Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Gutierrez.
Hi Stephanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I come from an immigrant family – my mother from Ecuador and my father from Mexico. Like many immigrant families, mine came to America seeking a better life for their children. Though my family was not formally educated, they were incredibly wise in the ways that mattered most. They understood the power of community and built a strong support system around me, filled with people who helped me grow and learn in this new country.
Mental health was never really discussed in my household, though looking back, it should have been. My mother is on the Autism Spectrum, and while we didn’t have that language at the time, her different abilities became some of my greatest teachers. She taught me empathy, resilience, and the courage to be comfortable with being a little different – lessons that now shape how I show up for my clients every day.
Ironically, my family didn’t even know what mental health counseling was when a teacher first encouraged me to pursue this path. But they trusted that guidance, and I’m forever grateful they did. I earned my master’s degree in 2017 and have been working in private practice ever since.
Today, I’ve come full circle. I specialize in working with the Latin American community. I strive to help families better understand mental health and breaking down the stigma that keeps it silent in homes like the one I grew up in. I focus particularly on ADHD and co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, and autism spectrum disorder – bringing both professional expertise and lived understanding to the work I do.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t always been the smoothest road. While pursuing my education, I experienced significant grief and loss – I lost several friends during my college years from tragic accidents, and shortly after graduating with my master’s degree, I lost my grandmother, who was the person I admired most in the world. Navigating those losses while trying to establish myself professionally taught me firsthand about the resilience I now help my clients cultivate.
Being a first-generation professional came with its own set of challenges. I didn’t have anyone in my family I could turn to for advice about navigating graduate school, building a private practice, or understanding the unwritten rules of professional spaces. I had to intentionally build my own professional community from the ground up, which was vital, but not always easy.
I also can’t overlook that therapy is a predominantly white profession, and there have been moments where that has felt isolating. Finding my place and my voice in spaces where there weren’t many people who looked like me or shared my background required an extra layer of navigation.
Looking back, I’m grateful for these experiences because they’ve shaped how I practice. But I won’t sugarcoat it – balancing profound personal grief while simultaneously trying to build a professional life and career is an enormous weight to carry. It taught me that we don’t have to have it all figured out to show up and do meaningful work. Sometimes our struggles become our greatest sources of wisdom and connection with others.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in working with individuals who have ADHD, and I love combining traditional counseling with Executive Functioning Coaching. I often tell my clients that I want them to leave every session with something tangible they can take home. We don’t just explore the past – we plan for the future. And most importantly, pay attention to the present moment, because that’s where you have the most control to change the direction of your life.
Recently, I’m most proud of tapping into my creative side in a new way. Everyone in my family is an artist, and for a long time, I felt like the odd one out because I’m more left-brained. This year, I decided to bridge that gap by creating my own coloring books. Each book includes a short story that explores mental health topics in a lighthearted, accessible way. They’re designed for individuals of all ages – a space to sit, relax, color, and heal a little bit of your inner child in the process.
At the end of the day, what I’m known for is making mental health approachable. I break down the stigma, meet people where they are, and give them practical tools they can use right away. I’m not just treating symptoms – I’m helping people build lives that feel authentic, manageable, and full of possibility.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is agency – having control over the direction my life is taking. I’ve done a lot of personal work to understand who I am, and my greatest goal is to live as authentically as possible. That’s what I want for my clients too – the self-awareness and tools to make intentional choices about their lives rather than feeling like life is just happening to them.
This value comes directly from my family. They sacrificed so much to give me opportunities they never had, and they shaped me into who I am today. Every day I show up to my practice, I’m honoring their sacrifice by living fully into the possibilities they created for me. My hope is to continue growing both personally and professionally – not just for myself, but as a way of saying thank you to them and to all the people who invested in me along the way.
Honestly, that’s what drives my work with my clients. I want them to experience that same sense of agency – to understand themselves deeply, to make choices that align with who they truly are, and to live authentically even when the world tells them to be something else. Because when you have agency over your own story, everything changes.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Headshots provided by Samantha Billotte at https://www.sammybphoto.com
