Dr. Aryn Ziehnert

Qualifications & Experience

I hold a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a Child and Family Emphasis. I also have an A.A. in General Studies from Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) in Spokane, Washington, a B.A. in Psychology from Eastern Washington University (EWU) in Cheney, Washington, and an M.A. in Psychology from University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. My pre-doctoral internship was completed at OhioGuidestone in Cleveland, Ohio.

For the past several years I have been a faculty member in institutions of higher education. Most recently I have been a lecturer in psychology at EWU, teaching primarily undergraduate courses (lower and upper division) in the psychology program. These classes include science of stress and coping, theories of personality, the effects of childhood trauma, statistics, research methods, and introductory psychology.

My Call to Christian Counseling

The desire to help others has been integral to my identity since before I can remember. I am so fortunate to have grown up in a household that taught us the importance of love, the necessity to look out for others, and the directive to share our resources to those in need. Before I had the “correct psychology lexicon” to back it up, I could see that there were disparities in the human experience and that some individuals struggled with mental health more than others. I knew this was not what God intended for His creation, and so I channeled my desire to help others into a career pursuit of psychology. This decision was made in high school and I have never looked back.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I am a fierce advocate of good self-care and make it a habit to engage regularly in what fills my cup. My self-care includes running, spending time with friends and family, reading, and watching documentaries on social issues. I find joy in regularly volunteering at a local homeless shelter and appreciate the community I have found though my involvement with my local church.

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• ADHD
• Aging and Geriatric Issues
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Coaching
• Counseling for Children
• Counseling for Teens
• Couples Counseling
• Codependency
• Depression
• Family Counseling
• Grief and Loss
• Individual Counseling
• Infidelity and Affairs
• Marriage Counseling
• OCD
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Professional Development
• Relationship Issues
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma
• Weight Loss
• Women’s Issues

Grief and Loss

The death of a loved one tends to create a dividing moment in our lives: “when ___ was alive” and “after ___ died.” The feelings that surround the loss can be incredibly complex, especially when the relationship itself was complex or multi-faceted. In addition to the loss of life, death can also bring about loss of purpose, loss of meaning, and even loss of faith. Therapy for grief and loss offers a safe holding space from which to navigate the uncharted territory of life in the “after.” The ultimate goal is not to find a way to let go or move on. Rather, it’s about negotiating and renegotiating the meaning of the loss over time, finding ways to weave the loss into the tapestry of life. Therapy will also help find ways to continue bonds and connections with our lost loved ones.

Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues

Issues in intimacy are among the top concerns couples report when seeking therapy. Common reasons for intimacy issues include communication struggles, differing goals and values, and increased responsibilities (e.g., child rearing, job demands). The goal of couples therapy is to rebuild the emotional bond. This is made possible when the couple reaffirms their commitment to seeing themselves as a team, and therefore viewing any disagreement or challenge as “the couple versus the problem” (as opposed to “partner versus partner”). Each partner will work on fostering a humble, other-focused love that is rich in forgiveness and shallow in anger or resentment. Communication skills will be targeted to address what is being said, how it is being said, and what is being received. This will be a strengths-based approach where the unique assets of the couple are identified and utilized.

*Please note: Couples therapy is not recommended in situations where there is abuse of one or both partners. Individual counseling is recommended as an alternative.

Trauma and Abuse

The impacts of childhood trauma and abuse often reverberate well into adulthood and may make living a flourishing and fulfilling life challenging. Individuals who have experienced childhood trauma frequently report later struggles with relationship intimacy, establishing appropriate boundaries, and having a healthy sense of self and others. Therapy will work to address these reverberating effects; this will be done in part through narrative work that fosters cohesion in a life that may feel fragmented. We will work together to identify thought patterns and behaviors that were developed in response to the trauma, question the utility of those thought patterns and behaviors, and identify replacement thought patterns and behaviors that better serve us now.

Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion that is necessary for survival; it is like a smoke detector that alerts us to the presence of potential danger, giving us time to act to put out the fire. The experience of anxiety can become a problem when: (1) The anxiety is excessive (a smoke detector going off at the flicker of a candle), (2) The anxiety is irrational (a smoke detector going off when someone sneezes), or (3) The anxiety is uncontrollable (a smoke detector not turning off even when the fire has been put out). Therapy will engage both cognitive and behavioral strategies for managing the anxiety. These strategies include identifying and practicing skills to reduce anxiousness and increase calm, challenging anxiety-related thoughts, and gaining mastery over situations in which anxiety is present.

Anger Management

Our brains have two primary sections responsible for our handling of emotional experience: (1) the limbic system and (2) our cerebral cortex. The limbic system sometimes gets referred to as the “emotional brain;” it is a quick-moving, rudimentary system that connects basic emotions to basic behaviors. The cerebral cortex is the higher-order processing area of our brain; it is a slower-moving, complex system that handles our abilities to “think about our thinking,” consider alternatives and put the brakes on behavior. When we are in highly emotional states, such as intense anger, the limbic system tends to take the driver’s seat. If we’re not careful, we can make choices in the moment that we would have otherwise overridden if our cerebral cortexes were driving. Therapy for anger management works by addressing this process: recognizing the situations where you tend to get angry, uncovering the reasons behind the anger response, and identifying and practicing prevention strategies to avoid the limbic system taking over.

Counseling for Children and Adolescents

Children and teens are welcome in my office! The content and structure of therapy will be dependent on the child’s developmental age and the identified concern. Certain concern areas are best addressed in the context of the family (e.g., defiance and opposition), so caregivers may be encouraged to join in the sessions.

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Spokane – Monday
• Spokane Valley – Thursday
• North Spokane – Friday
• Online (WA Only) –  Monday, Thursday and Friday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals and couples looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, some insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals, and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event, you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction will be added for credit card payments.