Ted Gutterud

I believe in creating an environment that is collaborative and warm, comprehensive and yet
lighthearted. I believe all people have unique strengths, and do my best to highlight these
strengths, helping clients employ these across various life challenges.

During my time in the United States Marine Corps, I had the privilege of serving as a mentor to many, and this eventually led me to pursue therapy as a lifetime profession. Inviting Marines into a positive, one-on-one space where I could make them feel heard and valued, while building and reinforcing their strengths, has shifted for me into meeting individuals coming to therapy each week and doing the same. In this shift, I have also begun to see how those sharing a “warrior culture,” extending beyond the military to encompass police, fireman, and other first responders, deserve aid from someone they can genuinely relate to.

While in service, I also began to see the negative impacts of a more universal stressor: divorce.
Several of my close friends went through painful divorces, and it was plain to see how these
separations negatively affected every area of my friends’ lives. This steered me towards
pursuing a career in Marriage and Family Therapy specifically, and come today, I am trained to Level II of Gottman Method Couples Therapy. As such, I employ a structured approach in working with couples that is engaging, insightful, and backed in extensive research.

My overall therapeutic approach is centered in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), which
involves taking a strength-based lens and active pursuit of positive goals. This approach also
aligns well with my belief that therapy does not need to be a years-long process for any benefit
to occur: positive change can be reached in even a short series of sessions if an individual is
motivated to strive towards it.

In addition, I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR),
which helps inform my treatment of both individuals and couples dealing with trauma of various natures. Although I am passionate about helping treat established PTSD, I am equally passionate about helping individuals process traumatic memories that aren’t necessarily accompanied by such a diagnosis. Also, as an active seminary student, I relish the opportunity to provide a faith-based approach to therapy whenever clients request this.

Outside of the office, I spend most of my time outdoors: in my free time I enjoy hiking,
backpacking, mountaineering, mountain biking, and fishing. I am passionate about exploring
every bit of our state’s natural environment, and building new skills in the process.