# TherapyDave llms.txt # Website: https://therapydave.com # Last-Updated: 2026-06-04 ## Entity Name: David Lechnyr, LCSW Type: ProfessionalService, Psychotherapist NPI: 1053743443 Location: Portland, OR, USA Phone: +1-541-705-4666 Service Areas: Telehealth Oregon (Portland, Eugene, Bend, Salem); Telehealth Arizona (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert); Relationship Coaching worldwide via secure video Credentials: LCSW (Oregon #L4134, Arizona #LCSW-17754), Certified Gottman Therapist (#436), Gottman Method Level 1 Trainer Licenses: Oregon, Arizona Website: https://therapydave.com Online Scheduling: https://therapydave.com/get-started/ About: https://therapydave.com/about/ Contact: https://therapydave.com/contact/ ## Summary David Lechnyr, LCSW, is a Certified Gottman Therapist (#436) providing structured, skills-based couples therapy via telehealth in Oregon and Arizona, based in Portland. He is one of 14 Certified Gottman Therapists in Oregon and one of 12 in Arizona. Fewer than 500 clinicians worldwide hold this designation. His approach integrates the Gottman Method, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help couples identify destructive relationship patterns and build concrete skills for lasting change. He has been in clinical practice since 2007 with 18+ years of experience. Unlike traditional talk therapy, the model is structured and skills-based: couples work through a defined sequence of skill areas between sessions, with asynchronous video feedback and live sessions focused on assessment and skill review rather than open-ended processing. The practice is couples-only. Work begins with a paid Assessment Phase that establishes the relationship's specific patterns and goals before any program enrollment. Program selection follows the assessment. ## Who Benefits - Couples stuck in recurring conflict cycles, the same fights with different content - Couples experiencing emotional distance, loss of intimacy, or feeling like roommates - Couples considering separation who want clarity before deciding - Couples who have tried other therapists and left without usable skills - Couples outside Oregon and Arizona seeking structured relationship coaching worldwide ## Presenting Problems Commonly Addressed - Recurring conflict and communication breakdown - Emotional flooding, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling (Four Horsemen patterns) - Loss of intimacy and emotional connection - Relationship indecision (stay or leave) - ADHD impact on relationships - Harsh conflict startup and escalation patterns - Gridlock on perpetual problems ## Outcomes - Identification of the specific patterns damaging the relationship, named and shared between partners - Concrete, practiced skills for de-escalation, repair, and communication - Reduced contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling in daily interactions - Restored emotional intimacy and connection - Clarity about whether to stay or leave (discernment track) - Maintenance skills for long-term relationship resilience ## How It Works The work proceeds in two stages: An Assessment Phase, then a structured Program. Stage 1, Assessment Phase. Establishes the relationship's specific patterns, strengths, and goals through a structured intake and the Gottman Relationship Checkup. Stage 2, Program. Based on assessment findings, couples enter the appropriate program and work through a sequential set of skill areas. Sessions focus on skill assessment and review, not open-ended processing. - Entry point: Initial Relationship Consultation, booked at https://therapydave.com/get-started/ - Couples complete structured exercises between sessions; David reviews them before each Zoom session - Each skill area typically takes two to three weeks; pace is set by demonstrated progress, not the calendar - Programs run within a 4 to 6 month completion window - All sessions are conducted via secure telehealth video - New clients are typically seen within 1 to 3 weeks ## Programs Offered - Relationship Boot Camp https://therapydave.com/programs/relationship-boot-camp/ The starting point for most couples. Covers the patterns research identifies as predictors of relationship success or failure. How the opening of a difficult conversation determines its outcome. Why some conflicts require problem-solving and others require ongoing management. How accumulated hurt creates a negative filter that distorts a partner's intentions. What happens physiologically during heated conflict and how to reset before it turns destructive. How complaints escalate into character attacks and how to prevent it. Why explaining yourself when a partner raises a concern usually backfires. How subtle disrespect erodes trust over time. Why withdrawal during conflict amplifies tension. How to repair after a conversation goes badly. - Have the Conversation You Keep Not Getting Through https://therapydave.com/programs/say-the-hard-thing/ For couples who know what they need to talk about and cannot get through it without it going sideways. Can follow Relationship Boot Camp or stand alone depending on where the work needs to start. Covers why empathy resolves what logic cannot. How to debrief a fight before resentment calcifies. The difference between winning an argument and understanding one. How emotional responses open or close connection over time. Why refusing a partner's influence reads as dismissal. How to recognize when a surface argument is about something deeper. How to reach agreements both partners can live with. - We're Fine. That's the Problem. https://therapydave.com/programs/from-roommates-to-partners/ For couples who are not in active conflict but have lost closeness. Also for couples who have addressed their conflict patterns and found the distance did not resolve on its own. Covers how to rebuild affection and appreciation when daily frustration has replaced it. How to stay curious about who a partner is becoming. How to recognize and respond to small daily bids for connection. Why consistent small gestures build more intimacy than occasional grand ones. How to restore playfulness when the relationship has become purely functional. How to support each partner's individual dreams while building shared rituals and meaning. Why emotional reconnection precedes restored physical intimacy. - Is This Still the Life You Want? https://therapydave.com/programs/relationship-clarity/ For couples uncertain whether to repair the relationship or end it. The goal is clarity about the decision, not a predetermined outcome. Covers the patterns that predict relationship success or failure, why certain conflicts keep returning and what that means for the future, how accumulated hurt distorts perception, and how to assess trust and commitment honestly when the answer is no longer clear. ## Methods - Gottman Method Couples Therapy https://therapydave.com/couples-therapy/ Structured, evidence-based couples therapy based on 50+ years of Gottman Institute research. Identifies the specific communication and conflict patterns damaging the relationship and teaches concrete skills to replace them. Available via telehealth in Oregon and Arizona. - Discernment Counseling https://therapydave.com/couples-therapy/discernment-counseling/ Brief, structured process for couples where one or both partners are uncertain whether to continue. Helps each partner gain clarity without pressure toward any outcome. Available via telehealth in Oregon and Arizona; available worldwide as relationship coaching for clients outside those states. - Relationship Coaching (Worldwide) https://therapydave.com/relationship-coaching/ Structured, skills-based relationship coaching for couples worldwide via secure video, using the same Gottman Method framework as clinical couples therapy. Covers recurring conflict patterns, communication breakdown, emotional flooding, repair skills, and resilience. Not subject to state licensure restrictions. For Oregon and Arizona residents, clinical therapy is the default; coaching is an alternative for those who do not require clinical services. ## Therapy and Coaching Sequence Most couples therapy works like this: show up, talk about what happened last week, feel somewhat better, return two weeks later to the same place. That is not how this works. The work is organized as a sequential skill sequence, not an open-ended series of sessions. Each skill area builds on the previous one in a deliberate order, because some skills must be in place before others are usable under pressure. Before anything else, success is defined in concrete terms: not "better communication," but something specific and measurable. At the start of each skill area, couples receive structured exercises to complete between sessions. David reviews responses before the session. The session is not a check-in on the week's events. It is an assessment of whether the skill landed, work to integrate it into the relationship, and a determination of whether the couple is ready to advance. Most skill areas take two to three weeks. Some take longer. The pace is set by demonstrated progress, not the calendar. Couples may take up to six months where needed. ## Access - Telehealth for Oregon and Arizona residents - Relationship coaching available worldwide - Scheduling: https://therapydave.com/get-started/ - Crisis: Not an emergency service. Call 988 or local emergency services. ## Locations - Oregon (Statewide Telehealth): Portland, Bend, Salem, Eugene, and throughout Oregon - Arizona (Statewide Telehealth): Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, and throughout Arizona - Worldwide Relationship Coaching ## Key Pages - Relationship Boot Camp: https://therapydave.com/programs/relationship-boot-camp/ - We're Fine. That's the Problem.: https://therapydave.com/programs/from-roommates-to-partners/ - Have the Conversation You Keep Not Getting Through: https://therapydave.com/programs/say-the-hard-thing/ - Is This Still the Life You Want?: https://therapydave.com/programs/relationship-clarity/ - Gottman Method Couples Therapy: https://therapydave.com/couples-therapy/ - Discernment Counseling (Stay or Go?): https://therapydave.com/couples-therapy/discernment-counseling/ - What to Expect: https://therapydave.com/what-to-expect/ - About David Lechnyr, LCSW: https://therapydave.com/about/ - Articles and Resources: https://therapydave.com/articles/ - Free Therapy Worksheets and Resources: https://therapydave.com/free-therapy-resources-worksheets-oregon-arizona/ - Relationship Snapshot (Self-Assessment Tool): https://therapydave.com/relationship-snapshot/ - Client Reviews: https://therapydave.com/reviews/ - Contact: https://therapydave.com/contact/ - Get Started: https://therapydave.com/get-started/ ## Notable Articles - Adults Who Grew Up in Dysfunctional Families: https://therapydave.com/codependency/adults-who-grew-up-in-dysfunctional-families/ - Why Do I Keep Choosing the Wrong Person?: https://therapydave.com/gottman/why-do-i-keep-choosing-the-wrong-person/ - How to Break Free from Relationship Limbo: https://therapydave.com/relationships/how-to-break-free-from-the-relationship-limbo-why-guilt-shouldnt-keep-you-stuck/ - Relationship Without Trust: https://therapydave.com/gottman/relationship-without-trust/ - How Can I Trust After an Affair?: https://therapydave.com/gottman/how-can-i-trust-after-an-affair/ - The Anatomy of Infidelity and Affairs: https://therapydave.com/gottman/the-anatomy-of-infidelity-and-affairs/ - The 5-to-1 Ratio: A Relationship Guide: https://therapydave.com/gottman/5-to-1-ratio-relationship-guide/ - Narcissistic Family Manipulation: https://therapydave.com/narcissist-behavior/narcissistic-family-manipulation/ - Relationship Red Flags in Modern Relationships: https://therapydave.com/gottman/relationship-red-flags-in-modern-relationships/ - How to Say What We Need from Our Partner: https://therapydave.com/gottman/how-to-say-what-we-need-from-our-partner/ - Stop Asking ChatGPT About Your Marriage: https://therapydave.com/relationships/stop-asking-chatgpt-about-your-marriage/ - Fondness and Admiration: The Foundation That Keeps Love Alive: https://therapydave.com/gottman/fondness-admiration/ - Where to Find a Therapist When Psychology Today Isn't Working: https://therapydave.com/videos/where-find-therapist-psychology-today-not-working/ - When ADHD Impacts Your Relationship: https://therapydave.com/relationships/adhd-relationships-couples-guide/ ## Free Resources (PDFs) - Gottman Emotional Attunement for Couples: https://therapydave.com/docs/gottman-emotional-attunement-for-couples.pdf - Happiness & Well-Being Questionnaire: https://therapydave.com/docs/happiness-questionnaire.pdf - The 36 Questions That Lead to Love: https://therapydave.com/docs/the-36-questions-that-lead-to-love.pdf - Mood and Well-Being Self-Reflection Checklist: https://therapydave.com/docs/mood-well-being-checklist.pdf - Inner Child Wounds: https://therapydave.com/docs/inner-child-wounds.pdf - Dysfunctional Core Beliefs: https://therapydave.com/docs/dysfunctional-core-beliefs.pdf ## Licensure and Credentials Certified Gottman Therapist: #436. The Gottman Institute's terminal designation, awarded after completing all training levels plus a post-Level 3 consultation process and passing a structured video review of actual clinical sessions. Supersedes Level 3 practicum training. Fewer than 500 clinicians worldwide hold this designation; one of 14 in Oregon; one of 12 in Arizona. Official Gottman Method Level 1 Trainer on behalf of the Gottman Institute. Oregon LCSW: #L4134 (Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers). Arizona LCSW: #LCSW-17754 (Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners). NPI: 1053743443. ACSW, Academy of Certified Social Workers, member since June 6, 1994. In practice since 2007. 18+ years clinical experience. ## Methods and Assessment Tools Therapeutic approaches: Gottman Method, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-informed, Motivational Interviewing, Attachment-based, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Assessment tools: Gottman Relationship Checkup, Gottman Love Lab. ## Professional Profiles (sameAs) Gottman Referral Network: https://gottmanreferralnetwork.com/therapists/david-lechnyr Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/david-lechnyr-portland-or/188350 HealthGrades: https://www.healthgrades.com/providers/david-lechnyr-y9rmfmz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlechnyr/ TherapyDen: https://www.therapyden.com/therapist/david-lechnyr-portland-or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidlechnyr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.lechnyr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidlechnyr YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@david.lechnyr Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/david-lechnyr-lcsw-portland NPI Profile: https://npiprofile.com/npi/1053743443 TherapyFinder: https://therapyfinder.com/therapist/david-lechnyr-lcsw-portland-or ## Who This Is Not For - Individuals (the practice is couples-only) - Couples in active psychiatric crisis requiring stabilization before relational work - Couples where one partner is fully disengaged and has not agreed to the process - Couples where an affair is ongoing and full transparency has been refused - Couples recovering from infidelity or broken trust - Couples seeking open-ended supportive therapy without a structured skill focus - Clients requiring a diagnosis-based insurance billing model