New to Grow
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. I specialize in working with individuals and strive to create a space that feels affirming, safe, and grounded in respect for your lived experience. Therapy with me is collaborative and supportive. We’ll move at your pace, focusing on what feels most important to you while building insight, coping tools, and self-understanding along the way. LGBTQ+ affirming and sex positive.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
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.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
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.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
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.
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.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-based therapy is an important part of how I work because many people are not struggling only with situations, but with their relationship to their own thoughts, emotions, and bodies. I use mindfulness to help clients slow down, notice their inner experience with curiosity, and respond with more choice instead of reacting on autopilot. My experience with this approach includes working with anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, depression, and self-criticism.