Meet Our Team - Jessica Gutierrez
Jessica Gutierrez, MA, LMFT
Position at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center:
Therapist/ Coach
How long have you been working at Hallowell Todaro ADHD?
Not very long, but I’ve been working in this population for several years.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Salinas, California, and moved to the Bay Area right after High school to attend college.
What are your favorite books / TV shows / movies?
I enjoy reading educational and non-fiction books. I love watching documentaries, standup comedies, and comedy-drama T.V. show on Netflix or Hulu.
What’s your favorite sport and/or sports team?
My favorite sport to watch is Basketball. When I younger I used to play softball, volleyball, and basketball. My favorite sport is dance! Some people don’t believe dancing is a sport, but I certainly do.
Complete the following sentences:
When I’m not at work, you can find me...
spending time with my friends, family, two cats, or doing something outdoors and active.
When I want to de-stress, I...
meditate, go on a walk, exercise, dance and listen to music.
My favorite time of year is...
summer. I love warm weather, spending time at the lake, barbequing, exploring nature, or hanging out at the pool.
My favorite thing to cook is...
new recipes. I love cooking and enjoy trying out new recipes.
The best gift I ever received was…
the gift of supervision and mentorship. I’ve has some amazing clinical supervisors and mentors.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I’d go to...
somewhere tropical, relaxing and warm.
What led you to pursue a career helping others?
I pursued a career helping others because of my personality, passion, and strengths. I’m a compassionate, creative, empathic, and supportive person who cares deeply for people. I am passionate about helping others find the strength and courage they didn’t know they had. I admire the personal transformation that comes from sharing your story, truly being heard, and learning effective skills. I know how powerful it can be to have someone there supporting and encouraging you to be your best and most authentic self. I love walking alongside others in this journey of life and impart hope to help them get the most out of life as possible. I feel honored to help people accept their struggles and strengths and find healthy solutions. I’m proud to do this for a living. I can’t imagine not being in this field, and I feel like it is my true calling.
What education, skills, and expertise do you bring to your role?
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Child, Marriage, and Family Therapy. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy with a Minor in Psychology. I’m a Certified Autism Specialist and have worked with clients with diverse backgrounds, diagnoses, and neurological and learning differences. I started my career managed an eating disorder residential treatment center soon after I worked in Mountain View school district providing clinical prevention and early intervention services to children, then worked in a few community mental health agencies before working in an independent living program working with neurodiverse clients. I spend some time working as a primary therapist at a residential program for teen and their families providing Dialectical behavioral therapy. Throughout my time, I have received extensive training in evidence-based treatment modalities including, DBT, CBT, TF-CBT, Family Systems, Strength-Based, Solution-Focused, and Trauma-Informed approaches. I love leading process groups, expressive art therapy groups, social skill groups, and DBT/CBT groups. I have experience in crisis management, safety planning, program and curriculum development, case management, sexuality and relationship education, executive functioning training, eating disorder knowledge, interpersonal skills training, and adaptive and independent living skills supervision and training. I have treated clients with mood disorders, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction and substance use, trauma and abuse, executive function deficits, Autism, parent-child relationship problems, life adjustments, academic concerns, and many more life changes.
Who/what inspires you?
So many things inspire me. Every person who tries to live in harmony with themselves, overcame challenges, and pursue their goals and aspirations inspires me. It amazes me how different we each are with our strengths, talents, flaws, and personalities. Every day I learn something new and inspiring just by listing and talking to people.
What’s your personal philosophy/approach toward the work you do?
My approach stems from humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, strength-based and solution-focused approaches. I incorporate a variety of therapeutic principles and philosophies in order to create treatment plans that meet the specific needs of each client. I work to establish a warm, safe environment for clients to increase self-awareness and self-expression, aid communication, and facilitate change. I work on acceptance and the need for change to target specific behavioral skills to improve impulse control, emotional regulation, interpersonal interactions, and overall functioning. I work to help clients better understand harmful ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving with new, healthier ones. I also provided psychoeducation and skills training to teach client about the impact of their struggles, find solutions, and cope with symptoms.
What is one small thing people can do to improve their lives and increase their happiness?
Believe in yourself because you are worthy, resilient, and capable of living a life that you desire!
We provide coaching and therapy to help people manage a variety of cognitive and emotional conditions.