Upon graduation she applied and was accepted at Drew University. Drew is well known for its psychology department and it was the only school to which she applied. Her goal was to earn her Bachelors ‘degree and move straight on to a doctoral program in Clinical Psychology. After graduating from Drew University, she applied to numerous Clinical Psychology doctoral degree programs, but was rejected by all of them. Refusing to fuel her disappointment, she secured a job working for Planned Parenthood and took doctoral level classes at St. John’s University.

During the spring term of that year, she reapplied to Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs and was accepted to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Long Island University. It was the only acceptance letter she received. While there, she met the noted professor Dr. Eva Feindler, whom she not only credits as her mentor, but also for steering her in the direction of Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Dr. Feindler was also the first person to really push her beyond her limits, which proved to be valuable to her future personal and professional growth. Dr. Feindler is a renowned expert in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and specializes in Anger Management in Adolescents. Jennifer also admired Dr. Aaron T. Beck’s work on Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Albert Bandura’s work on self-efficacy and loved Heinz Kohut, who is considered a theoretician of self-psychology (which involves a person’s self-concept or beliefs about themselves).

Fresh out of graduate school, Jennifer accepted an offer to work for the Mental Health Association of Westchester County and was assigned to work off-site as a clinician at WestHELP-Greenburgh, a family homeless shelter. The shelter was personally endorsed and supported by Andrew Cuomo and was housed on the campus of Westchester Community College. WestHELP was a haven for minority and disenfranchised mothers with children under the age of five. It was a challenging and exciting task, but Jennifer was undeterred. She helped to empower the women and broke the traditional protocol that mandated all appointments needed to be requested in advance. Instead, she offered every woman carte blanche access to meet and talk to her about anything and everything.

While she was working at WestHELP she tried to spread her wings and launch her own start-up practice as a Clinical Psychologist in Tarrytown, NY. She relied mostly on referrals from insurance companies for clients. She was attempting to refine her treatment approach with a different client demographic then the demographic she was seeing at the shelter. Although she was fulfilling her goals, within the year it became clear her business model was not sustainable, so it was shuddered.  In 1995, she married and four years later had her first child, a son. In 2001, she gave birth to her second child, a daughter. That year, she resigned from the Mental Health Association of Westchester County to parent full-time.

However, during her eight-year tenure she had secured a staff, serviced close to 1000 women, and was promoted to several positions including Assistant Executive Director of the Mental Health Association. In that role, she was responsible for all clinical care throughout the agency and supervising over 200 mental health staff including social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.  After taking a professional hiatus for a year, she opened a private practice in Westport, CT (2002). Within the first six months she was introduced to numerous psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers within the Fairfield community that she grew to admire and respect.

After 15 years in Fairfield County, Jennifer expanded her practice to include a location in Midtown Manhattan. Before the pandemic, she fully embraced and immersed herself into city life in Manhattan, and networking with other professionals.

Her range of expertise covers writing on topics such as: overall mental health, self-empowerment, self-confidence, the workplace, relationships, divorce, death, anxiety, addiction, teen suicide, and navigating potentially tricky holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.

Dr. Guttman balances an energizing work-life with parenting two young adults. In the little spare time her daily regimen allows, she has been an avid theatergoer and world traveler.