Betty Guzman, LMHC
Betty@cornerstonefamilytherapy.org
(574) 651-8912
I received my Master’s Degree as a Clinical Mental Health Therapist from Grace College. I strive to bring an effective blend of experience, expertise, clarity, concern and action to the counseling process to maximize outcomes and provide genuine healing and wholeness to families, couples, and individuals. As a therapist, I will work with you to help you to identify your desires and empower you to make those positive changes in your life. I understand that making the decision to reach out for help can be difficult, so I use an approach that is compassionate, direct, and non-judgmental to help create an environment where you feel supported and heard in your counseling journey.
I have earned my childhood education certificate from Ancilla college and have a broad and unique base of experience working with children and adolescents for the past 15 years. My areas of emphasis with children include anxiety, mood disorders, conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder and behavioral issues. I also have a strong base of counseling experience working with adults in a wide variety of settings. My specialty areas include anxiety and depression, premarital, marital, trauma and co-parenting.
As a clinician I have a strong passion for helping distress couples, post-divorce families including co-parenting, step-families and couples recovering from betrayals of trust. I am dedicated to integrating Gottman method with Emotional Focused Couples Therapy and applying the research to help couples and families not merely heal their relationships, but to create relations that are healing. I have completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 1, Prepare/Enrich facilitator training and Emotionally Focused Therapy training. I continue to focus my continuing education in those areas. The couples therapy approach I utilize include the research and materials developed by John Gottman. John Gottman relies on long term studies he performed which revealed basic interactions of satisfied couples that truly make a difference.
I am by nature compassionate as well as deeply aware of the support individuals may need by outside agencies for a variety of reasons – traumatic experiences, childhood trauma, adolescent behavior issues, struggles in parenting, marriage counseling, co-parenting, anxiety and depression, or even extreme poverty – and to be able to offer this support to those who struggle daily seems to me to embrace the prospect of professional as well as personal satisfaction. My greatest reward as a therapist is helping my clients explore ways to make the changes in their lives that will give them strength for the moment and allow them to look forward to the future with hope.
I relish the opportunity of working with others as a team working towards a common goal and working with these individuals from all walks of life. Throughout my life, my work and education have been primarily based on the core principle of gaining skills to help others in need. And I continue to focus my continuing education in those areas. I believe that there is always more to be learned. Especially with the advancement of technology and learning the effects that this has on our youth. Unfortunately, in today’s world, you no longer have to communicate with another to learn about who they are and where they come from or how to empathize with others struggles through communication both through the use of verbal and nonverbal cues. Now you can find out all the information you would want online making the skill of communication almost obsolete. Although still a concern of parents today, It is no longer a primary concern of what our children are wearing or who is within their social circle. Now it is this addiction to smartphones. With the use of these mobile devices there is no longer the need for creativity when bored, it is instead reaching for a mobile device.
On a personal note, when not working, I enjoy reading, relaxing in nature and spending time with family and friends. I am happily married to my husband of 24 years and I am most proud of being a mother of four wonderful young men ranging from 18 to 24 years of age and a grandmother to my grandson.
Special Trainings: Emotion Focused Therapy, Gottman, EMDR, and TF-CBT