About Me

“Stop trying to calm the storm. Calm yourself, the storm will pass.”

-Siddhartha Gautama

About Me

My name is Ksenia Zhilyaeva, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington state. I received my Masters in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (Palo Alto University) in 2016. While I’ve been practicing therapy for over eight years, I’ve been working in the mental health field since 2013. With just under a decade of experience, my work has taken me across a wide array of environments from private practice, to residential programs, to school-based, social service, and transitional settings. I’m grateful for the opportunities and flexibility given to me, enabling me to familiarize myself with every dimension of mental health. I’m passionate about supporting clients within the tech industry, though I have had the distinct pleasure of counseling populations of all ages and backgrounds, while specializing in treating adolescents, adults, couples, and families.

What Sets Me Apart

Besides being a therapist, I am an established psychoeducational trainer, contracting with agencies to provide training in order to maintain managed care and licensing requirements. Thus, I am a skilled researcher, writer, and author of several training manuals, programs, and documents, along with being a highly competent public speaker.

I am a professional pianist, with years of experience teaching piano, music theory, and voice. I owned a small private music school in CA. Over the last few years I’ve discovered the world of art and painting, and taken several courses on classical painting techniques, as well as Expressive Art Therapy.

I use all of these skills in my work with clients:

  • Staying up to date with all the latest and most relevant research in neuropsychology, neurophysiology, biopsychology and so on, allows me to better understand my clients’ needs and internal vs. external states.

    • This is called “neurocounseling”, and is a newer specialty in the field, that’s defined as the science of integrating neuroscience principles having to do with the nervous system, brain functioning, and physiology, to improve clinical effectiveness in counseling practice.

    • I am certified in Neuropsychotherapy and apply this methodology to all of my work.

  • I’m also an Integrative Medicine (CIMHP) practioner, using integrative and functional medicine as a framework for helping clients develop a healthful routine with respect to sleep, nutrition, exercise, and hormone health.

  • A knack for public speaking aids me in helping my clients learn to be assertive and practice communicating effectively.

  • My musical and artistic abilities help me add a touch of creativity to my treatment methods. If my clients are willing, of course, together we discover creative outlets that they can feel passionate about, and use as a positive coping skill or rewarding hobby.