Male therapists in Lakewood, WA

My role is as collaborator, guide, coach and empathetic listener. Together we will work to explore your goals and how I can best support your journey there. I believe clients can become the heroes of their lives and help them tap into their own wisdom and healing capacity.  

I can help you move through your anxiety and trauma in a way that permanently changes your relationship with it. Whether it's your relationships, work, or some other overwhelming stress, I will help you create a second start for yourself. Let's work together to make lasting change for you! I am also an approved supervisor, and can help you become an integrated and evidenced-based therapist. My PhD is in Counselor Education & Supervision and I have 7 years experience training counselors on psychodiagnostics, integrated theory, & trauma-informed care. I started my career in 2008 as a floor staff technician in group homes and mental health hospitals, gaining hands-on experience while working my way through college. I eventually became a college professor, clinical supervisor, and subject matter expert for the Department of Defense We will use a cognitive and internal systems approach to help you find a second start. Hope and change are waiting for you!. Don't suffer alone. Please reach out to me to get help now  

We know that feeling understood matters just as much as clinical skill. We take care in matching clients with therapists who not only have strong training, but who also bring lived experience that helps them truly “get” what you’re going through. Our therapists work in a way that is both clinical and deeply human—offering evidence-based support while honoring identity, context, and real-life experience. We focus on creating a relationship where you feel safe, respected, and supported, so therapy feels meaningful, not mechanical.  

I specialize in the assessment and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD) to also include the anxiety and depression that so often accompanies traumatic experiences. Since the beginning of my career, I have worked with wide variety of people who have experienced some form of traumatic experience--including combat trauma, sexual assault, chronic physical and emotional abuse and chronic neglect from parental figures.  

Greetings. Do you have workplace or life stress related issues? Let's work on them together. My experience in the business world, along with counseling, has given me many opportunities to work with people on their problems. We will work on mindful techniques that will help you manage your stress, and explore your values for meaning and purpose. I look forward to meeting you.  

Everyone at times needs some support or coaching on their life journey. I'd be happy to sit down with you or talk on the phone and compassionately listen to your story and lend some hope and encouragement. I view "problems" as opportunities to work on and overcome the 'threats' within and around us and to open up our lives to new levels of growth.  

I am now providing the full range of counseling and hypnotherapy services to you via an ACA compliant, secure video platform or via your telephone. I continue to bring the broad range of training and experience to my work as a therapist from over the past 30 years. You can now have personal, professional counseling & hypnotherapy services in the comfort and convenience of your own home, office, or even your car. I have learned that each person has a unique background, unique problems, and unique strengths. I've learned the importance of gaining a thorough understanding of my clients' situation & the issues with which they are struggling, and what their goals are. I work to help each client cope with their life stressors, and to tap into the conscious & unconscious resources that will help them heal & grow, empowering them to make changes that they want for themselves and achieve their goals.  

Navigating relationships is perhaps the most challenging area of our lives and yet we get no formal training on how to do it in school. This is where I can help. I can assist you and your loved ones to change old ways of interacting and to stop those circular arguments that go nowhere. Please take the time to call me for a free consultation.  

Hi, I’m Ryan. I became a therapist because I know how powerful it can be to have someone genuinely in your corner. Someone who sees the good in you when you’re struggling to see it yourself, who stays grounded when life feels overwhelming, and who believes that your current circumstances do not have to define your future. I believe people are capable of meaningful change, even after years of feeling stuck, lonely, anxious, disconnected, or shaped by painful experiences. Sometimes we simply need a relationship in which we feel safe enough to be honest, supported enough to take risks, and gently challenged enough to begin doing things differently. I hope to offer that kind of relationship to my clients. My path to becoming a therapist has not been entirely conventional. I grew up in Bellingham, Washington, earned degrees abroad in Italy and Spain, and previously worked as both a marketer and a psychometrist before entering the counseling profession. Living in different countries and moving through several professional worlds taught me to be curious about people. Their stories, cultures, relationships, contradictions, and the experiences that shape how they see themselves. In therapy, I want to know the person behind the symptoms. I want to understand what you long for, what keeps getting in the way, what you learned about yourself growing up, and who you might become if fear, shame, trauma, or self-doubt were no longer making so many of your decisions. You do not need to arrive with the perfect explanation for what is wrong. You may simply know that you feel lonely, overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, haunted by the past, or tired of repeating the same relationship patterns. You may be outwardly successful while privately feeling insecure or lost. You may want deeper relationships but find yourself withdrawing, avoiding vulnerability, choosing unavailable partners, or questioning whether anyone could truly understand you. Whatever brings you here, you do not have to perform or pretend with me. I aim to create a space where you can speak honestly. Even about the thoughts, experiences, desires, fears, and parts of yourself that feel difficult to share elsewhere. My style is warm, grounded, direct, and deeply human. I will listen without judgment, but I will not simply nod along with everything you say. When helpful, I will gently challenge the beliefs or patterns that may be keeping you stuck. I believe we can be compassionate toward ourselves while also taking responsibility for creating change. Therapy with me is both insight-oriented and action-oriented. We will explore how early relationships, childhood experiences, unconscious beliefs, and protective behaviors may still influence your life today. I take an Adlerian and psychodynamic approach, meaning I am interested in the deeper story beneath your current struggles. However, I do not believe your past permanently determines who you are. Awareness gives us choices. Once we understand why a pattern developed and what purpose it once served, we can begin deciding whether it still belongs in the life you want today. Insight is important, but I also want therapy to extend beyond the hour we spend together. Depending on your goals, I may suggest small behavioral challenges (what I sometimes call “missions”) to help you practice new ways of relating to yourself and others. That might involve initiating an uncomfortable conversation, setting a boundary, reaching out to someone instead of isolating, tolerating the possibility of rejection, making eye contact, expressing a need, or interrupting a pattern of avoidance. These challenges are collaborative and paced carefully. The goal is not to overwhelm you or push you before you are ready. Instead, we gradually build your capacity to do things that once felt impossible. Little by little, you begin gathering evidence that you can survive discomfort, respond differently, and become more secure in yourself. I also use evidence-based approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. These approaches can be especially helpful when painful memories, traumatic experiences, intrusive thoughts, or deeply rooted negative beliefs continue to affect your relationships and daily life. We can discuss these options together and determine what feels most appropriate for you. Therapy is not one-size-fits-all, and I want you to understand and feel comfortable with the work we are doing. Many of the people who feel drawn to my practice are young adults, members of Gen Z and the millennial generation, and people who want to build more meaningful relationships. I often work with men experiencing loneliness, insecurity, relationship difficulties, or questions related to sexual identity. I particularly value working with gay and bisexual men and hope to provide a space where you can explore identity, dating, intimacy, coming out, attachment, and relationship dynamics without having to explain or defend who you are. I also enjoy working with women navigating attachment concerns, dating patterns, motherhood, single parenthood, major transitions, and the desire to form healthier, more secure relationships. Across identities, I tend to connect well with people who are introspective, curious about themselves, and ready to move toward a life that feels more authentic, even if they are not yet sure how to get there. My goal is not for therapy to become the only place where you feel known and supported. I want the trust we build together to ripple outward into the rest of your life. Over time, I hope you become more comfortable expressing yourself, navigating conflict, forming close relationships, recovering from setbacks, and allowing others to truly know you. Ultimately, my goal is to help you build a life so full, secure, and meaningful that you no longer need therapy in the same way. Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, family, and friends. I love being outdoors, walking through neighborhoods and cities, riding my bike, growing food, and working on DIY and home-renovation projects. I also practice Vipassana meditation, although, like many people, not quite as consistently as I would like. These parts of my life help me stay curious, grounded, and connected to the ordinary moments that make life feel meaningful. Choosing a therapist is deeply personal. Training and therapeutic methods matter, but so does the feeling you have when you speak with someone. You deserve a therapist with whom you can gradually lower your guard and feel more like yourself. A free consultation is an opportunity for us to talk, for you to ask questions, and for you to get a sense of my personality and approach without pressure. You do not need to commit before knowing whether the connection feels right. I would be honored to meet you, hear what has been happening in your life, and explore whether I might be the person to walk alongside you as you begin creating something different.  

In a world that can feel isolating and overwhelming, you might be struggling with connection, stuck in old patterns, or feeling like something is missing. You don't have to figure it out alone. I specialize in working with men who are struggling with old unproductive habits, isolation, and the challenges of intimacy in relationships.