Michelle Zaragoza

Michelle Zaragoza is a licensed clinical social worker in California with nine years of counseling experience. She helps adults who are feeling stressed, anxious, stuck in relationships, uncertain about career moves, or coping with big life changes. Her approach is straightforward and collaborative, focused on practical steps you can use right away.

She uses Client-Centered Therapy to center the conversation on each person's experience and priorities. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness practices are part of her toolbox for managing difficult thoughts and emotions. She also brings narrative ideas to help people reframe stories they tell about themselves.

Sessions are interactive and goal focused. Michelle works together with clients to identify small, doable changes and to build skills for long-term progress. She offers direct, thoughtful feedback aimed at keeping work on track toward the goals you set.

Her background includes nearly a decade of clinical work supporting adults with mood concerns, family of origin issues, guilt and shame, questions about life purpose, and workplace stress. She emphasizes self-compassion and practical strategies that fit into everyday life.

To begin, Michelle asks people to reflect on what matters most to them so therapy stays relevant. She frames each session as a collaborative effort to test new ways of responding and to strengthen what already works.

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