ABOUT SONIA ALDAPE | PRONOUNS: SHE/Ella

WELCOME & BIENVENIDOS!

I am Sonia Aldape (she/ella), a psychotherapist, sexologist and licensed clinical social worker. I am the proud and grateful owner of Libre Therapy Center and am immensely honored to be considered as your therapist. It would be a profound privilege and passion for me to join you on your path of healing and mental health. 

 If you are seeking support at this time, I extend my heart to you and hope that this information helps you decide if I may be the right therapist for you.

I am licensed to practice psychotherapy as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #91224) in California. I am also trained in Sexology and Sex Therapy through the CIIS Sex Therapy certification program and MSTI Clinical Sexology Doctorate Program. I speak both English and Spanish. My strengths of empathy, drive for social justice and personal journey of healing has led me towards a career in Social Work since 2007, Psychotherapy since 2013 and Sexology since 2020. 

Prior to private practice, I have worked across the Bay Area in outpatient non-profit agencies and public schools building a wealth of professional experiences at A Better Way (Oakland, CA), Edgewood Center for Children and Families (San Mateo, CA), John O'Connell High School  (San Francisco, CA) and Wood Middle School (Alameda, CA) serving low-income youth and families facing adversity and complex mental health conditions. 

I have also worked, most recently, in outpatient healthcare centers such as Kaiser Permanente (Union City, CA) and Alliance Medical Center (Healdsburg, CA) serving adults and couples integratively with medical and addiction teams, whose diversity and complexity have instilled in me a passion for providing care that is personalized, empirically sound while holistic. 

Personally, I am a fellow imperfect being with vast life experience. I do what I can to engage with practices that nourish and inspire me to sustain authenticity, passion and presence in my work and in personal life. Some of these practices include participating in my own personal therapy,  prioritizing movement, health, meditation, connection, pleasure and the values and lessons learned within my own life journey, spirituality, community and ancestry. 

I especially honor my own resilience and familial culture from a childhood in the Central Valley of California within a Mexican-immigrant family that faced significant socio-economic obstacles, neurodevelopmental conditions and emotional challenges due to high levels of adversity and an environment and history of inequality.  My healing journey includes a multitude of empowering experiences in my adult life from education, travel, nature, relationships, meditation, therapy and living with access to the unique and rich wisdom of vast resources in the landscape of intersectional diversity,  international communities and abundance of the Bay Area.

My education, personal and professional experiences have taught me a guiding belief that our complexity is what makes us human, that there are no simple answers to our experiences or our mental health and how our world responds to us and how we move through the world shapes how we feel, how we love, how we live and how we connect with ourselves and others. 

With this guide, I enjoy, welcome and approach working with people from all walks of life with cultural humility, thoughtful curiosity and allyship. 

EDUCATION 

University of California at Berkeley, Bachelors of Arts (BA), Class of 2012

Smith College, Masters of Clinical Social Work (MSW), Class of 2015

Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, Doctorate of Clinical Sexology (PhD), Class of 2027

LICENSURE

CA Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) #91224, Since 2019

LANGUAGES

English

Spanish

ADVANCED TRAININGS

*PERINATAL, SEX & COUPLES THERAPY*

Postpartum Support International (PSI): Perinatal Mental Health Certification Program 

California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS): Sex Therapy Certification Program 

PACT Couples Therapy: Level 1 

Crucible Couples Training Workshop with Natalie Westera

Institute for Relational Intimacy: Consensual Non-Monogamy Level 1 with Martha Kauppi

Integrating Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) with W. Keith Sutton

*TRAUMA & SOMATIC PSYCHOLOGY*

Somatic Experiencing International: Intermediate Level 1 

Embody Lab: Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification 

Brainspotting: Level 1 

Attachment Focused - EMDR

Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) 

Integrative Somatic Parts Work Certification  

*INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY*

 PESI Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider (CMHIMP)

*PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS*

Marilyn J. Monteiro, Ph.D: Migdas-2 Autism Spectrum Assessment

The Chicago School: Adult Autism and ADHD Assessment for Master's Level Therapists

Palo Alto University: CONCEPT Immigration Court Psychological Evaluation

PUBLICATIONS

Smith College, Masters Thesis,  "An exploratory study on mental health service experience and its perceived impact on young adults transitioning out of foster care." https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/701/  

PRESENTATIONS

The Sexual Health School, Integrating Liberation Psychology Principles into Sex Therapy Interventions,  

https://thesexualhealthschool.com/course/how-to-integrate-liberation-psychology-principles-into-sex-therapy-interventions

MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS

Postpartum Support International (PSI) 

Open Path Collective 

Being Seen 

Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) 

American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) 

Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN) 

Psychology Today 

Inclusive Therapists  

Institute for Relational Intimacy

A Home Within

The Sexual Health School

Covid-Conscious Therapists

Bay Area Open Minds

Poly Friendly Professionals

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

American Psychological Association (APA)

Insight Meditation Center

Alignable

Latinx Therapy 

Parnell Institute 

Care Solace