- Stress and anxiety
- Career and transitions
- Values and meaning
About Michelle
Michelle Zaragoza is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with nine years of clinical experience. She helps adults who are feeling stuck by addressing stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, career questions, and coping with life changes. Many people also come to her for work on family of origin issues, guilt and shame, life purpose, mood concerns, self-love, women’s issues, and workplace stress.
She uses straightforward, goal-focused methods and works collaboratively with each person. Sessions often involve clarifying what matters now, setting short-term steps, and practicing skills between meetings. Michelle offers direct feedback and practical guidance aimed at making everyday changes more manageable.
Her approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, client-centered ideas, EMDR, mindfulness techniques, and narrative work. That mix lets her use mindfulness to slow reactivity, ACT to clarify values and action, and narrative methods to rethink unhelpful stories people tell about themselves.
Sessions are organized around the client’s goals, whether that is reducing anxiety, sorting a career decision, or finding a clearer sense of life purpose. She aims to help people notice what’s standing in the way and experiment with new behaviors that fit their values.
Michelle frames therapy as a practical collaboration. She helps people choose tools that fit their daily life. Before booking, prospective clients should confirm current session options to ensure they match scheduling and format needs.
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small, values-aligned actions. It helps people who feel stuck decide what matters and begin practical steps toward it. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and responding to the person’s perspective, giving room to name priorities and feel heard. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used to process distressing memories and the emotions tied to them; it can help reduce the intensity of past experiences that still affect choices today.Finding the right approach is often part of the process. Michelle works collaboratively to decide which methods fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean blending ACT with narrative work or using mindfulness tools alongside EMDR. She checks in about what is helping and adjusts the plan together.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce time lost to commuting, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Depending on the offered formats, people sometimes find it simpler to practice skills between sessions in their normal routines. If you have questions about how sessions will run, ask about format options when you complete the matching questionnaire before scheduling.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
9+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with adults on stress, anxiety, relationship issues, career decisions, and coping with life changes. Additional focuses include family of origin issues, guilt and shame, life purpose, mood concerns, self-love, women’s issues, and workplace problems.
How does she approach feeling stuck?
Her style is collaborative and goal-focused. She uses practical exercises, values clarification, and narrative techniques to help people try new behaviors and reframe unhelpful stories.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has nine years of professional counseling experience working with adults on the listed concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California and practices from that state.
Does she work in other languages or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking to know whether in-person, video, or phone sessions are offered.
How are sessions paid for and what do costs look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. Exact pricing depends on the chosen subscription and locale.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.