About

I’m Soy, licensed marriage and family therapist. Thanks for stopping by to learn more about me.

I started volunteering with a rape crisis center in 2015 and became a California state-certified sexual assault counselor where I counseled and advocated for people impacted by sexual violence. This included being at medical exams, police interviews, and juvenile hall. I proceeded to volunteer, then intern as a therapist, and eventually work for them until 2021.

It was through these experiences that I learned that our systems are at the root of fear, violence, disconnect, disavowal, and suffering. We all have a desire for connection with others and ourselves, to belong and to be accepted, to be loved, but we have been incentivized to disconnect, to other, to deny.

In our work together, I will walk alongside you into the depths so that we can find in you again connection, acceptance, love, (all perhaps in a way that had existed in you in the first place) by challenging the messages we’ve internalized and through the relationship we build with each other.

Radical simply means grasping things at the roots.
— Angela Davis

Services

Individual Psychotherapy

Specialties &
people I work with

Relational violence (sexual, domestic, family violence), grief, formerly incarcerated youth, gifted adults, others in the helping professions, and navigating the challenges of those that identify as curious and misunderstood.

Fees
$200 per 50-minute session

Couples
Psychotherapy

Specialties &
people I work with

Neurodiverse couples, couples with histories of sexual trauma.

Fees
$250 per 75-minute session
Note: If you are using Kaiser or Health Plan of San Mateo for couples sessions, sessions are 50-minutes long

Consultation

I’m happy to consult on a variety of topics (free of charge), however, specific topics such as supporting clients affected by sexual violence and couples with histories of sexual trauma are charged (see fees below).

Fees
$200 per hour
Discounts for BIPOC, available to slide to $100 per hour (please, ask me about it!)

FAQ

  • Kaiser Permanente* (Northern California plans only)

    Health Plan of San Mateo* (MediCal plan)

    Out-of-network: For PPOs, we might be able to use your plan to help cover the cost of therapy, check your benefits here then contact me for a consultation if you’d like to move forward (or try to better understand your plan together—I may not know exactly how your plan works, but I’m happy to try to figure it out with you).

    I understand that insurance can be tricky to navigate sometimes. That being the case, I’d be happy to provide a list of instructions for how to request an authorization from Kaiser and Health Plan of San Mateo. However, please, be aware that I am not able to influence the outcome of whether you are approved for a referral or not.

    *Note: While I currently take these insurance plans, due to the changing landscape of our healthcare systems, I cannot guarantee that these plans will always renew their contracts with me. As I receive information, I will do my best to keep you informed about any updates that may happen and plan accordingly with you.

  • I offer both in-person and virtual sessions. For those using Kaiser and Health Plan of San Mateo, however, I can only meet virtually (I’m happy to expand on this in a consultation call if you’d like).

  • At this time, my license only allows me to practice in California and clients must also be located in California. If this ever changes, updates will be posted here as well as my Psychology Today page.

  • Typically, when first starting together, I meet with clients once weekly. We will continue to have conversations about frequency as our work shifts until we eventually get to a place where you feel ready to be without therapy (with the option to potentially return as needed).

    For those who have been in therapy before, if you prefer a different frequency than once weekly (for whatever reason, financial barriers, etc.), please, bring this up with me and we can have a dialogue about this.

  • It totally makes sense that you’d be nervous about starting therapy, whether it’s your first time, you’re switching therapists, or you’re returning to therapy after a break.

    Therapy asks a lot of us and often has us dredging up old memories, thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc. I understand that that can be really daunting and impact our ability to function day-to-day (which can then affect our mental health and become this downward spiral—yeesh!), so know that we can take it slow, that you can share as much or as little as you’d like, and I will do my best to understand and meet you where you are.

  • Group psychotherapy (coming soon).

    Additional services* (e.g. letters of support, emotional distress letters, disability verification) are $200 per hour. If the time to complete is less than an hour, the time will be calculated in quarters (e.g. 20 minutes = .25 x $200).

    *Note: If you are and/or become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation and I am called upon to be involved in these proceedings (whether by the you, a party representing you, or by another party), the fee is $350/hour.

  • I am required to provide a good faith estimate of what you may ultimately invest when working with me. Please know that it is only an estimate, as actual items, services, or charges may differ. Assuming that your therapy goals require weekly therapy (typically CPT code 90837, 90834, or 90832 for individuals and 90847 for couples) for a year (minus 2 weeks for vacation), the annual total estimated fee would amount to $12,500 at $250/weekly session (highest fee) to $5,000 at $100/weekly session (lowest fee). Be sure to calculate the estimate for your specific rate agreed upon between us by taking the weekly fee listed above and multiplying it by 50 weeks for your annual estimate. Consider this your “good faith annual fee estimate,” but be sure to discuss how long your therapy may last with me as it may be longer or shorter than a year.

    Lastly, you have the right to engage in a dispute resolution process if the actual costs of services significantly exceed that suggested in this Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers or call 1-800-985-3059. The initiation of the patient-provider dispute resolution process will not adversely affect the quality of the services furnished to you.

Contact

If you are having a psychiatric emergency, please, go to your nearest emergency room or use your phone to dial 9-1-1.

If you have additional questions and/or would like to schedule a 15-20 minute consultation call (free of charge), fill out the form below.

A few of the places and loves I draw inspiration from…