- Stress and anxiety
- Workplace issues
- Values driven goals
About Michelle
Michelle Zaragoza is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California with nine years of experience helping adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, and career challenges. She focuses on practical steps people can take now to feel steadier and more in control. Michelle aims to make therapy collaborative and direct so clients leave sessions with clear next steps.
She uses a mix of approaches to match each person's needs, drawing from acceptance and commitment ideas, client-centered listening, mindfulness, narrative work, and EMDR. Sessions tend to center on skill-building, clarifying values, and finding workable solutions for daily life. Michelle offers straightforward feedback and helps people set both short-term and longer-term goals.
Her work often addresses family of origin issues, guilt and shame, questions about life purpose, mood concerns, self-love, women's issues, and workplace stress. She helps people untangle how past experiences affect current choices and relationships. Conversations are practical and grounded in everyday challenges rather than jargon.
Michelle combines focused goal-setting with compassionate listening. She supports clients in developing routines, communication strategies, and coping tools they can use between sessions. Over time the aim is to create lasting changes that fit the person's values and day-to-day life.
If someone wants to begin, they choose the Start Therapy button, fill a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How her approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters most to them and take small, meaningful actions toward those values. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and career decisions. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's experience and relies on empathic listening and reflection to help someone feel heard and make choices that fit their life.EMDR is a trauma-informed approach that uses bilateral stimulation alongside guided recall to help reduce the intensity of distressing memories. It can be helpful for people whose past events continue to affect their mood or behavior. Michelle pairs these methods with mindfulness and narrative techniques so each plan matches the person's needs.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with a new client about goals, past efforts, and preferences, and then recommend one or a blend of methods. That decision is collaborative and can change as therapy progresses.
Session logistics should be confirmed before booking because the biography does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins during a workday, and reduce travel time. Talk with the therapist during the matching process to learn which formats and session lengths are offered and what will best fit your routine.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
9+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She supports adults with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, career challenges, and coping with life changes, plus related issues like guilt, mood struggles, and workplace stress.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and direct. She focuses on skill-building, clear goals, and actionable steps people can use between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has nine years of professional counseling experience working with adults on a range of life and work concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, practicing in California.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
Session formats are not specified in the biography; please confirm current session options before booking so you know whether video, phone, or other formats are available.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.