Ryan Ingram
Hi, I’m Ryan Ingram, PsyD, a licensed psychologist in California. I work with adults, teens, and couples who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of their next steps - whether that’s related to anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, identity, or major life transitions. LGBTQ+ affirming and sex positive. Therapy with me is a safe, affirming space for reflection and real change. I bring warmth, curiosity, and honesty, while also challenging patterns that may be keeping you stuck. My approach emphasizes choices, personal responsibility, and accountability, not blame, so you can better understand what is within your control and take meaningful action. I integrate evidence-based approaches to help you regulate emotions, change unhelpful patterns, heal from past experiences, and build a life that feels more authentic, intentional, and aligned with your values.
This flexibility allows me to meet clients where they are—whether they need concrete coping skills, help processing trauma, or support navigating relationships and identity.
I specialize in helping people manage anxiety, build confidence, strengthen relationships, and become more aligned with the person they want to be. Therapy can help you understand the patterns, fears, and beliefs that keep you stuck while developing more intentional ways of responding. Together, we can work on reducing overthinking, improving communication and boundaries, increasing self-trust, and making choices that reflect your values rather than fear or pressure. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, capable, and confident in how you show up in relationships, work, and your everyday life.
First session
The first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin building a sense of comfort and trust. There’s no pressure to share everything right away - we’ll move at a pace that feels right for you. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what’s been feeling difficult, and what you’re hoping to get out of our work together. I may ask some gentle questions to better understand your experiences, history, and current stressors, but this is not an interrogation or evaluation - it’s a conversation. I’ll also explain how therapy with me typically works and make space for any questions or concerns you might have. My goal in the first session is for you to leave feeling heard, supported, and a little less alone. You don’t need to prepare anything in advance or know exactly what to say. Showing up as you are is more than enough. From there, we’ll begin to clarify goals and shape therapy in a way that feels meaningful and supportive for you.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to create a space where people feel genuinely seen and safe to be themselves. Clients often tell me they appreciate that I’m warm, real, and engaged - not a blank wall - and that they can bring the messy, unpolished parts of their lives into the room without fear of judgment. I’m skilled at balancing insight with action. I help clients understand the deeper roots of their struggles while also giving them practical tools they can use right away. Drawing from CBT, ACT, mindfulness, and relational approaches, I tailor therapy to each person instead of forcing them into a single model. This flexibility allows me to meet clients where they are—whether they need concrete coping skills, help processing trauma, or support navigating relationships and identity. Another strength is my focus on collaboration. I see therapy as a team effort where your goals guide the work. I’m direct when it’s helpful, gentle when it’s needed, and always focused on helping you build confidence in your own ability to cope and grow. Clients often leave feeling more grounded, more self-compassionate, and clearer about how to move forward in their lives.
Ideal clients
I work best with clients who want more than just symptom relief—they want to understand themselves and create real change in their lives. Many of the people I see are navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma, identity concerns, or big life transitions and are ready to look honestly at the patterns that keep them feeling stuck. My ideal clients are open to exploring both the practical and emotional sides of their experience. They might be high-functioning on the outside but feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or hard on themselves internally. I especially enjoy working with LGBTQ+ adults and teens, individuals healing from difficult relationships or childhood wounds, and people who want support around self-worth, boundaries, and authentic living. Clients who tend to connect well with me are curious, reflective, and willing to try new ways of thinking and responding. They don’t need to have everything figured out—they just need a willingness to show up and be real. My goal is to help you feel understood, develop concrete tools, and move toward a life that feels more grounded, confident, and true to who you are.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the core approaches I use in my practice. My experience with CBT includes helping clients address anxiety, depression, trauma-related stress, relationship difficulties, and patterns of self-criticism or avoidance. I was trained in CBT during graduate school and have continued to use it extensively in outpatient therapy, community mental health, and private practice settings.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another central approach in my practice. I use ACT to help clients relate to difficult thoughts and emotions in a more flexible, compassionate way, rather than trying to fight, suppress, or “fix” every internal experience. My training in ACT has shaped how I work with anxiety, depression, trauma, identity concerns, and life transitions where people feel stuck between what they feel and how they want to live. In my work, ACT focuses on two main goals: helping clients build psychological flexibility and helping them move toward a life that reflects their values. Instead of debating whether a thought is true or false, we explore whether it is useful—and how to create space for uncomfortable feelings without letting them run the show.
Couples Counseling
Couples counseling in my practice is centered on helping partners understand each other more deeply and change the patterns that keep them feeling disconnected. I work with couples facing communication breakdown, trust issues, recurring conflict, intimacy concerns, and major transitions such as infidelity, parenting stress, or blending families.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I frequently use a solutions-focused approach in my practice. Solutions-focused therapy emphasizes identifying practical solutions and achievable goals rather than dwelling extensively on problems or past difficulties. The focus is on building on clients’ existing strengths and resources to create positive change in the present and future. In sessions, I work collaboratively with clients to clarify what they want to achieve and what success looks like for them. Together, we explore actionable steps that can be implemented immediately, helping clients see tangible progress quickly. This approach is highly goal-oriented and tailored to each individual’s unique circumstances, ensuring therapy remains relevant and effective. A central aspect of my solutions-focused method is helping clients develop consistent self-care routines and proactive strategies that reinforce mental well-being outside of sessions. I emphasize actionable guidance, empowering clients to take ownership of their progress and feel self-reliant, self-sufficient, and capable of managing challenges independently. By combining practical strategies with clear goal-setting, solutions-focused therapy provides clients with a roadmap to achieve meaningful change. This approach complements CBT techniques, offering flexibility and a focus on empowerment, personal strengths, and measurable results. My aim is for clients to leave each session feeling capable, motivated, and confident in their ability to implement solutions in their daily lives.
Location
Virtual sessions