Summerville Women’s Mental Health Services (SWMHS): A Mental Health Collective
Mental Health and Wellness Center
Consultation, Counseling and Therapy, Healing, and Supervision Services in South Carolina
We help clients struggling with anxiety, depression, dysphoria, grief, life transitions and stress, relationship, marriage, and family issues, trauma/PTSD, and stressors, and women’s issues
We also help clients in specialty areas and issues
* Bilingual: English/Spanish * In-office/In-Person * Telehealth/Virtual* Adolescents, Children, and Young Adults * Adults * Conjoint * Couples, Marriage and Family * Group * Individual * *Psychoeducational Workshops*
Veterans * Latinx/Spanish Speaking * Asexual * Cisgender * Intersex * Man/Masculine-Identifying * Non-Binary * Transgender * Woman/Feminine-Identifying * LGBQ2S+
As a teaching practice, we offer site supervision for graduate students and clinical supervision for provisionally licensed clinicians.
We provide comprehensive and holistic mental health care that helps our clients heal by teaching them constructive coping skills and healthy thinking to promote well-being. We help clients identify patterns in their lives that may contribute to struggles and work on developing strategies for making healthier choices. We treat the whole person, not just the symptoms, by combining conventional and non-conventional healing services and therapies that address the biological, psychological, and social factors contributing to mental health, encompassing mental, physical, emotional, interpersonal, and spiritual aspects.
Our specializations are Integrative Mental Health, Multicultural Counseling, and Women’s Mental Health. We use evidence-based programming that is affirming and creates a safe and effective approach to managing mental health. We provide specialized services tailored to support the unique needs of each client, regardless of their identity or background.
We are inclusive and provide culturally competent and culturally sensitive services serving all ethnic, cultural, religious, and diverse groups, including those with disabilities and differing abilities, regardless of race, national origin, or other characteristics. We are committed to increasing access to culturally-responsive trauma-informed and affirming care. We help clients identify and overcome negative patterns using evidence-based therapeutic approaches, providing personalized care to help them build resilience and create a healthier future.
Ending negative patterns refers to stopping repetitive behaviors, thoughts, or experiences that cause harm or distress. Addressing root causes by using a process that involves identifying and understanding the underlying issues, such as trauma, grief, or anxiety, that fuel these cycles. This promotes healing and growth, which is the ultimate goal to foster lasting personal change, improve relationships, and achieve a more positive and empowered future.
Clinical Focus (DSM-5)
-
Anxiety
If you are feeling consumed by fears of things that might seem irrational to others, or if it is hard to relate these concerns to others, we help you learn how to stop anxiety from impeding your ability to enjoy life, interact at school, work, or hang out with friends, and deal with problems it might cause at home.
-
Depression
If you are dealing with severe thoughts that can affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or working, we create a space for you to safely navigate these moods and work through whether or not they may be caused by a certain biological, hormonal, or social factor.
Disruptive Mood Disregulation Disorder (in children and adolescents) (DMDD)
Major Depressive Disorder, Single and Recurrent Episodes (MDD)
Major Depressive Disorder with Peripartum Onset: including perinatal, prenatal, pregnancy, postpartum, and maternal mental health.
Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern (SAD/Seasonal Affective Disorder)
-
Dysphoria
If you are feeling a sense of unease because of a mismatch between your biological sex and your gender identity, and if this sense of unease or dissatisfaction is so intense that it leads to depression and anxiety that hurt your daily life, we use evidence-based tools to help provide you with lasting relief that include acceptance, affirmation, and/or confirmation of your identity.
-
Neurological
These are neurodevelopmental conditions that manifest in childhood and affect functioning in areas such as personal, social, academic, or occupational life. There is a spectrum of its severity (mild, moderate, or severe) and its presentation (predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or combined). We can help you learn how to better manage the symptoms so that the quality of your life is improved and sustained.
-
Trauma and Stressors
If you are experiencing intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, changes in physical and emotional reaction, flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts about a terrifying event, by either experiencing it or witnessing it, and this is causing significant problems in social or work situations, in relationships, or if they are interfering with your ability to go about your normal daily tasks, we provide you with effective treatment to help reduce your symptoms and improve your function.
specialty areas and issues
We specialize in a variety of diverse issues and serve all ethnic, cultural, religious, disabled/differently-abled, races, and national origins.
Counseling and Therapy
-
Veterans, Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish-speaking, women: cisgender, transgender, non-binary, woman/feminine-identifying, intersex, asexual, man/masculine-identifying, and LGBQ2S+
Xiomara A. Sosa
-
New mothers and new parents
Noelle Kristan
-
All genders, ethnicities, and LGBTQIA2S+
Sarah Riley
-
Couples, Marriage and Family
Kathleen Pisani
-
Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Ariana Ravenell
Services
-
Clinical Consultation Services
We offer peer consultation that is inclusive, affirming, with lived experience that is culturally competent and culturally sensitive to clinicians working with culturally diverse populations.
-
Clinical Supervision Services
We offer clinical supervision to provisionally licensed clinicians that helps new clinicians develop their clinical skills, improve their understanding of the South Carolina Board’s requirements, adhere to their Code of Ethics, and strengthen their confidence as competent mental health providers.
-
Counseling and Therapy Services
Counseling is usually focused on a specific issue for a limited amount of time. Therapy can take longer and helps you understand yourself and your patterns of thought, feelings, and behaviors.
-
Healing Services
Healing services in mental health practices encompass therapeutic approaches and support systems that extend beyond traditional talk therapy and address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of well-being, promoting recovery and resilience.
Programs
-
Practicum and Internship Program
We offer hands-on experience for graduate students working under the supervision of a licensed professional clinician on-site, so that they can gain practical clinical experience.
-
Reduced Cost Mental Health Services Program
We offer affordable in-person and telehealth counseling and therapy with graduate-level Mental Health Counselor - Interns, making high-quality mental health care more accessible without compromising the professionalism or impact of services.
-
The X-Community Service Program
We provide free mental health services to current and past guests and staff of Keys to Change, supporting our unhoused community members.
-
Women Veteran's Mental Health Program
We offer in-office and virtual counseling and therapy for women veterans in South Carolina at a significantly lower discount fee.
Methods
-
Counseling and Therapy
-
Clinical Focus (DSM-5)
-
Modality Treatment Approaches
-
Specialty Areas and Issues
Xiomara A. Sosa, MS, BS
Xiomara A. Sosa, MS, BS
Owner and Clinical Director, Summerville Women's Mental Health Services: A Mental Health Collective
Founder and Executive Director, The X-Studio: A Mental Health Cooperative
Creator, Executive Producer, and Host, The X-Podcast: Real Conversations About Mental Health
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
National Certified Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor-Candidate (supervised by Dr. Latrice Love)
United States Air Force and Army Military Veteran
Xiomara A. Sosa is passionate about empowering diverse women who are struggling with challenges to heal and achieve well-being. In particular, she has a special place in my heart for women navigating the intersection of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture, and heritage, and who identify as other. Xiomara’s goal is to promote and improve mental health services, reflecting her dedication to her communities. As a 9/11 survivor and a military veteran, she is dedicated to helping all survivors on their journey to trauma recovery. As a social change advocate and social scientist, she explores global cultures. She educates people about diversity issues, addresses pressing multicultural issues, and raises awareness about the social welfare of all people.
Core values: Affirmation, Anti-racism, Cultural humility, Empowerment
-
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
All ethnic, cultural, religious, disabled/differently-abled, races, and national origins.
American Indian/Native American, or Alaska Native (AIAN)
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders/Native Hawaiians (AAPI)
Biracial or Multicultural
Black or African American, Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous/Metis, People of Color (BIPOC)
East or Southeast Asian
First Nation
Hispanic, LatinX
North African
People of Color (POC)
Women of Color (WOC)
LGBTQIA2S+
Middle Eastern (Arab or Persian)
Native American
South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Bangladeshi)
White or Caucasian
Women of Color (WOC)
Other
Schedule a free 15 minute consultation.
See if we are a good fit and get your questions answered.
