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March 19, 2024
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SoundMind’s Chief of Research, Saniya Soni, Breaks Records in the Mental Health Space, through Her Push for Accessibility

This generation is seeing a revolutionary shift in how people generally regard mental health due to many years of advocacies and the hard work of people specializing in this area. SoundMind recognizes this shift and redefines the delivery of helpful mental health-related materials even to ordinary people through its easy-to-access platform. Armed with the mission to empower people to live boldly and stronger regardless of their past traumas and hurts, the company is slowly making a difference in the lives of countless people who have long been struggling with their mental health. 

Senior Psychology and Criminal Justice Studies student Saniya Soni is currently the Head of Research at SoundMind. She is also studying psychiatric rehabilitation as a graduating student at Drexel University. While the company was co-founded by CEO Brian Femminella and COO Travis Chen, Soni is considered the voice of all things SoundMind. Her work as a student researcher on childhood behavioral interventions, early autism detection, motivation and identity development of high-achieving African-Americans, depression prevention among Asian-American undergraduates, and PTSD prevention among college students during COVID-19 is a reflection of her deep passion for mental health. 

Soni is also a traumatic brain injury therapist and served as a peer counselor and mental health advocate in several instances. She spent the last four years as a student ambassador for the Jed Foundation, which advocates suicide prevention and mental health education resources on campuses. On top of these commitments, Soni also co-hosts a podcast called Loudmouth Ladkis. On this platform, the South Asian and Western merging of identities is openly discussed, emphasizing mental health. 

As a Punjabi immigrant who has witnessed different forms of abuse firsthand, the concept of mental health was totally strange to Soni. While growing up in Silicon Valley, Soni experienced the pressures and stress involved when adjusting to a new environment. Fortunately for her, she was able to connect with the right kind of therapists who valued her culture and understood her background. 

“In the twelve years I lived in the Bay Area, 76 teens died by suicide in my hometown of San Jose. These students, overwhelmingly students of color, received far less access to mental health care while experiencing far more mental health issues than their white peers. In my junior year of high school, however, I witnessed the power of an established team model in a well-staffed mental health facility, where psychologists and psychiatrists coordinated with primary care physicians to effectively help their clients navigate the complexity of healthcare,” the SoundMind Chief Research Officer explains. 

SoundMind is a stepping stone towards greater objectives in the future as Saniya Soni envisions herself contributing to better mental health policies by providing clinical expertise. She will only be able to do this when she completes her doctorate in clinical psychology, which remains her topmost priority at this point in her career. Seeing the necessity to help shape legislation in the future where it concerns addressing people’s needs with mental health issues, Soni is determined to continue her culturally responsive research to guarantee holistic care across many cultures.

As the SoundMind team brings the brand to the next level in the coming years, it is their earnest desire to see more individuals experience relief and get the emotional and moral support they need to overcome their mental health issues. In doing this, Soni and the rest of the team hope to see suicide rates in the country lessen as people are given access to helpful resources. 

Learn more about SoundMind by visiting its website

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