Ariana Stern-Luna, MS, LPC, RPT, EMDR Certified.

About Ariana (she/her):

Ariana was born and (mostly) raised in Austin, Texas. As a child of a secular Jewish mother and Mexican-American father she grew up understanding the importance of culture and identity within one’s development, as well as the experience of questioning one’s sense of belonging within multiple cultural identities. She knew early on in life that she wanted to pursue a career that would allow others to find their own sense of belonging and live the most authentic version of themselves. After completing her undergraduate degree in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin she decided to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. She moved away from her hometown to attend the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas where she gained extensive experience in working with individuals across the lifespan and acquired a specialization in clinical mental health counseling with children. Ariana has since obtained her Registered Play Therapist (RPT) certification and has become Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified. She has worked in a variety of settings, including non-profit agency and private practice, and is thrilled to continue serving her community through the founding of Attuned Austin Therapy Services. When Ariana is not at the office she enjoys spending time outdoors with her partner and two pups, training in self-defense and martial arts, and finding new creative projects to delve into.

Beliefs about our work together in therapy:

Ariana believes that we all have the innate ability to move towards healing and authenticity. Just as our physical bodies heal from physical wounds, our internal systems move towards mental and emotional well-being. Unfortunately this natural process can become blocked by trauma or adverse life experiences, often causing an individual to develop negative beliefs about themselves in the aftermath of such events (e.g. “I am bad,” “I’m not safe,” etc.) or to become locked in to states of emotional distress. These blocks often lead to the symptoms or presenting concerns that may have led you or your family to seek out help — things like anxiety, phobias, depression, aggressive behaviors, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating, self-harm, and relational issues, to name a few. It is Ariana’s belief that the work which takes place together in counseling will enable you or your child to remove those barriers and allow the natural path towards healing to continue.

Ariana offers professional counseling services for children, adolescents, and adults. She views the therapeutic relationship from a Person-Centered Therapy lens, which recognizes the power that each person holds to create change through a felt sense of understanding and acceptance. When working with younger children, Ariana works from a Child-Centered Play Therapy approach which is grounded in the belief that children utilize the medium of play, rather than verbal language, to heal from negative life experiences and create positive change within their lives. Ariana is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based approach that helps the brain reprocess painful memories and experiences in order to decrease the emotional charge associated with them. Ariana hopes that EMDR can help individuals of all ages work through past trauma and/or adverse life experiences, assisting them in changing any negative beliefs that may have developed surrounding these events. Ariana additionally has training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and has a special passion for helping individuals manage obsessive and compulsive related disorders. Expressive arts, sandtray, and other therapeutic activities may also be integrated within Ariana's therapy services, as appropriate for the client. Ariana always strives to meet the client where they are and tailors treatment to the individual. 

Therapeutic modalities and experience:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

• Filial therapy / Child-Parent Relationship Therapy

• Group Play Therapy (Groups of 2-3 children; may include siblings)

• Expressive Arts in Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, & Activity Therapy

• Parent consultations and family sessions

• Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator

• LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy

• Culturally responsive counseling

• Single episode and complex developmental trauma

• Anxiety disorders such as GAD, Social Anxiety, and Panic Disorder

• Obsessive and compulsive behaviors

• Highly Sensitive Child/Person (HSC/HSP) individuals

• Neurodivergence

• Identity exploration and development

• Externalizing behaviors such as explosive anger and/or aggressive behaviors

• Internalizing behaviors such as perfectionism, withdrawal, or frequent somatic complaints

All services provided have the option of being either in-person or Telehealth for clients located in Texas.

Ariana is also a Telehealth Registered Professional Counselor in South Carolina (SC Registration Number 1441): https://llr.sc.gov/TeleHealth/Counselor.html

For scheduling please click the button below or you may reach Ariana directly at ariana@attunedaustin.com

Ariana currently has a waiting list for potential new clients.