Ryan Forbes, LCMHC
Somatic-informed counselor focused on practical change
About Ryan
Ryan Forbes is a licensed counselor who brings ten years of clinical experience to his practice. He uses straightforward conversation and body-centered work to help people who feel stuck or overwhelmed. Ryan is based in Utah and offers sessions in English.
He starts by listening to the whole person, not just symptoms. That often means talking about thoughts and feelings alongside how the body holds stress. Somatic approaches help people notice tension and learn gentle ways to shift it.
Background and approach
Client-centered conversation makes space for each person's priorities. Ryan draws on practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical skills to help manage anxiety, mood shifts, and impulsivity. He also uses mindfulness exercises to steady attention and reduce reactivity.
Sessions focus on small, useful steps clients can try between meetings. He works with concerns such as stress, depression, bipolar mood shifts, ADHD, relationship and intimacy questions, parenting strain, grief, and compassion fatigue. Additional areas include abandonment, attachment wounds, guilt and shame, and life-purpose concerns.
Ryan aims to help people build self-compassion and clearer communication. People who come to Ryan can expect a collaborative style. He asks about goals, tries different tools, and adjusts based on what feels most helpful.
He frames clients as the experts on their lives and supports them in finding sustainable change.
How somatic work and skills-based therapy translate online
Ryan blends somatic therapy with client-centered work to help people notice how stress shows up in the body and learn manageable ways to shift it. Somatic therapy here involves simple body awareness, breathing, and movement suggestions that complement talk-based reflection and can reduce physical tension tied to anxiety and mood problems.He also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of responding. CBT is useful for worry, low mood, and impulsive reactions because it breaks problems into concrete steps and practice tasks. These approaches are used together so therapy stays practical and tailored to each person's goals.
Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. The therapist and client decide which tools to try based on symptoms, day-to-day life, and personal preference. Sessions include checking what worked, adjusting techniques, and planning small experiments to try between meetings.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives. Video allows face-to-face conversation and guided body awareness work, while chat and messaging offer brief check-ins and skill practice. These options provide flexibility so people can use the methods that suit them best.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Ryan commonly address?
What is his general therapy style?
How much clinical experience does he have?
Where is he licensed and what are his credentials?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Can international clients work with him?
What session formats are available online?
How are costs and scheduling handled?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intimacy-related issues
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self-love
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Utah
- Languages
- English