An Introduction by Elvira G. Aletta, PhD founder of Explore What’s Next
I am very excited to introduce Dr. Christopher Sova to you. Dr. Sova is a local son, born and bred in Western New York and proud of it! Not only does he have the education, skills and knowledge of a 100% Ph.D. in psychology, he is a real, authentic human being. Like many of us, Chris has had his share of triumphs and struggles. As a professional, Chris provides support, knowledge and compassionate guidance to children, teens and couples. He hopes to help men in particular because in our society men, when considering counseling, often struggle with allowing themselves to be both vulnerable enough and brave enough to talk with a therapist. Chris totally gets this. In this interview, I hope you enjoy getting to know Dr. Chris Sova, what brought him to a career in psychology, what he loves about our Western New York community and more.
With a compassionate and understanding approach, Chris will help you see how you have been doing your best but also why you are feeling stuck. He will work with you to feel safe and valued while you learn to understand and value yourself. Chris will share his expertise to help you find your own answers to who you want to be and how to get there.
Chris works with individuals ages 13 and older and couples. If you want to learn more about how he can
help, please contact him to schedule a free consultation.
1. Chris Sova, What led you to work for Explore What’s Next?
Destiny? After all, I think it is the only place in the region that could provide me the experience I am looking for. Cliches aside, if there is anything my last five years of training taught me it was that I wanted to spend my next fifty years counseling five people per day, five days per week. EWN is a great place to follow this goal because not only do I have the opportunity to enjoy the first of those fifty years, Dr. Aletta is coaching me on how to build a practice, obtain my post-doctorate license, and maintain a practice for the next forty-nine years. I am thankful that I received excellent training the last several years on how to be a counselor but I was never taught how to turn those skills into a career. I also have deep roots here in Western New York and EWN truly was unique out of all the places I looked at that could provide me this experience. So, it sounds like destiny to me!
Chris Sova, Ph.D. works in Individual & Relationship Counseling, Anxiety, Depression, Teens & Adults , Trauma, Men’s Mental Health, Athletes, College Students
2. What brought you to providing psychotherapy?
Stories have brought me here. I’ve had a lifelong interest in learning peoples’ stories to understand them and empathize with them. My own story led me here too, as I mentioned in my blog post “The Shame of Seeking Counseling as a Man.” At the lowest point in my life, I found that counseling was able to help me write the story I wanted instead of continuing to live the one I always thought others wanted to see. Since then, I have devoted myself to studying psychology and counseling techniques. Many chapters later, when I had my first session as a counselor, I experienced one of the greatest highs in my journey. I knew that I was in the right place then and that feeling returns each time I get to hear another person’s tale and help them unlock the story they want to write.
3. You mentioned that Dr. Aletta has been a good mentor to you – in what ways has she really made an impact?
My previous five years were spent at the University at Buffalo Counseling Center, Harmonia Collaborative Care in Derby, New York, and the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center at the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center. At each of these locations, I only needed to focus on providing counseling. Dr. Aletta has been very helpful in teaching me how to manage the other responsibilities of a psychologist in private practice. She has created an inviting space for me so that I can welcome the many people I will help.
4. Are you listed on any professional websites outside of Explore What’s Next, and do you belong to any other professional organizations?
I am trying to join in on as many things as possible so I can get the word out that I am here to help. I can also be found on Psychology Today or at Thriving Campus. I am a member of the Psychology Association of Western New York (PAWNY).
5. You have a very good blog post on the Explore What’s Next site! I was enjoying the one about “The Shame of Seeking Counseling as a Man”. How do you think The Shame of Seeking Counseling as a Man can hold a person back from being truly successful?
First, thanks for reading it. Shame and masculinity is a very important topic to me and one that impacts the lives of so many men. Many men are taught to solve things on their own or that showing certain emotions makes them less of a man. This prevents so many men from working through their problems effectively and usually leads them to either suffering alone or causing more problems for themselves and others. If men were taught to do what is most effective instead of what is most independent, I think millions of men would be leading more satisfying lives.
6. In your experience, do you think The Shame of Seeking Counseling as a Man is something very difficult for people to overcome?
Yes! Men are bombarded with millions of messages as they grow up that tell them that seeking help, especially counseling, is not masculine. It can feel like failure to seek counseling as a man. Yet, seeking counseling helps us to succeed and live lives that we are proud of. Almost every single man I have ever worked with (and plenty of women, too) has told me that they regret how long they delayed seeking counseling because they were afraid or ashamed. I hear this so much that I end up, ironically, having to help people overcome the shame of delaying counseling!
7. Education – Where did you go to school?
I quickly fell in love with the State University of New York at Buffalo. I completed my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate there in the Combined Counseling and School Psychology program. UB feels like a second home to me and I greatly enjoy working with people who have worked or studied there.
8. What was your thesis on, and why did you choose it as your thesis?
My dissertation, “Examining the Effect of Homework Compliance on Treatment Outcome of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Role of Interpersonal Problems”, is quite a mouthful. I looked at whether the amount of practice that people did between therapy sessions impacted how much they benefited from counseling. Not surprisingly, the people who worked harder on using what they learned in therapy felt better much faster. I also looked at whether the social struggles people have influence how likely they are to practice what they learn in counseling. I chose this topic because one of my specialties in counseling is relationship problems and I wanted to know who benefits more or less from therapy homework. It turns out that practice seems to help people whether they are struggling with assertiveness, aggression, or any other relationship problem. In other words, I will be working with all of my clients to help them use what we talk about in our meetings because that will help them feel better faster.
9. How did you celebrate your Ph.D.?
All my celebrations involve food. Defended my dissertation, got food. Completed my doctoral internship, got food. Got hired by EWN, got food. Received my diploma, got food. I also remind myself to ingest the pride of completing the work alongside a nice dish of pad thai, sushi, pizza, wings, or cheeseburgers.
Chris Sova, Ph.D. works in Individual & Relationship Counseling, Anxiety, Depression, Teens & Adults , Trauma, Men’s Mental Health, Athletes, College Students
10. As a therapist, what is your perspective on that tension between being human, but also being seen as the expert or guide?
Being a therapist is like walking a tightrope between being human and being a mental health expert. I believe that the relationships that I develop with my clients are equally important as the expertise I provide. I want to be able to provide tools to my clients but I also want them to know that I am a real person who genuinely cares about them. It takes both my expertise in understanding a person’s story and my human compassion to help my clients change their stories. Some of my clients benefit more from the tools I teach them to use. Others gain more from the corrective experience of having a healing relationship with me. I try to bring both sides of me to each client and always adjust to give them what will help them the most.
11. Do you have a preference in the population you work with?
One of the best parts of my job is that nobody’s story is exactly the same and I would not want to work in this field if I treated every person I worked with the same. I am happy to work with anyone that wants to work with me. Because of my training and personal experiences, I do tend to be very effective at working with clients who are dealing with relationship problems, anxiety, and trauma. I also offer unique perspectives for men and athletes because I have shared some overlap of their story in my life.
12. What do you like to do when you’re not working? When you have free time to yourself.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I do love stories. When I am not learning about your story or living my own, I am writing, reading, playing, and watching fictional stories. I have been working on a book series for the last several years and regularly host tabletop roleplaying games using the world from that series. I also love video games and books. Lately, I have been reading a lot of Brandon Sanderson’s novels and I recently played through a recalibration of the legendary Mass Effect video game trilogy. I also just finished the first season of The Mandalorian, which was definitely more enjoyable than I expected. I currently cannot get the show’s theme out of my head.
13. What are some of the ways you give yourself the best self-care – with a busy job and a family?
This is a very important area of my life. I try to be as proactive with self-care as possible. To me, that means building a life where I am gaining more joy and energy than I am draining. I have learned that my energy is recharged by intimate conversations or time spent immersed in stories. On the other hand, I also know that situations like group gatherings drain my energy. Yes, I am introverted.
14. What are some things that you love most about living in Buffalo?
Definitely the famously great weather. Sarcasm aside, I actually don’t mind the cold or the snow that much and the summers are not too hot (most of the time). I love the Buffalo autumns and the access to different parks and nature trails in the region. One of my favorite things the last few years has been taking my family on nature walks. It is also an exciting time to be a Buffalo Bills fan.
15. The vast majority of your co-worker therapists are female. How does that affect the therapy environment for clients?
For me, being the only or one of the only men is something I have grown used to as a member of the counseling profession. It is hard enough for men to seek counseling let alone become counselors. However, people seeking counseling often hope to meet with a counselor who is similar to them or similar to people they have felt comfortable with in the past. I am happy to be able to bring more variety to Explore What’s Next, in addition with my colleagues Dr. Mehdi and Dr. Keller.
16. Cake, Pie, or Ice Cream?
Those are all okay unless they are chocolate, but I prefer a second helping of the main course to dessert. I suppose I would take a black raspberry milkshake if it has to be one of those three.
Chris Sova Ph.D.
Chris knows that you are reading this now because, even though you want to feel better, think better, and do better, you are not sure how. There is no shame in not being able to solve a problem when you are doing the best you can with what you have. In fact, it’s brave to make the effort and to reach out for help. We cannot navigate and build our lives if we do not have the right map or the tools we need.
With a compassionate and understanding approach, Chris will help you see how you have been doing your best but also why you are feeling stuck. He will work with you to feel safe and valued while you learn to understand and value yourself. Chris will share his expertise to help you find your own answers to who you want to be and how to get there.
Chris works with individuals ages 13 and older and couples. If you want to learn more about how he can
help, please contact him to schedule a free consultation.
716.634.2600 | drsova@explorewhatsnext.com
call Dr. Sova now
716.634.2600
A little about Explore What’s Next. We stand by your side problem solving. We’re interactive, compassionate & nonjudgmental. We provide the guidance, you provide the motivation. The EWN therapists have expertise in effective treatment utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic, Interpersonal, Solution, Supportive, Mindfulness or Trauma based therapy.
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