Hello! I am Inez Salcido-Kasteiner and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (50010). I grew up in the Boyle Heights area of East Los Angeles, a neighborhood wherein my family built a strong foundation for me that revolved around the idea of being of service to others, helping people to the best of my ability, and dedicating myself to my community. I was the first in my family to attain a high school diploma and the first to successfully traverse the world of education; earning first an Associate’s Degree from Rio Hondo College then transferring to Cal Poly Pomona where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree In Psychology, and then a Master of Science degree in Psychology from the same school.

My professional work began with providing direct mental health services across various community and school settings with diverse client populations in one-on-one and group settings. I attained my licensing hours while working with children in the school setting and I had the immense benefit of working with individuals and families in our outpatient offices as well. Over the course of those years I worked within the framework of the Department of Mental Health, being trained and certified in practicing several evidenced-based practices. I later worked with the California Victims of Crime Program, other community mental health service providers, and finally I opened my own private practice. I am a staunch believer in the importance of mental health and I have dedicated over fifteen years of my professional life to providing quality mental health services to the those who need help in managing the symptoms and behaviors related to; depression, anxiety, and other co-occurring disorders. I’ve worked with several populations including; at-risk youth, low-income groups, minority groups, and those within the LCBTQ community.

In recent years I have provided educationally related mental health services to kindergarten through high school students attending a school campus specifically geared toward providing services for students with emotional disturbances. I have also provided academic counseling to community college students. Within those roles I have gained expertise in; creating student Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and Student Individual Transition Plans to assist students in the transition from high school to college and into the work force, as well as creating Student Education Plans.

I believe in empowering my clients by meeting them where they are, identifying not only the areas of need, but also identifying viable solutions, while assisting my clients to implement the skills and strategies they learn in our sessions.