Our Therapists
Meet our team
At Inner Journey Therapy, we believe that the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of meaningful change. Our team of compassionate, experienced therapists offers a wide range of specialties and approaches to support individuals, couples, and families. We invite you to explore our team and find the clinician who feels like the right fit for you.
Michelle Renteria, LMFT (#164816), is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist dedicated to helping individuals gain deeper self-understanding and navigate life’s challenges with clarity, compassion, and confidence. She works with adolescents, adults, and seniors facing concerns such as anxiety, depression, life transitions, substance use and addiction, relationship difficulties, women’s issues, and family conflict. Michelle is passionate about creating a supportive therapeutic environment where clients feel seen, understood, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives.
Michelle’s therapeutic approach is integrative and personalized, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, attachment-based interventions, structural family therapy, and strength-based practices. She believes that lasting change comes from both understanding the deeper emotional patterns that influence thoughts and behaviors and developing practical skills to navigate daily challenges. By combining insight-oriented exploration with evidence-based techniques, she helps clients strengthen self-awareness, build resilience, and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.
Known for her warm, inquisitive, and direct style, Michelle provides a grounded space where clients can openly explore their experiences without judgment. She values authenticity in the therapeutic relationship and strives to balance compassion with honest feedback, helping clients gain clarity, challenge unhelpful patterns, and move toward their goals with greater self-trust and confidence.
Michelle earned her Master’s degree from Pepperdine University and provides therapy in both English and Spanish. She is committed to supporting clients through life’s uncertainties and helping them create meaningful, lasting change that aligns with their values and aspirations.
Whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction, relationship concerns, or a major life transition, Michelle offers a collaborative and supportive therapeutic experience designed to help you feel more grounded, empowered, and connected to the life you want to build.
Marco Iglesias, LMFT (#139260), believes therapy is a place where people can slow down, become curious about themselves, and develop a deeper understanding of the patterns shaping their lives. His approach is warm, collaborative, and depth-oriented, drawing from Jungian psychology, EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and mindfulness.
Marco is especially interested in the ways unconscious patterns, relationships, dreams, identity, and life experiences influence how people see themselves and move through the world. He works with clients navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, life transitions, questions of identity, and moments when something within them feels ready for change.
Rather than focusing solely on symptom relief, Marco helps clients explore the deeper meaning behind their emotional experiences and develop greater self-understanding, emotional awareness, and compassion for the different parts of themselves. His goal is to support each client in moving toward greater authenticity and a life that feels more meaningful and aligned with who they are.
Clients can expect the first session with Marco to feel warm, collaborative, and unhurried. He takes time to understand what brings each person to therapy, what they have been carrying, and the patterns, relationships, and experiences that may be influencing their current lives.
Marco does not believe everything needs to be figured out right away. Instead, he works collaboratively with clients to identify what feels most important and develop goals that reflect what they hope to understand, change, or create in their lives.
His hope is that clients leave their first session feeling heard, respected, and a little more grounded—with a sense that therapy can be a space for meaningful self-discovery and lasting change.
Rosario Sandoval, (LCSW #136014) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California dedicated to helping individuals navigate life's emotional challenges with compassion, empathy, and evidence-based care. She specializes in working with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, self-esteem concerns, life transitions, relationship difficulties, and the unique developmental challenges often faced during young adulthood.
Rosario's therapeutic approach is collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in the belief that every individual has the capacity for growth and healing. She strives to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered to explore their thoughts, emotions, and life experiences. Her work incorporates evidence-based interventions while recognizing the importance of each client's unique background, values, and cultural identity.
By partnering with clients to identify strengths, build resilience, and develop practical coping strategies, Rosario helps individuals cultivate greater self-awareness, improve emotional well-being, and create meaningful, lasting change. Whether clients are navigating a difficult life transition, managing stress, strengthening relationships, or seeking deeper personal insight, she is committed to supporting them every step of their therapeutic journey.
Dominique Rodriguez, LMFT (#139851) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with nearly a decade of experience providing compassionate, client-centered care to children, adolescents, young adults, and adults. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including community mental health, schools, residential inpatient treatment, crisis counseling, and private practice, giving her extensive experience supporting individuals through a wide range of emotional and life challenges.
Dominique specializes in working with clients experiencing anxiety, complex trauma, relationship difficulties, family conflict, identity concerns, grief and loss, career transitions, perinatal mental health, and faith-related issues. She believes that healing begins with a strong therapeutic relationship and is dedicated to creating a warm, supportive environment where clients feel safe, understood, and empowered to make meaningful changes.
Her therapeutic approach is tailored to each individual's unique goals and incorporates evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy, and faith-based counseling when aligned with a client's values and preferences. Dominique combines empathy with thoughtful accountability, helping clients gain insight, build practical coping skills, strengthen relationships, and move toward lasting emotional wellness and personal growth.
Mary-Esther Sanchez, M.S., LPCC #22955 is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with more than seven years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families from diverse backgrounds. She is passionate about helping clients navigate life's challenges by fostering resilience, self-awareness, and meaningful personal growth. Using a trauma-informed, client-centered approach, Mary-Esther integrates evidence-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Attachment-Based Therapy, to create individualized treatment plans that reflect each client's unique needs and goals. She is dedicated to providing a warm, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe, respected, and empowered to develop healthy coping skills, gain insight into their experiences, and create lasting positive change.
Melissa Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA LCSW #130126) who is dedicated to helping individuals align with their values and build meaningful, fulfilling lives. Since beginning her social work career, she has gained experience across outpatient, intensive outpatient, and residential treatment settings. Melissa works with clients navigating trauma, substance use, anxiety, depression, and life transitions, and is trained in EMDR. She uses an individualized, eclectic approach, drawing from evidence-based modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to meet each client’s unique needs. Her therapeutic style is collaborative and client-centered. Melissa believes therapy is not one-size-fits-all and emphasizes that clients are in the driver’s seat—honoring their goals, preferences, and pace throughout the process. She is also deeply committed to social justice and incorporates a systems perspective, recognizing the impact of family, community, and broader societal influences on each individual.
Chayla Vazquez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #161042) with experience supporting individuals navigating anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Since beginning her clinical work, she has worked in outpatient settings, providing a supportive and collaborative environment for healing and growth. Naturally introspective and deeply curious about psychology, Chayla Vazquez developed an early interest in understanding family systems and human behavior. She utilizes an eclectic, client-centered approach tailored to each individual’s unique needs and goals. In addition, she is trained in EMDR and incorporates evidence-based interventions to help clients process difficult experiences, build resilience, and move toward a more thriving, fulfilling, and authentic life.
Sara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA LCSW #102612) who became a therapist to help people break cycles and make positive, lasting changes in their lives. Her clinical work began in 2018 facilitating group therapy for individuals facing dual diagnoses, addiction and mental health, and later transitioned to individual therapy in a university setting, supporting young adults through academic, developmental, and life transitions. She enjoys supporting people who are new to therapy and aims to demystify the process. She also works with clients at various stages of recovery and personal growth who are ready to take practical steps toward change. She believes clients are the experts on their own lives and stories. Her role is to collaborate with clients to identify tools and strategies that fit each person’s needs and lifestyle. She takes an approachable, relatable, and eclectic approach, drawing on evidence‑based practices tailored to the individual. Treatment is practical and creative, focusing on small, manageable steps that lead to meaningful shifts. She may challenge clients at times and encourage stretching outside comfort zones, because that’s often where growth happens. Everything she does in session is grounded in warmth and acceptance.
Cynthia Mohd holds a dual licensure both as a Marriage and Family Therapist (#146032) and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (#10934) who provides compassionate, client-centered therapy for children, adolescents, adults, and families. She earned her Master's degree in Professional Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Massachusetts Global.
Cynthia specializes in treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges. She tailors therapy to each client's unique needs using evidence-based approaches including EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Person-Centered Therapy, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, and Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP).
Cynthia believes therapy should be a collaborative, judgment-free space where clients feel safe to explore difficult emotions, build resilience, strengthen relationships, and discover their inner strengths. Her goal is to help clients develop practical tools, foster lasting personal growth, and move toward a greater sense of peace, confidence, and well-being.
Jessica Pacheco. is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#148698) dedicated to helping children, adolescents, adults, and families navigate life's challenges. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Human Services from California State University, Fullerton, and her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy from Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles.
Jessica specializes in trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, substance use, self-esteem, parenting, and life transitions. She uses evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Therapy, Seeking Safety, and MAP to help clients build resilience, develop healthy coping skills, and create lasting positive change.
Jessica understands that starting therapy can feel overwhelming. She provides a warm, supportive, and collaborative space where clients feel heard, empowered, and equipped to navigate life's challenges with confidence.
Veronica Gaona, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA LCSW #76049) with a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from California State University, Fresno. She has worked with children, individuals, and families since 2003 and has been practicing as a licensed clinician since 2017. Her career began in community-based non-profit organizations, where she served as an advocate for children, youth, and families. These early experiences, witnessing the resilience and strength of those she served, inspired her transition into clinical social work.
Veronica provides a safe, welcoming, and non-judgmental environment where clients feel supported in exploring their concerns. She considers it a privilege to be entrusted with her clients’ stories and is honored to walk alongside them through life’s challenges. Her therapeutic approach is collaborative and strengths-based, helping clients build upon their existing resources to foster resilience, balance, and emotional well-being.