Christine Ryan , LPC

Christine Ryan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who brings decades of clinical and coaching experience to her work with adults facing life transitions and difficult challenges. She began her career in psychiatric hospital social work and community mental health settings, earned her master’s degree from Arizona State University, and has maintained a professional license since 1983. For many years she practiced in Dallas in a traditional office setting before shifting her focus to phone and online work after moving to the Bay Area eight years ago. During that transition she added life coaching to her offerings, completing certification through Coach Training Alliance in 2011, and has participated in projects that include online coaching for a decision-making startup and counseling for the Life Reimagined program.

Her background also includes disaster management training and certification as a telephonic critical incident responder, and she often draws on these skills when supporting clients through acute stress and crisis. Christine has worked extensively with individuals on issues such as anxiety and depression, relationship and family concerns, separation and divorce, grief and loss, chronic illness, caregiving stress, career and purpose questions, and intimacy-related problems. As a cancer survivor of thirty years, she brings both professional and personal insight to conversations about catastrophic illness, caregiving, and recovery.

Christine’s approach blends psychotherapy and coaching, with an emphasis on practical, solution-oriented steps that address the immediate situation, the effects those experiences have had, and the next moves that can create meaningful change. She frames the work as collaborative and aims to help clients identify the “now what” that leads to clearer choices and forward progress.

Therapeutic Approaches and Flexible Online Care

Christine Ryan draws on client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and solution-focused techniques to tailor online care to each person’s needs. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship in which the therapist listens deeply and supports the client’s own insight and goals - it is especially helpful for those seeking understanding, validation, and personal growth. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers practical strategies to reduce anxiety, manage depression, and change unhelpful patterns. Solution-focused therapy concentrates on identifying strengths and immediate steps that move a person toward their goals, making it useful for people who want targeted, short-term progress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work itself, and Christine collaborates with each person to find what fits best based on their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they explore which methods are most comfortable and effective, combining elements as appropriate to support meaningful change.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for busy schedules and for those who prefer remote care. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care across life changes, reduce travel time, and allow therapy to fit more readily into everyday life, while still benefiting from the expertise of licensed professionals and therapists.