Ruth Guthrie MA, PCLC
Mental Health Therapist
Ruth is a counselor who takes a person-centered, trauma-informed approach to help clients overcome barriers to their well-being. She works collaboratively to identify strengths, enhance support networks, and set practical goals to navigate life’s challenges. Ruth incorporates mindfulness, self-regulation strategies, and therapeutic techniques such as psychodynamic expressive art therapy, play therapy, and somatic-sensory approaches to meet the unique needs of each client. With extensive experience working with children who have faced trauma, Ruth has supported young clients in residential treatment settings, where she helped them reconnect with their Indigenous cultural resources. She has also worked with children aged five to twelve in local elementary schools, utilizing emotional regulation and art therapy to foster therapeutic relationships.
In addition to her clinical work, Ruth has a strong background in community organizing, assisting families and individuals in accessing critical resources. She is deeply committed to advocating for equitable access to housing and other social determinants of health. Ruth holds a Master’s in Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Montana, which provide her with a holistic understanding of clients within their larger social contexts, informing her approach to counseling and fostering a deeper connection with the individuals she serves.
She has an MA in cultural anthropology and has done work in cultural preservation including projects on the Big Hole battlefield relocating grave stones of Native and non-native people who fell in that battle. She has collaborated with Indigenous organizations in Missoula including the National Native Children's Trauma Center (NNCTC) and All Nations, to connect the PFC children with cultural resources as a protective factor against the effects of ACEs and trauma. She has also worked as a researcher for the NNCTC to produce materials related to ACEs and Indigenous health. She believes deeply in this work.
Contact Info:
Ruth Guthrie MA, PCLC
Mental Health Therapist
406-624-9880 Phone