Jimmie Ryan

Jimmie Ryan

LMSW

           My goal as a therapist can be summed up by a quote often misattributed to Walt Whitman but more recently made famous by Ted Lasso: be curious, not judgmental. You have a remarkable story. And though it’s certainly not without its difficulties and hardships, it’s ultimately a story of resilience—you’re still here, after all.

Before becoming a therapist, I was a middle and high school teacher, and that experience still very much shows up in who I am and how I work. Both roles ask you to meet people where they are, cultivate a space for growth, and then trust the student—or client—to take it from there. What I loved most about teaching was seeing the light bulb moments when something finally clicked for a student after weeks or months of hard work. Therapy is no different. Some sessions are a slow burn of contemplation and understanding, so while I can’t promise there will be a dramatic light bulb moment every therapy session, when it does come, every hard session that preceded it will have been worth it.

            I like to tell my clients that therapy is a lot like dating: it’s mostly about fit. You can’t really make things work if you can’t trust that the other person genuinely cares about you. And if you’re still wondering if I’m the right therapist for you—since you can only glean so much from a website bio—I’ll be upfront: I am not a blank slate therapist. My approach to therapy is relational, which means I bring my real self into the room. I lead with warmth, talk like a real person, laugh easily, swear occasionally, and have a horrible poker face. I’m not going to pretend I have all the answers for this next chapter you’re writing, but I believe as long as we’re curious—not judgmental—we can find them together.

Some additional specialty areas that hit close to my heart also include:

• Men’s mental health  

• Identity and life transitions

• LGBTQ+ identity and community

• Relationships, attachment, and diverse relationship structures

• Parenting and family stress

• Spiritual and religious concerns

• Adolescents and emerging adults

• Shame

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Grief and loss

You can connect with an MT therapist here.