"Life is a journey, travel it well." I believe we're all on our own individual journeys of life that sometimes put us in valleys and sometimes on top of hills. When it comes to the valleys, sometimes it's alright to reach out to someone for a little guidance and help. Hi, my name is Ryan and I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist. One of my favorite parts of my own journey has been navigating the complexities of young adult life stages from college, to work, romance and beyond. But whether or not it's life transitions or just a need for someone to journey along side you during a difficult time, I am here to help.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Journeying and discovery is the way I'd best describe therapy. In sessions, I like to delve deep into the history of who the client is now as shaped by their past upbringing and experiences. I feel that a lot of who we are, how we act, and our belief systems are defined by our past experiences. And with this in mind, forging ahead into the future, hopeful that change will come by addressing past hurts and traumas. Lastly, I always aim to provide a safe and secure place for the client to come exactly as they are without fear of judgement or criticism.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I tend to be very eclectic in my treatment methods, but try to tailor my methods of therapy to what the client might find to to be the most effective. That is why I think it's helpful to know what's worked and hasn't worked for the client in the past. I am aware that the therapy process can be very fluid, so adaptation is important. Most of my treatment revolves around family of origins issues and history to gain a better idea of cognitive distortions and beliefs that are manifesting currently in a client's life. And also don't be surprised if you get a homework assignment or two.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
The most important aspect of change in therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client. Therefore, I believe that strengthening the alliance between client and therapist is very important, whether that's through challenging a client, providing a safe place, or even connecting over mutual interests (for kids, it's always video games). Meeting the client where they're at and making a genuine connection is very important to me.