Inessa Palnikov,
MA, AMFT

Perhaps you find yourself being avoidant or anxious when it comes to building new relationships, maintaining important ones, or rebuilding ones that you may believe are too broken. Maybe you find yourself giving into the people that are closest to you and then later resenting them, which then results in confusion, shame, more anxiety and avoidance. 

In my work, I also provide faith-based Christian counseling to those hoping to find a therapist that is sensitive to their values. Being a part of, or growing up in a Christian home is like growing up in a different culture with its own language and rules. Oftentimes the struggle is not to lose yourself in the process but to also “fit in.” However, the reality is that churches and homes can be places of shame rather than acceptance; judgment rather than love; and isolation rather than community. 

Therapy can be the place where you explore and process pieces of yourself and your faith on your own terms. Whatever your story is — there is hope. Healing and change begins in safe space. it would be my privilege and honor to provide that space for you. 

“The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.”
-Esther Perel

Education

I earned my bachelor’s degree in English from Boise State University with the hopes of  pursuing law. After taking some time in both the field of education and politics, I knew that I wanted a career that would give me the opportunity to impact individuals and families in the way that policy and law couldn’t. I decided to go on to pursue a degree in clinical psychology that better aligned with my professional calling. I received my Master’s of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University, Sacramento. I am a registered associate marriage and family therapist (#137028) supervised by Dr. Sean Davis, LMFT #45885.

Professional

Prior to coming to the Davis Group, I worked for a non-profit counseling agency in the Sacramento area. I primarily worked with adults looking to work through their childhood or adolescent trauma, process and move through a relationship break-up, make transitions in their careers and address issues of codependency. A large portion of my work included working with couples, particularly those that come from diverse cultural and faith-based backgrounds.

Clinical Specialties

• Couples counseling with issues including factors such as cultural diversity, sexual intimacy, communication, etc.
• Individuals working through anxiety, depression and grief.
• Individuals looking to process trauma — including sexual, physical and emotional (I am trained in Level 2 Brainspotting.)
• Faith-based and Christian counseling to those individuals and families
• Ethinic/cultural mental health

Languages Spoken

• I am a native English and Russian speaker

Personal

I was born to Ukrainian immigrant parents who came to the U.S. with hopes of creating a life where their values and faith were not openly persecuted. I grew up in two very different cultures at the same time, and have accumulated a great appreciation for how culture influences our perceptions of the world we live in. 

While I was born and raised in Sacramento, California — I am a country girl at heart. I spent most of my summers in Idaho with my family. I enjoy all things music, particularly singing at my local church in a choir. If I am not outside enjoying the Great Outdoors, you can find me lost (but completely happy) in a local Hobby Lobby or Home Depot in search of my next DIY adventure. Some of my other interests/obsessions include my furbaby — Mozart, coffee with friends, bookstores, road trips, and tacos.