My name is Mark Aaron Hurst. I am a licensed clinical psychologist, and have recently moved my private practice from Olympia, Washington to Spokane.
A Bit About My Upbringing and Background
I grew up in Shelton, a little logging town on Hammersley Inlet at the South end of Puget Sound. For generations, members of my family have made their living as boat builders, tugboat captains, and educators, so my childhood was quite naturally spent "messing about in boats," and my early jobs involved towing logs on the Sound. It was from these blue-collar experiences that I grew curious about the roles men fulfill in our society. As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a sportscaster, and my early college experiences in sportswriting gave me a further perspective on the lives of men. After discovering psychology, however, I was definitely hooked by the hope of understanding why men and women do the extraordinary things they do, and how they could achieve lives of greater satisfaction. That has been the focus of my professional life ever since.
Education and Experience
I earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from Ball State University in Indiana after completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Washington University. For nearly 30 years while in private practice, I have also been teaching at the university level, which helps keep me up to date on current research. During the course of my training, I worked in community mental health centers, university counseling centers, rehabilitation agencies, and a hospital. I currently provide workshops, consultation and training to various organizations around the country. I am a member of several professional organizations, including The Association for Psychological Science (APS), The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), and the Washington State Psychological Association. (WSPA).
