01 · Who Prof. works with

Prof. works with addictions, relationship issues and intimacy-related issues

Prof. lists 13 specialisms and 11 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Prof. chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Prof.'s own words

What Prof. says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Thank you for being here and taking this big step toward your lifelong happiness.

I am Joe Ryan, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been serving people for nearly two decades. If you want someone to walk with you through the forest of life, I am a good companion. Life is filled with challenges, uphill struggles, and crossroads where difficult choices must be made. When your path ahead is perilous and uncertain. we will walk forward together with courage to explore your world. I will listen with empathy and give you my all, so that you can discover where you are now, where you have come from, and where you ultimately wish to go. I believe that at some point down the road, you will find yourself unburdened in a way you never imagined possible. When that beautiful day comes, I will be there to applaud you for all you have done for yourself and for our world.

As for my counseling experience, individuals, couples and families have trusted me with their most difficult challenges for the past two decades. Often people seek out help when they are going through a crisis and working through this challenge is the first order of business. I have worked successfully with people experiencing depression, anxiety, PTSD, marriage, relationship and parenting issues, grief and loss, domestic abuse, substance and alcohol addiction, OCD, as well as personal growth and adjustment issues. I also have extensive experience with anger management issues, multicultural concerns and personality disorders.

In my work with you, as appropriate I will use the most successful psychological modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Solution-Focused Therapy. I also utilize solution-focused therapy, meaning that in addition to working on solving your personal dilemmas, you will gain insight in how to deal with complex issues in your future.

My Educational Credentials include:

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with California Board of Behavioral Sciences since 2003 Four advanced degrees in Psychotherapy, Educational Psychology, Writing and Literature Extensive training in Self-Psychology, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Anger Management, Narrative Therapy and Family Systems University and college professor for 35 years who has been a therapist for many, including students facing academic, career, and life adjustment issues.

I believe in creating a space where we can have difficult conversations, work on resolving issues and collaborate on treatment plans that are tailored to your personal needs and experiences. It takes a lot of courage and motivation to reach out for additional support. I am here for you and thank you for trusting me with your utmost personal dilemmas.

I look forward to working with you!

Prof. Joseph Ryan, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Prof. works

The 8 approaches Prof. lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Prof. lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Prof.'s - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Prof. runs a session.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

Also listed

• Jungian Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Prof. practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Prof.'s own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Prof. at this point.

2. Naming Prof. specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Prof. is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Prof..

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Prof.

Built from what Prof. actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Prof.'s - Prof. has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both The Gottman Method and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 19 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LMFT 44561

Licence number

44561

Licence expires

30 Apr 2027

NPI

1649833195

Years in practice

19

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Prof.'s name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Prof.. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

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