Mental Health Services · Aptos, CA
Supporting your mental well-being
Compassionate, integrative mental health care for individuals, couples and families seeking greater clarity, resilience and emotional well-being — serving the greater Santa Cruz County community.
- 8035 Soquel Drive #35, Aptos, CA
- In-person & virtual sessions
- 831-535-8517
Our approach
Now more than ever, mental health is essential.
In a fast-paced world filled with increasing stress and collective trauma, SoulCare Studios is dedicated to providing a path that meets your unique needs.
We aim to demystify mental health care, cultivate a supportive community, and bring an element of joy to the healing process. Whether you’re seeking support for a specific challenge, a season of life, or ongoing wellness, our practitioners support healing through grounded, personalized care.
Demystify care
Clear, approachable support — no jargon, no pressure.
Cultivate community
Healing that happens alongside others, not in isolation.
Bring joy
An element of lightness woven into the healing process.
Individual care
Individual Therapy & Psychotherapy
Our sessions provide a confidential space to explore stress, anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, and personal growth. We meet you where you are and help you build insight, tools, and inner stability for lasting change.
Our licensed and pre-licensed therapists are ready to support your journey of self-discovery and healing. We also offer short-term therapy and mental health consultations for those seeking support for a specific experience or concern, which can complement other SoulCare Studios services.
Specialized support
Care shaped around your season of life
Mental health is deeply personal and often shaped by life stage, lived experience, and the body’s changing needs. Our practitioners offer specialized support that is trauma-aware, affirming, and individualized.
Postpartum & Perinatal Mental Health
The transition into parenthood can bring immense love as well as overwhelm, anxiety, grief, and identity shifts. We support those navigating fertility, pregnancy, postpartum adjustment, and the emotional realities of early parenthood.
Menopause Support
Menopause and perimenopause can affect mood, sleep, focus, energy, and emotional regulation in profound ways. Our care supports women through this transition with empathy, practical tools, and whole-person attention.
Trauma & PTSD Treatment
Trauma can leave lasting imprints on the nervous system, relationships, and sense of safety. Our trauma-informed support helps clients process difficult experiences, build resilience, and reconnect with agency and groundedness.
Family, Couples & Youth Psychotherapy
Strengthening relationships is an essential part of overall well-being. Family, couples, and youth therapy provide a space to nurture and repair the bonds that matter most during life’s busy and challenging moments.
Our Clinical Team
Supervised, compassionate care you can trust
Our clinical staff brings licensed experience, clinical supervision and oversight to every client relationship — so care is thoughtful, ethical and grounded.
Michelle “Shelly” LaPlace-Watts LMFT
Our clinical staff is led by Clinical Supervisor Michelle “Shelly” LaPlace-Watts, LMFT, who provides clinical supervision and oversight. Shelly specializes in complex trauma, particularly trauma related to community violence, intimate partner violence, and victims of crime.
Cindy Hill-Ford Retired LMFT
Cindy Hill-Ford, retired LMFT, provides administrative oversight and mental health consultation for our clinical team. Cindy also provides ketamine-assisted therapy and supports the integration of mental health and holistic wellness services at SoulCare Studios.
Master’s-level trainees, supported by Coastal Sanctuary Collaborative
Our clinical team includes Master’s-level trainees—graduate students pursuing degrees in psychology and related mental health fields—who practice under Shelly’s supervision. We are grateful to partner with Coastal Sanctuary Collaborative (CSC), a nonprofit organization that supports our commitment to providing quality mental health services at affordable rates.
Through this partnership, our trainees volunteer their time through Coastal Sanctuary Collaborative, helping us expand access to compassionate, affordable mental health care within our community.
How to get started
A personal first step, not a booking form
We like to connect with you before anything is scheduled, so we can understand what you’re looking for and match you with the right practitioner.
Reach out
Call or text us, or send an email to request a consult. We’ll listen first.
Find your fit
We’ll talk through your needs and recommend a therapist or offering that suits you.
Contact the studioBook your session
Once matched, book a 50-minute session online — simply choose your service and a time that works for you. Sessions are available in person or virtually.
Book a 50-min session
Group therapy & integration
Healing does not have to happen alone
Our group offerings and support circles create space for shared reflection, guided connection, and meaningful community around common experiences and themes.
Integration Offerings
Integration is a lifelong process — whether processing a meaningful therapy session, navigating grief and loss, reflecting on meditation, or incorporating insights from psychedelic-assisted therapy.
- Process GroupFor those who prefer talking through their experiences to gain clarity and insight.
- Art IntegrationA guided experience through art and journaling to make meaning of transformative experiences.
- Somatic ProcessingTrauma-informed somatic integration for nervous system regulation and embodied healing.
Circles of Support
Gather in community, share experiences, listen, and learn alongside others while practicing valuable life skills.
- Women’s GroupsMOONBATH: Women’s Full Moon Circle & Sound BathGathering to set intentions, create feminine community, and honor the rhythms of nature.
- Art Therapy GroupAn open creative space to process emotions, experiences, and transition through art and community.
- Somatic Processing WorkshopA relational, body-based approach supporting attachment repair, nervous system safety, and emotional resilience.
Why SoulCare
Whole people, not a set of symptoms
SoulCare Studios offers a warm, welcoming environment where mental health care is approached with depth, respect, and humanity. Our practitioners bring diverse specialties and an integrative perspective.
Whether you seek community connection, personal insight, or relational healing, our team is here to walk alongside you on your path to wellness.
In Person or Virtual
Visit our studio at 8035 Soquel Drive #35 in Aptos, or meet with your therapist virtually from wherever you feel most comfortable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question now? Call or text us and we’ll be glad to help.