Our Team
The people behind the care
A bilingual, bicultural team of practitioners and clinicians who share or deeply understand the cultural contexts of the communities we serve.
Our Staff
Practitioners & clinicians
Each team member brings their own training and lived experience to the work.
Joanne Rodriguez, LMFT
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I see therapy as part detective’s board, part puzzle: laying everything out and tracing the connections between things that never seemed related, then turning the pieces over to find where each one actually fits. Some of what a person carries was a solution once — it got them through something. The work isn’t to rip it out, but to understand it well enough that keeping or changing it becomes a real choice.
I don’t believe a client has to find a therapist who matches them on background or diagnosis. A good therapist is a flexible one — someone who adapts to meet the person in front of them, rather than expecting the person to fit a method. My approach draws on narrative, psychodynamic, and person-centered work, including sex therapy, with a relational and trauma-informed lens underneath, applied differently depending on who’s in the room.
I have over four years of clinical experience, am bilingual and bicultural, and also offer hypnotherapy as a standalone service outside of clinical treatment.
April Torres, LMFT
Christopher Ryskiewicz, APCC
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My name is Chris, and I am an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) dedicated to helping you navigate life’s challenges and discover your inner strength. I graduated with distinction with an MA from Northwestern University and am certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
My approach to therapy is rooted in psychodynamic, humanistic, and narrative therapies, allowing me to tailor our sessions to your unique needs and experiences. While I work with a wide range of issues, my practice focuses on individuals dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, anger, and existential issues.
I believe you already hold the answers to your challenges, and my role is to help you uncover them from within.
Jennifer Wollinetz, AMFT
Thomas Collins, APCC
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Greetings! I’m excited to be part of the clinical team at La Concordia Wellness Center as an APCC. I’m a graduate of Northwestern University with an M.A. in Counseling. Clinically, I enjoy using a systems perspective to treat patients with diverse backgrounds and complex conditions. I have a special interest in treating PTSD and co-occurring diagnoses. I strongly value developing a therapeutic relationship with my patients founded on empathic listening, positive regard, reflection, and collaboration. I hope to bolster positive outcomes by engaging patients in open communication throughout the treatment process and soliciting feedback to ensure I’m providing the highest level of care.
Additionally, I’m a veteran who has proudly served in the United States Armed Services (Navy). My hobbies include traveling, volunteering, reading, and being a lifelong learner.
Holistic Practitioners
Traditional & holistic healing
The practitioners who lead our Raíces Culturales wellness practices.
Dr. Manuel Fernandez
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Dr. Manuel Fernandez is a medical psychologist and psychopharmacologist who has served the Contra Costa community since 2009 and has called Contra Costa County home since 1997. Born and raised in Peru, he came to the United States at seventeen and began his career supporting Latino immigrants in San Francisco’s Mission District, where he provided recreational and counseling services early in his professional life.
Throughout his career, Dr. Fernandez has specialized in treating conditions that present with underlying medical and neurological symptoms, drawing on his training in neuropsychology and clinical psychopharmacology. He has also built a career in sexual education, working as a sex coach and sexologist, and brings this expertise into his clinical work with individuals and couples navigating sexual health, intimacy, and related concerns.
Dr. Fernandez received his Doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and holds a post-doctoral degree (MSCP) in Clinical Psychopharmacology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He completed his internship at Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek in the Department of Psychiatry and Chemical Dependency, and his residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez.
Brenda Gutierrez
Deanne Waterman
Malinda Rigel
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I’ve long believed we have the power to heal ourselves, and I’ve spent years helping people do just that. Before becoming an Immersive Meditation Guide, I used massage therapy to support that healing. In 2019 I embarked on my own meditation journey and found improved clarity of mind, better mental health, and much more. As the pandemic set in and wore on, I felt called to this work — to help others quiet the chaos so many of us experienced during that time.
The guided meditation I offer is designed for both relaxation and introspection, allowing a quiet connection to your inner self without the noise of outside influences, opinions, and negativity. My exploration of meditation led me to the power of crystals and sound baths, and how they can aid our healing process. Our bodies and brains are so amazing — and I’m excited to share how sound baths with crystal singing bowls can take you to a whole new level.
Stephanie Meriaux, LMFT
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Hi, I’m Stephanie! I blend a diverse background of experiential learning, mindfulness, psychotherapy, and global executive and relationship coaching, with over two decades of experience guiding personal and professional growth. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), and a Somatica-trained sexologist.
I specialize in helping people master their relationships — whether in the bedroom or the boardroom. My approach is warm, grounded, intuitive, and authentic, weaving together emotional and relational intelligence, somatic awareness, and embodied connection so you can lead and love with greater presence, courage, and connection.
Want to join our team?
We’re always looking for bilingual, bicultural practitioners and clinicians who share our commitment to culturally rooted care.
Get in touch soon