Ryen McGrath (He/Him)

My Background and Approach

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. 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.

My Approach to Helping

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.