Jene Gutierrez

LMFT-Associate | Therapist supervised by Jennifer Reeves, LMFT-S

Pronouns: She/Her

Individual Therapy: $155/60-minute billable counseling session (53+ minutes of service)

Couples/Parter Therapy: $170/60-minute billable counseling session (53+ minutes of service)

Accepts BCBS & Aetna

LMFT-A License No. 205197

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Jené is particularly well-suited to support:

Individuals, couples, partners, and families looking for support in their relationships
Adults navigating polyamorous and non-monogamous relationships
Teens and adults navigating challenges regarding sex or sexuality
Adults needing support to process relational trauma including physical or emotional abuse
2SLGBTQIA+ adults navigating the effects of spiritual or religious trauma
Children, teens, and adults who are experiencing challenges related to grief and loss
Anyone who has experienced parapsychological phenomena

Why I Do This Work

As a relationship therapist, I believe that our relationships are the crucible for our greatest transformations. How do we intend to create a sustainable and nourishing world built on mutual care if we are not actively working on how we relate to those closest to us? This question feels urgent to me.

When I decided to become a therapist, I intentionally chose a graduate program that prioritized systemic thinking and perceiving people and their problems as part of many interdependent systems. Many of these systems have been and currently are harmful to our well-being and peace of mind. One way this harm can manifest is in how we treat those we claim to love. In All About Love, bell hooks writes, “The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others.” What does it mean to “choose to love”? What does loving action look like? My work with clients lies in exploring those questions and moving relationships towards loving and liberating practice.

Approach to Therapy

My initial priority is to use curiosity to connect with you in order to cultivate the trust and safety required for therapeutic vulnerability. I wholeheartedly believe in and respect the autonomy and divinity of each person. I take a non-pathologizing approach and do not look for what’s “wrong” with clients. I prefer to see my role as a guide or witness accompanying others on their journey toward preferred ways of being and relating.

My post-graduate work in the arts and sciences has cultivated an integrated and holistic style to helping people. Consciousness exploration, story-telling, and creative expression are the pillars of my modality. I am trained in the Hakomi method, a somatic mindfulness intervention, and primarily use this method to explore embodied consciousness with my clients. I also enjoy working with dreams and unconscious material. In addition to somatic mindfulness, I take a creative collaborative-narrative approach in helping people re-author the stories of their lives. I have a trauma- and oppression-informed therapeutic lens that acknowledges and seeks to offset the harmful impact of colonialism and systemic oppression on the conceptualization and treatment of mental health in the West. Liberation psychology, decolonization, depth psychology, somatics, and the power of the archetypal imagination deeply inform my practice and the relational values I support, including autonomy, respect, and freedom within our personal relationships.

Education

I have my BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin, MA in Literature from Texas State University, and MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University.

Personal

Born and raised in Texas, Austin has been my home since 2002. I have lived many different lives in this city and continue to feel called to support the community here. Outside of providing therapy for Colors of Austin Counseling, I provide astrological consultation and relationship coaching for those looking for less therapeutic support. (I will not talk about astrology with therapy clients unless directly asked about it!)

Favorite place in Austin: Barton Springs.

Favorite Saturday afternoon activity: Taking it easy!

Favorite animal: Currently my two cats, Mischa and Tushi.

Favorite holiday: Any holiday that creates restful opportunities.

I feel happiest when: I feel satisfied with the work I’ve done and the relationships I’ve tended.

If I had a superpower it would be: Abolish the imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchy!

Place I feel most safe/calm/comfortable: In my bed with my cats and/or the arms of someone I love who loves me <3

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