Tell us about your journey! What led you to this point?
I’ve always known I wanted to help people. Even as a young girl, I dreamed of becoming a counselor. As an adoptee, I had an early awareness of how upbringing, childhood trauma, and family stability shape emotional well-being. I set my sights on college with the goal of becoming a psychologist.
Like many in my generation, I fell in love with my high school sweetheart and got married shortly after graduation, setting aside my career aspirations. What followed were three beautiful daughters and, sadly, an abusive relationship.
It took me nearly two decades to access the resources I needed to leave my marriage, finish my education, and build a life where I could support myself and my children independently. I began my counseling career in 2007, working at an agency as a domestic violence counselor. I was 40 years old.
Now, approaching 60, I run a thriving private practice specializing in relationship issues, with over 500 couples on my waiting list. It’s been a long journey, but every challenge along the way has shaped the work I do.
What has been your biggest achievement?
My biggest career achievement is being invited to serve as a Consultant for the United Nations. My passion for women and children led me to spend all of my vacation time volunteering in some of the world’s most impoverished regions. With the help of translators and sometimes bodyguards, I trekked into disaster zones, remote villages, and red-light districts to work directly with victims. I have provided thousands of hours of counseling, conducted training for frontline staff, and delivered much-needed supplies. I’ve seen firsthand how the safety and well-being of women directly impact the health of families, the education of children, and the prosperity of entire communities. It was a small contribution, in the grand scheme, but it was what my skills and passion prepared me for.
Being in the trenches in developing countries and witnessing the unthinkable has given me a real education on life. I’ve traveled to places such as India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Hungary, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, China, and Kyrgyzstan. Many didn’t have laws to protect women’s rights or safeguard them from sex trafficking or domestic violence.
Compelled to do more, I founded Go Global Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting critical projects in these underserved regions. That’s what eventually led to getting recognized by the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs. Today, I have the honor of representing Go Global at the Commission on the Status of Women and other global meetings every year. It’s an opportunity I never imagined possible.
In many ways, my journey has come full circle. I went from being a victim of domestic violence to a survivor of domestic violence, to traveling the world helping establish women’s shelters and safe houses that serve tens of thousands of other women. It’s the most meaningful work of my life.
What’s the biggest result you help your clients achieve?
As a psychotherapist, my speciality is couples counseling. For the past fifteen years, I’ve been dedicated to helping people improve their relationships. I meet them at whatever stage they are at, and that could be newly engaged or newly divorced. I write dating profiles for people, and I also serve as a divorce mediator through my Conscious Uncoupling Program.
Relationships aren’t easy. Most of my work involves teaching partners how to communicate in a healthier, more effective way. Whether they come in with a crisis or wanting to rekindle their romance, they all need conflict resolution skills.
My goal in every session is for each “individual” to feel heard, understood, validated, honored, and respected by their partner. Whether I’m helping them build a beautiful beginning, navigate an amicable ending, create a chaos-free household, rekindle intimacy, or simply strengthen their bond, I consider it a success when connection and clarity are restored.
What would be your biggest piece of advice for readers who want to achieve the same?
I believe that strong communication skills and genuine empathy for your client can be applied across every industry and aspect of business. One of the most powerful tools we have is the ability to give clients our full attention and the space to express themselves fully.
We live in a hurried world where we interrupt each other, race to conclusions, multitask, and are bombarded with distractions. That leaves our clients feeling that they are not our priority, and we don’t care about them. Simply using a client’s name, reflecting back their concerns to show you’re truly listening, and validating their emotions builds trust. We all crave attention and connection. Unfortunately, many people go through life feeling unimportant, unheard, and dismissed.
The therapy skills I use with my patients are ones that all good business owners and managers can also use. While credibility, reputation, and experience may initially attract clients, long-term loyalty and referrals are built on the trust and emotional connection you create. When clients feel truly heard and valued, they’re far more likely to believe in what you offer and to recommend you to others.
What are the biggest mistakes you see people make, and how can they be avoided?
In my industry, there are many professional paths to choose from. Psychologists, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers all have options, and most decide that the safest route is to work for someone else. Employment in hospitals, clinics, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations offers stability, health insurance, paid time off, and a regular paycheck. However, that stability can also come with limitations: your skills may not be fully utilized, and you may find yourself working with populations that don’t align with your long-term goals or passions.
To be clear, community mental health work is vital. The professionals who dedicate themselves to that area are absolutely essential to the well-being of our society. That said, one of the biggest mistakes I see is that many talented professionals are afraid to take the leap into private practice. They underestimate the potential they have to create something meaningful on their own terms.
Starting your own practice gives you control over your business goals, your schedule, the clients you serve, and your income. That’s why I founded Live Well Alliance, LLC, a therapy group made up of independent providers. Since then, I’ve helped dozens of counselors launch their own private practices.
The biggest mistake? Not taking the risk to go out on your own. With the right support and mindset, it’s a step that can lead to both personal fulfillment and professional success.
How do you plan on further growing your business?
Relationships and marriages need help and support at every stage. Families are the foundations of our society. Couples carry the future in their hands when deciding to conceive and raise a child. Couples carry the load of aging and elderly parents and grandparents. Couples provide the goods and services to our communities and contribute the resources that lend to the economic success of the world.
My mission is to offer more meaningful support, guidance, and resources to couples, and that can’t be accomplished through one-hour sessions alone, even on 12-hour workdays. That’s why I created The Relationship Roadmap Series, a collection of seven easy-to-follow online courses that couples can complete from the comfort of their own home, at their own pace, and on their own schedule.
I designed these courses to provide practical tools for navigating every phase of a relationship. By leveraging technology, I’ve essentially duplicated myself, using an online teaching platform, video lessons, and interactive homework modules to make counseling guidance more accessible. Now, more couples can get the help they need by just logging into one of my courses on their laptop or phone.
I believe that if you want to grow a business, it should be driven by a genuine desire to help people, meet a real need, and offer something truly valuable, something that improves their lives and their future
Where can the readers find you?
Contact Gina Guddat: GinaGPsychology@gmail.com
Gina G Website: ginaguddat.com
Gina G- Non-profit Go Global Foundation: goglobalfund.org
“Relationship Roadmap”- Online Series for Couples: ginaguddat.com/course
