Conversations with Clinicians: Interview with SF Bay Area Therapist Sofía Escudero

Sofía Escudero therapist

Sofía Escudero therapist

Sofía Escudero is a bilingual (Spanish/English) San Francisco Bay Area therapist who is part of our associate therapist team here at Center for Mindful Psychotherapy. She is currently seeing clients via Telehealth only but hopes to offer in-person East Bay (Oakland or Berkeley) appointments soon. Learn more about her approach to her work in the interview below.

What are your areas of specialty?

I speak Spanish, and offer therapy in Spanish as well as English.

I offer individual therapy for adults who want to recover from trauma, decrease anxiety, improve connection in relationships, build self-compassion, explore aspects of identity (including race, gender, and sexuality), manage mood disorders like depression or bipolar, build skills for coping with stress, move through grief, or make their way through a life transition.

What is your therapeutic orientation?

Frameworks that guide my work include relational psychodynamic theory, liberation psychology, attachment theory, and trauma-informed practice.

Here’s what that actually means:

I believe our relationships play a significant role in shaping who we are. Because of that, I find that looking at what unfolds in the relationship between therapist and client can be a useful tool in the work. I also check in frequently about how therapy is going, and I always want clients to feel comfortable letting me know what is and isn’t working. 

I recognize that trauma can have serious and lasting consequences which can ripple out and impact many aspects of life. Bodies can hold onto the remnants of trauma, but in therapy we can work on finding ways for you to feel safe and present in your body, in order to start healing from trauma. 

And lastly, interconnected systems of oppression including racism, sexism, classism, and ableism (to name just a few) have huge impacts on mental health, and my work recognizes that those factors are always in the room.  

What other modalities inform your work?

Before pursuing clinical social work, my academic background was in gender studies, which helped me understand how important it is to pay attention to the flow of power in systems and relationships. 

Therapists Sofía Escudero 

What is it like to work with you?

My approach is curious, warm, and flexible. I do bring my personality into the space—my goal is not to be perfectly neutral at all times, but to acknowledge how my perspective and identities influence how I approach the work. 

Who do you LOVE working with?

I love working with folks who are ready to try something new and are curious about what can change in their lives. If you’re great at caring for others but have a hard time accepting care for yourself, I’d love to make therapy a space where your needs are front and center. Whether you’ve been in therapy before or this is your first time and you’re not sure what to expect, I’m excited to see what the work could look like with you.  

What inspires you about this work?

There is really nothing like seeing someone surprise themself with their own potential to heal. My clients are amazing.  

What do you do outside of this work to stay inspired?

Rest! 

Therapist Recommendations:

for the best place to cry in the bay area:

My picturesque answer is something like one of the benches in Cesar Chavez Park overlooking the bay, but the real answer is to cry wherever you need to and wherever you feel safe enough to do so. Maybe that’s your own home or somewhere private, but maybe not. You do you. 

 for self care practice on a budget:

Try giving yourself a little foot rub. It’s easy to neglect your feet (or just be annoyed at them for being so sore after a long day), but you might be surprised at how nice it can feel to give your feet some tenderness and attention. 

Favorite non-therapy book:

In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado

Favorite self-help book/ therapy book:

Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, Oren Jay Sofer

How Can People Contact You?

Name: Sofía Escudero

License #: ASW 105518

Supervisor: Hez Wollin, LCSW 70723

Phone number: 510-890-0098

Website: escuderomsw.com

Bio on CMP website: https://mindfulcenter.org/view/our-team/entry/124/

Email: [email protected]

Meet more of our therapists by perusing our Therapist Directory. Or contact us today for a therapist consultation.

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