When I was 19 years old I was employed as a psychiatric technician in a state hospital and would play chess in the day room and hand ball every chance I got. I got to experience the raw side of institutions and cultivate an attitude early on that can be summed up as: It is wiser to solve your problems in a healthy manner on the streets than to have problems take you places you do not want to go. I saw first hand the trajectory of some of my peers and the consequences of when the line between functional and functional impairment gets crossed. Ultimately, I decided to return to school and found the therapist role to be one that could benefit from my past experiences in mental health and build upon my knack for communicating and working with people.

Fast forward 10 years and I ended up interning at the group practice owned by Scott Polenz while simultaneously providing group therapy onsite with a local probation department. The group practice experience gave me an opportunity to see a lot and begin my own framing and conceptualization of cases within a cognitive behavioral and structural family therapy lens. My mentor Scott was a therapist for 30+ years and afforded me a ton of insight and wisdom in the therapy process, human experience, and a space to make a footprint as a local therapist.

Simultaneously, I facilitated groups that were lively, engaged, and allowed me to experience the the power of feedback within the group process and the role of room work in therapy. I got to be part of a solid program for six years working at a probation department and proud of the what I learned working there and the people I worked with….I also got to have a several year period where I got to ride my bike to work which was a personal dream after years of long and foggy commutes!

In February 2025, my mentor, Scott Polenz, passed and shared the words “Pay it forward” to me from his hospital bed. At this time, I was picking myself up from losing my father a couple years prior, burnout, and contemplating what my next move would be. I reflected on this long and hard before choosing to venture into my own practice which includes: in-person, online, individual, couples, and group therapy in Fresno, California. I remain within walking distance from the office we practiced at for seven years (Shaw & West) and strive to keep in-person therapy relevant in the digital age.

I am proud to provide therapy to residents of California, online, in person, and both through my my own office and by group practices I contract with. Feel free to contact me direct at: (559) 242-6670 or email me direct at Justin@StargaardTherapy.com.