Dr. Sabatini Gutierrez is an Associate Professor in the Couple and Family Therapy program at Alliant International University, and the Branch director at the Irvine campus. Her research interests include transgenerational and interpersonal trauma, sexuality across the lifespan, vicarious traumatization and self-of-the-therapist development, chemical dependency in the family, and anti-carceral clinical practices. In her clinical work, Dr. Sabatini Gutierrez specializes in treating various forms of trauma, including sexual trauma, adults who experienced childhood abuse, and trauma related to different forms of oppression. She also has extensive experience treating dual diagnosis substance use disorders and other co-occurring mental health disorders.
Vicarious traumatization and post-traumatic growth of therapists; self-of-the-therapist development; sexual trauma; sexual identity development; addiction and the family; and addressing multiculturalism and client centered advocacy in education and clinical supervision.
- BA in Psychology - University of California, San Diego
- MA in Couple and Family Therapy - Alliant International University, Irvine
- PsyD in Couple and Family Therapy - Alliant International University, Irvine
- Trauma and Crisis Intervention in MFT
- Chemical Dependency and the Family
- Sex Therapy; MFT Theories II
- Couple Therapy; MFT Practicum
- Advanced Family Therapy II (PhD)
- Advanced Professional Practice (PhD)
- Espinoza, S., Sabatini-Gutierrez, N., Dadras, I., Lee, K. I., Duran, M., & Garabedian, A. (2025). A Family Centered Approach to Mandated Reporting: An Anticarceral Praxis for Couple and Family Therapists Working With BIPOC Families. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 51(3), e70022.
- Nleko, G., & Gutierrez, N. S. (2025). Rejunctive Moves Toward Systemic Healing: A Contextual Family Therapy Approach to Father’s Absence. Family Process, 64(1), 1–7.
- Sabatini Gutierrez, N. (2019). Symbolic-Experiential Relationship Therapy. In J. Lebow, A. Breunlin, & C. Douglas (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. New York, NY: Springer International. Advance online publication.
- Sabatini Gutierrez, N., Espinoza, S., Farzaneh, I. (2023, August). Transgenerational Trauma and Substance Use Disorders: Ethics of Care and Client-Centered Advocacy. Presented at the IVAT Annual conference, San Diego, CA.
- Sabatini Gutierrez, N., & Natrajan-Tyagi, R. (2018, November). Examining vicarious trauma, sexuality, and relationships of female therapists: A qualitative study. Roundtable Paper presented at the annual NCFR Conference. San Diego, CA.
- Sabatini Gutierrez, N., & Snead, K.L. (2024). An integration of collaborative language systems and symbolic-experiential family therapy with transnational families. In K. Hertlein (Ed.), International Handbook of Couple and Family Therapy.
- Tarver, M. L., Seshadri, G., Gutierrez, N., Fontus, F., & Boykins, B. (2025). No Shame, All Gain: The Influence of Sex Positive Learning on the Sexual Health of Black Women, a Feminist Study. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 37(1/2), 23–41.