Chris Soto

I enjoy working with clients who experience issues with substance use, anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, family conflict, stress, relationships, and LGBTQIA+ issues. I love working with individuals who see the power in addressing outside issues like other people, family, and systems we are a part of as well as recognizing our own internal conflicts navigating these things. This is what gets me excited! 

That being said, my approach focuses on the strengths clients already hold in navigating their lives. Why? Because we all come into therapy with a set of skills and history that does not need to be discarded. My goal is to help clients understand, see, and feel what they believe to be barriers as strengths to build off of. 

I approach my work with a desire to make clients feel validated and supported in challenging themselves on goals that may seem out of reach. I do this by offering my clients a space to feel comfortable to reflect honestly about their behavior and relationships. In doing so, I hope to empower clients to explore their life and their relationships with a sense of curiosity as opposed to moving through the world with a finished mindset.

I have experience working with teens and adults of all ages. I am trained in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, Problem-Solving Therapy, Solution Based Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I am interested in Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems (parts work), DBT, and overall providing trauma-focused and trauma-informed care to all of my clients. 

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from California Lutheran University where I worked as an Alcohol and Drug Peer Educator. I attend the University of Southern California, obtaining a Master of Social Work degree. I have experience in addiction treatment and deeply understand the complexities of managing mental health, family dynamics, and one’s relationship with people, places, and things. I have held roles as a residential technician, case manager, and group facilitator in detox and outpatient settings.