Meet Ginny Gutman

We were lucky to catch up with Ginny Gutman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ginny, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I’ve always been really interested and curious in individual’s stories and how they got to where they are in life. I also am naturally empathetic and am a deeply feeling person. I feel lucky that I found psychology as a study and I even took a college class, Psychology 101, in high school. I’m very drawn to learning about human behavior in general and how we all relate to each other. How we relate to ourselves and each other has always struck me as one of the most important parts of life. It has been a good fit for what gives me purpose- listening to people’s stories, bearing witness to that story, and being a part of making their life a bit better. Being a psychotherapist has allowed me the privilege of helping people in such a meaningful and important way. I get to be a small part in improving their life journey and it is very fulfilling.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I own a private practice providing counseling services to individuals and couples. I focus on helping teenagers and adults with anxiety/stress management, relationship issues, and life transitions. It’s so special to be a part of someone ready to make some changes in their lives in such meaningful ways. Some people want to communicate more effectively, or feel less anxious about hard aspects in their lives, or want to adjust to a life change and I love that I get to help with them getting to the better place they’re looking to get to. Additionally, have two associate therapist employees that I get to help with their training. I’m also in the works of creating a workbook/course that teaches better communication that starts in self-regulation of emotions. I know we’ve all encountered some kind of communication course along the way but I believe the importance of self-awareness in the moment behind interacting is something that isn’t wide spread knowledge- yet!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The willingness to be vulnerable is really important. There’s something about business ownership in general and putting yourself out there in the world that requires you to stretch yourself into new places and it requires courage. ‘There is no courage without vulnerability’ Brené Brown, PhD. So I’d say that vulnerability as a quality because it helps put yourself in the way of opportunity.

Curiosity has also been really impactful in my journey. It’s kept me learning, growing and open to new ideas and ways of thinking. I think it’s helped me immensely in keeping me developing in my career as well as in life. I’d say fostering curiosity is only helpful to growth.

Constantly working on self-awareness is my biggest piece of advice. The more we know about why/how we feel what we do and why we act the way we do, the more successful we can be in all aspects of life. The more we understand our inner world the more we can help ourselves act and do what we actually want to do- in short, it helps us be more aligned in life. Being in touch with our inner selves helps us have better relationships & communication with others, be better at work/school/working on life-goals, and can give us more peace overall.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I have a few things I try to take a step back and remember when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

One is to think about what is really important in my life. I think about how I’ve only read about people looking back on a long life and saying they wished they spent more time with loved ones (they never say they wish they worked more or made more money, for instance).

I think about the bigger picture in general and ask myself is this going to affect me in a week, month, year, 5 years? Getting perspective is very helpful.

Another is I do what fills up my cup. For me that’s being outside near the ocean or in the mountains, moving my body, spending time with loved ones, getting sunshine on my face, and resting.

If all else fails I focus on what I can do in that moment because it’s the only moment I can actually be in. ‘All we have is the present moment’ Eckhart Tolle. It’s reassuring that I can’t time travel to the past or future and I only have a say in how this moment happens. So one step at a time, one foot in front of the other, focusing on one moment at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ginnycounseling.com
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ginny-gutman-san-diego-ca/805343

Image Credits

@dianarosephoto for professional shots (portraits in blue shirt)