, every piece of content, and every email we create for your practice.

Real Results, Not Vanity Metrics

We have worked with endocrinologists, neurologists, pediatric specialists, EFT practitioners, and wellness centers. We know what good numbers look like in healthcare marketing and what they should actually cost. A 9.83% Google Ads CTR for an endocrinology practice. $10 per conversion for a neurology center. These are the standards we hold ourselves to.

Marketing Built for People Who Chose to Help.

Whether you spent years in medical training, earned a license in counseling, studied Eastern medicine, or built a wellness practice from the ground up you chose this work because you genuinely want to help people. You deserve a marketing partner who takes that as seriously as you do.

When a provider sits across from us whether they are a therapist, a naturopath, an acupuncturist, or a specialty physician they are not just evaluating our services. They are evaluating whether we actually understand their world. Do we know why someone researches an EFT practitioner for three months before booking? Do we understand why a person choosing a therapist or a wellness provider needs to feel emotionally safe before they ever fill out a contact form? Do we respect the nuance of modalities that mainstream audiences may not immediately understand?

The answer is yes because this is not a new subject for us. It is personal.

We Speak the Language
From endocrinology to EFT, we create content that reflects genuine clinical understanding not generic health marketing copy.
We Respect the Standards
We understand the evidence standards and reputational stakes healthcare providers operate under. We never overstate, oversimplify, or compromise your credibility.
We Earn the Trust
Our longest healthcare partnerships are 1.5 years and counting. We stay because the work holds up and the relationship is built on honesty, not promises.

Our Story

From organizational psychology to healthcare marketing specialist here's how we got here.

2019
Founded in Scottsdale, Arizona
Citrine launched with a focus on organizational psychology customer satisfaction research, employee engagement, and organizational assessments. The foundation was always behavioral science: understanding why people do what they do inside businesses and markets.
2022
Expanded Into Full-Service Marketing
As client needs grew, so did our scope. We added social media management, content marketing, email strategy, and paid advertising building a full-service agency grounded in the same behavioral science principles that defined our consulting work.
2024
Became a Healthcare Marketing Specialist
After consistently seeing the strongest results and the longest client relationships in healthcare and wellness, we made a deliberate choice to focus there. Endocrinologists, neurologists, pediatric specialists, EFT practitioners, and wellness centers became our primary partners and the work became sharper for it.
Now
Serving Healthcare Practices Nationwide
Today, Citrine Research and Consulting serves healthcare and wellness practices across the United States from offices in Scottsdale, AZ and Des Moines, IA. We work virtually with practices in any market, bringing psychology-driven strategy to every engagement.

Why Practices Choose Us

Psychology-Driven
Every strategy is rooted in how people actually form trust, process information, and decide to act especially in high-stakes healthcare decisions.
Measurable Outcomes
We report on real metrics conversions, cost per lead, reach, engagement and hold our work to the same evidence standards our healthcare clients hold theirs.
A Team, Not a Freelancer
You get the depth of a full agency with the access and accountability of working directly with Dr. Elcic. No junior account managers, no hand-offs, no guessing who is actually running your campaigns.

Where to Find Us

Arizona
9375 E Shea Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Iowa
6701 Corporate Dr
Johnston, IA 50131

Let's Talk About Your Practice.

If you want a marketing partner who actually understands your world, we would love to connect. Start with a free discovery call no pressure, no obligation.

Book a Free Discovery Call

Questions About Working With Us

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) psychology is the scientific study of human behavior in the workplace and in decision-making contexts. When applied to marketing, it means we use evidence-based principles about how people process information, form trust, and make purchasing decisions. Instead of relying on trends or guesswork, we build campaigns around what research shows actually works.
Citrine Research and Consulting was founded by an I/O psychologist with a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Our team brings together expertise in behavioral science, marketing strategy, content creation, and advertising to deliver campaigns that connect with people on a deeper level.
Yes. While we're based in Scottsdale, AZ and serve the Des Moines, IA metro area, we work with clients across the United States through virtual collaboration. Our strategy sessions, content creation, and campaign management all work seamlessly over video calls and shared project tools.
Unlike freelancers, we offer a full team with expertise across social media, content, email, and advertising. Unlike big agencies, you get direct access to senior strategists, not junior account managers. And unlike both, every strategy we build is grounded in behavioral science, not just creative instinct.