Hi, I’m Jessica.
Hola! I’m Jessica Salgado, a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor serving clients virtually throughout Georgia. I’m a native of Los Angeles and now call Metro Atlanta home.
I believe therapy should be a place where you can show up as your unapologetic self—without judgment, without having to pretend everything is okay, and without feeling like you have to figure everything out on your own.
Starting therapy can feel vulnerable. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by what is happening in your life right now. Maybe something from your past continues to affect you. Maybe you’re navigating a relationship, family changes, identity questions, cultural expectations, or a major life transition. Or maybe you simply know that something needs to change, but you’re not quite sure where to begin.
You don’t have to have all the answers before you walk through the door.
My role is to meet you where you are and walk alongside you as you work toward where you want to be.
My Approach
I don’t believe therapy should be one-size-fits-all.
Every person is as unique as their fingerprints, and I believe your therapy should be just as individualized.
My approach is person-centered, trauma-informed, collaborative, and culturally responsive. I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, family systems, strengths-based, and solution-focused approaches, tailoring treatment to your experiences, needs, values, and goals.
You are the driver of your therapy. I’m there to help guide you, offer perspective, ask the questions that may be difficult to ask yourself, and provide a safe space to explore what may be getting in the way of the life you want.
I believe in being compassionate and honest. Sometimes healing means being heard and validated. Sometimes it means looking at things from a different perspective, challenging patterns that are no longer serving you, or learning new ways to respond. We can do both—with kindness and without judgment.
Culture Matters
As a bilingual therapist, I provide services in English, Spanish, and Spanglish.
I also believe that culture is an important part of understanding the whole person. Our families, communities, identities, experiences, traditions, expectations, and environments can all influence the way we understand ourselves and navigate the world.
I confidently use a cultural lens in my work while recognizing that I will never know every culture or every experience. Instead, I approach each client with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to learn about what makes your experience uniquely yours.
You should never have to leave an important part of yourself at the door when you enter therapy.
Who I Work With
I work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families from diverse cultural backgrounds and identities.
I particularly enjoy supporting clients who are navigating:
- Anxiety and depression
- Trauma and PTSD
- Life transitions and major changes
- Relationship and family concerns
- Women’s mental health
- LGBTQ+ concerns and identity exploration
- Grief and loss
- Stress and emotional overwhelm
- Parenting and family changes
- Self-esteem and personal growth
I also have experience developing and facilitating therapeutic and psychoeducational groups for adolescents.
Whether this is your first experience with therapy or you’ve been in therapy before, you don’t have to know exactly what you need before we begin. We can figure that out together.
A Little More About Me
I became a counselor because I believe people deserve a space where they can be honest about what they’re experiencing without being reduced to a diagnosis, a difficult chapter, or a single moment in their lives.
Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with people from many different backgrounds and stages of life. I’ve supported clients through trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship challenges, family changes, cultural stress, and significant life transitions.
Those experiences have reinforced something I believe deeply:
People don’t need to be “fixed.” People need to be understood, supported, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives.
I don’t expect you to have everything figured out.
And I don’t expect therapy to look the same for everyone.
I meet you where you are, and together we work toward where you want to be.
Welcome to Buena Vida
Buena Vida means “good life.”
To me, that doesn’t mean a perfect life. Life will always bring challenges, changes, losses, relationships, and unexpected turns.
A buena vida is about learning how to navigate those experiences while staying connected to yourself, your values, your relationships, and the life you want to create.
That is the heart of Buena Vida Counseling & Wellness.
You deserve a space where you can be heard, understood, challenged with compassion, and supported as you grow.
You don’t have to go through it alone.