David Lechnyr, LCSW

David Lechnyr, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Gottman Therapist (#436). The Gottman Institute has awarded the Certified Gottman Therapist credential to 621 clinicians worldwide; he is one of roughly a dozen listed on the Gottman Referral Network in each of Oregon and Arizona. He provides structured, skills-based couples therapy via telehealth in Oregon and Arizona, based in Portland, and relationship coaching worldwide, integrating the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy (CBCT). He works with couples navigating recurring conflict, emotional disconnection, communication breakdown, and relationship ambivalence. He is the author of Personality Patterns in Couples Therapy, a framework for clinicians on recognizing relational patterns in couples work, and How to Screw Up Your Relationship in Ten Easy Steps, a field guide for couples on the patterns that quietly erode connection. New clients begin with an initial consultation.

What’s New with Arizona’s Behavioral Health Board: Essential Changes for Mental Health Professionals

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The Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners recently implemented significant regulatory changes that became effective November 2, 2025. These new rules represent months of regulatory development and include important updates that mental health professionals need to understand and implement in their practices.

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10 Warning Signs Your Loved One Is Trapped in Narcissistic Family Manipulation

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Family gathering where one person speaks emphatically at the head of the table while others show tense or withdrawn expressions

Narcissistic family manipulation is difficult to recognize from inside the system, because the patterns that define it were normalized before you were old enough to question them. What felt like your family’s personality was often a set of control mechanisms organized around one person’s needs. This article identifies the ten most consistent signs that a family system operates this way, and explains why these dynamics are so hard to name when you have grown up inside them.

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