Hello, I’m Ryen (he/him). I’m a licensed professional counselor. I believe people heal in relationships. The therapeutic relationship between a client and a counselor is an intentional space where the client can have healing emotional and interpersonal experiences. I work with adult clients, individually and in groups. I hold a Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Portland State University. Since 2020, I have worked with adults and teens with all different backgrounds, identities, diagnoses, and stories, in both clinic and hospital settings. 

People may seek counseling when they feel stuck, when they are struggling with something, or when they want to heal and grow. Each person is the expert on their own experience. Most of my clients have been harmed or restricted in some way by discrimination, unequal access, and other forms of injustice. I strive to honor the dignity, autonomy, and connectedness of clients who identify as members of marginalized groups. If you find that we are a good fit for your therapy needs, we can work together to increase insight, tap into self-compassion, and discover skills that can help you reach your goals.

I believe that working with humans means working with trauma, so I use the principles of trauma-informed care and the Africana Worldview Model to guide my work. I use counseling theories including narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and internal family systems (IFS), as well as skills and tools from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). I use somatic and mindfulness (body and awareness) tools to help clients access the power of their senses, thoughts, and emotions to promote wellness. I take a neuroscientific approach to understanding the body, the brain, and how a person’s experience of their own body can shift over time as they heal.

One of my goals as a trans counselor is to co-create space with trans, nonbinary, two-spirit, and questioning clients to explore and develop their identities, heal, and grow. I work with clients of all racial and ethnic identities. As a white counselor, I am aware of how my racial identity may affect counseling relationships, and I am committed to creating supportive, effective therapeutic relationships with BIPOC clients. I strive to provide affirming care to clients of all body sizes, abilities, and disabilities. My practice is LGBTQ+ affirming. To increase access to care, I offer both teletherapy and in-person appointments.