Melissa Innocenzi

Melissa Innocenzi is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California with 26 years of clinical experience. She blends extensive training and practical experience to support people facing stress, anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, addictions, depression, trauma, eating disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder, parenting and self-esteem concerns, and other life adjustments.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in art from the University of Texas in 1991 and completed a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Phillip’s Graduate Institute in California in 1998. Her post-graduate work emphasized client-centered and narrative approaches and specialized grief work, and she has completed additional training in evidence-based grief recovery methods.

Melissa has practiced in both private practice and clinical settings, working with children, adolescents, couples, and adult clients on a wide range of issues including grief recovery, relationship problems, anxiety, and depression. Her background includes experience addressing intimacy-related concerns, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, parenting issues, and LGBT-related matters.

Her therapeutic stance is warm, interactive, and solution-focused, grounded in a humanistic perspective that places the client at the center of the work. She combines conversational therapy with structured activities and between-session work to advance both short- and long-term goals. If a client prefers traditional talk therapy, she is equally comfortable focusing sessions that way.

Melissa recognizes that beginning therapy often takes courage and she welcomes the opportunity to help clients identify resources and practical strategies for the challenges they are facing.