Today we’d like to introduce you to Salicia Mazero.
Hi Salicia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my career working closely with individuals navigating trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression at a local treatment center in 2012. Over time, I realized that the most transformative healing happened not when I had the answers, but when I offered space—real, compassionate space—for people to explore their internal worlds with curiosity and agency.
In 2016, I officially founded Creating Your Journey as a licensed professional counselor and registered art therapist. I found myself weaving together the approaches that resonated most with clients: somatic awareness, art-based exploration, and Internal Family Systems. What I noticed was that clients weren’t just “finding themselves”—they were creating themselves. They were actively shaping and reshaping their stories with intention, courage, and creativity.
That insight is what ultimately shaped Creating Your Journey.
Over time, the practice grew organically as the demand for collaborative, compassionate, and integrative care expanded. What began with one therapist has become a thriving group practice with several clinicians, each bringing their own strengths while remaining grounded in our shared values of agency, safety, and empowerment.
Today, Creating Your Journey continues to evolve—through groups, creative workbooks, workshops, and community partnerships—but the heart of it remains the same: helping people reconnect with themselves, reclaim their agency, and create a life that feels meaningful and authentically theirs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building Creating Your Journey has been deeply meaningful, but it hasn’t been without challenges. In the early years, starting as a solo clinician meant juggling everything at once—clinical work, billing, marketing, scheduling, and the constant uncertainty of growing a caseload. There were moments of imposter syndrome, financial strain, and the pressure to “do it all” while still providing present, grounded care to clients.
As the practice expanded, new challenges emerged. Transitioning into a group practice required learning how to lead, delegate, and build systems that supported both clinicians and clients. There were growing pains around hiring, supervision, administrative structure, and creating a culture that aligned with CYJ’s values while navigating the realities of running a business.
There were also personal challenges along the way: balancing work with life, managing burnout, and staying connected to my own therapeutic identity while the practice grew around me. At times, these struggles made the path feel uncertain, but they ultimately strengthened the foundation of CYJ—teaching me patience, resilience, and the importance of support, community, and clear values.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Creating Your Journey is a trauma-informed mental health practice dedicated to providing integrative, evidence-informed care to individuals seeking healing from eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, depression, and related concerns. Founded in 2016 as a solo practice and now a growing group practice, CYJ is committed to delivering high-quality, client-centered services anchored in compassion, autonomy, and clinical excellence.
Our work is distinguished by the intentional integration of Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Art Therapy–informed approaches. This unique blend allows our clinicians to support clients through both verbal and nonverbal pathways, facilitating deeper access to self-awareness, emotional regulation, and long-term healing. CYJ is known for offering therapy that extends beyond traditional talk-based methods, emphasizing embodiment, creativity, and the internal wisdom each client carries.
What sets Creating Your Journey apart is our enduring commitment to agency, not agenda. Our clinicians honor the pace and needs of each individual, prioritizing collaboration over prescription and supporting clients in becoming active participants in their therapeutic process. This ethos is reflected in the culture of our practice, where warmth, safety, and authenticity form the foundation of every therapeutic relationship.
Brand-wise, we are most proud of the reputation we have built for providing thoughtful, integrative care that blends clinical rigor with creativity. In addition to individual therapy, CYJ offers specialized services including adolescent and adult body-image groups, eating-disorder–specific support, somatic and IFS-informed interventions, and a growing collection of creative therapeutic resources, and professional workshops.
For readers learning about our organization, we want you to know that Creating Your Journey is more than a practice—it is a space designed to help individuals reconnect with themselves, cultivate resilience, and navigate their healing with dignity and empowerment. Our mission is to meet clients where they are and walk alongside them as they create the life and internal landscape they wish to inhabit.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
A core part of our vision for the future involves continuing to deepen and expand our clinical skills as a team. As the field evolves, so do we—through ongoing training in somatic therapies, Internal Family Systems, trauma-informed care, and creative arts–based approaches. We are committed to providing our clinicians with the education, supervision, and support they need to offer nuanced, high-quality care. This includes developing advanced competencies in the modalities that define our work, as well as exploring emerging practices that enhance embodiment, agency, and long-term healing.
Pricing:
- Out of network session: $160
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creatingyourjourneyllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creating.your.journey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Creating-Your-Journey-LLC-100066980620740/
