Graciela Gutiérrez

Graciela Gutiérrez, MA, NCC, MFT, and CMHC License Eligible

She/Her/Ella

“Love isn’t a straight line; it’s a constant dance of coming together and drifting apart. When things are good, you feel like a team that can handle anything. But for so many of us, when things start to hurt, we stop talking about the pain. Instead, we fall into a cycle where one of you pushes for answers, and the other pulls away to find some air. It’s exhausting. It leaves you feeling lonely, misunderstood, and, if we’re being honest, sometimes completely unloved. The truth is, even the strongest relationships have to be rebuilt from time to time. By being real with each other and creating a space where it’s finally safe to be vulnerable, you can turn these hard moments into the very thing that makes your bond deeper than it’s ever been.”

In my practice, I view a couple’s love as a “dance” of connection and disconnection. When the rose-colored lens of a new relationship begins to fade, it’s common to fall into a painful cycle: one partner “pursues” or protests out of a deep need for closeness, while the other withdraws or pulls away to find safety. Using an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) framework, I help you look beneath the surface of these repetitive arguments to uncover the primary emotions driving them. We won’t just talk about your problems; we will work in real time to shift the dance from a place that feels like a dead end into one of vulnerability and sincerity.

My goal is to help you build a secure base together, so that life’s challenges—whether burnout, trauma, or the complexities of acculturation—become things you face as a team, rather than forces that pull you apart.

I also incorporate evidence-based tools from the Gottman Method to help couples strengthen communication, deepen friendship, and navigate conflict with greater clarity and care. In our sessions, I am an active participant, helping you de-escalate conflict and reach for one another in ways that actually get your needs met. I provide therapy in both English and Spanish, offering a culturally grounded space where you can feel truly understood as you build the strongest version of your partnership.

Ask me about: Costa Rica, my dogs, and desserts

Ever since I was young, I’ve been: Curious, sensitive, and hopeful

Favorite Quote: “In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that… In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” Albert Camus

Favorite Kind of Couples: Any couple choosing each other and their relationship

Services Offered: Graciela provides couples therapy in person at our Northampton center and online throughout Massachusetts. Services are offered in English and Spanish.

Credentials and Training:
National Certified Counselor
Master’s in Family and Couples Therapy, Salamanca University, Spain.
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Palo Alto University, California
Gottman Method Therapy – Levels I and II
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFCT) – Certification Eligible
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Families (EFFT– Certification Elegible
EMDR – Certification Eligible

Additional training on:
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy with Blended Families
Foundations of the Informed Practice of the Polyvagal Theory
Neurobiology of Love and Human Relationships

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