Integrated :: Connected :: Directed

Ryan Denney, M.A., AMFT #155800

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Supervised by Rachel Daggett, MS, LMFT #107858

Ryan Denney, AMFT #155800, supervised by Rachel Daggett, LMFT #107858, helping those who struggle with existential crisis, C-Suite professionals, and life transitions in San Clemente, South Orange County, California.
Therapy office chairs at Denney Family Therapy in San Clemente provide a warm, trauma-informed space for teens, families, and couples. A calming therapy space at Denney Family Therapy in San Clemente, designed for family counseling, trauma recovery.
The Bloom Room Therapy Group logo, located in downtown San Clemente and home to Denney Family Therapy. The Bloom Room Therapy Group in San Clemente, where Denney Family Therapy provides trauma-informed counseling.
Comfortable therapy chairs in a trauma-informed counseling office serving families, teens, and adults in San Clemente. A quiet, grounded therapy environment supporting EMDR, family therapy, and faith deconstruction work.
Jennie Denney and Ryan Denney are CAMFT members providing trauma-informed family therapy, EMDR, and teen counseling in San Clemente.
Therapy office couch in San Clemente used for family therapy, teen counseling, and trauma-focused sessions at Denney Family Therapy. A soft, welcoming therapy setting for families, parents, teens, and couples in San Clemente.
Warm and inviting therapy couch in San Clemente for trauma therapy, EMDR, and relational counseling. An inviting space where clients explore healing, connection, and clarity.
Therapy office couch in San Clemente used for family therapy, teen counseling, and trauma-focused sessions at Denney Family Therapy. A soft, welcoming therapy setting for families, parents, teens, and couples in San Clemente.
Denney Family Therapy logo for trauma-informed family counseling, teen therapy, and EMDR services in San Clemente. Denney Family Therapy offers trauma-informed support for families, teens, and couples throughout San Clemente.

People usually come to therapy when something in their life stops making sense.
A relationship shifts. Emotions grow louder. Old patterns stop working. Or life starts asking more of you than you can realistically carry.

If you’re feeling that kind of internal or relational strain, you’re not alone. I help individuals, couples, families, and professionals slow down, understand their internal world, and navigate overwhelming or disorienting moments with steadiness, curiosity, and compassion.

A Systems Lens Rooted in Real Experience

Before becoming a therapist, I spent over 20 years in the software industry—starting as a Java programmer and eventually founding Consensus Consulting Group. My work took me across the world, helping Fortune 500 teams integrate complex systems into their daily operations.

Even then, it was the human system that interested me most:
how people communicate, how patterns form, how teams break down, and how relationships rebuild.
Those questions are what ultimately drew me into therapy.

Today, that same systems lens shapes the way I work with clients.

How I Help Clients

I support people by helping them understand three interconnected layers of their lives:

  • The Me — your inner parts, emotions, and personal patterns

  • The We — the communication, attachment, and relational dynamics that shape connection

  • The The — your sense of meaning, purpose, identity, or spirituality

When these layers begin to integrate, people often feel clearer, more grounded, and more connected to themselves and the people they care about.

Clients often describe our work as steadying, thoughtful, and deeply reflective.

My Therapeutic Approach

I draw from:

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Existential therapy

  • Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB)

  • Humanistic / Client-Centered therapy

These approaches help clients understand their internal experience while transforming their relational patterns.

I hold a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, a Master’s in Christian Spiritual Formation, and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. I’m completing my Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy and see clients as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist under clinical supervision.

Who I Work With

I work with:

  • Individuals navigating life transitions, identity shifts, or emotional strain

  • Couples seeking communication repair, reconnection, or pattern change

  • Families wanting clarity, healthier dynamics, or deeper understanding

  • Professionals and high achievers carrying stress, burnout, or internal pressure

Whether you’re seeking clarity, connection, or simply a steadier path forward, therapy can help you make meaningful shifts from the inside out.

Life Outside the Therapy Room

I’ve been married to my wife, Jennie, for 21 years, and together we’re raising four kids here in Southern California. Being a partner, parent, and part of a family system shapes the empathy, curiosity, and grounded presence I bring to the therapy room.

If You’re Ready for Support

If you’re looking for a therapist in San Clemente who brings a calm, systems-based, thoughtful approach to personal and relational healing, I’d be honored to meet you.

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if working together feels like the right next step.

Book Here

Working With Clients who…

  • A man in a blue blazer and dark pants walking on a light-colored street, carrying a brown leather briefcase.

    Business Professionals

    Ryan draws on his global experience as an integration architect to help executives — from C-Suite leaders to professionals managing teams — navigate the pressures of leadership, workplace dynamics, and the balance between career and personal life. He supports leaders in building team cohesion, strengthening communication, and creating healthier rhythms at work and at home.

  • Group of students in white shirts and dark pants jumping in the air on a sports field under a clear blue sky, with a large building and trees in the background.

    Workplace Team Building, Communication & Connection

    With years of experience working alongside companies around the world, Ryan understands how breakdowns in communication and collaboration can impact organizational culture. He helps teams build trust, improve communication, and foster stronger connections so groups can function with clarity and cohesion. His work supports leaders, staff, and cross-functional teams in creating environments where people feel valued and able to thrive together.

  • Silhouettes of four people holding hands at sunset near water, with hills in the background.

    Whole Family Systems & Relational Dynamics

    Ryan also works with families to strengthen the relationships that form the foundation of daily life. He helps parents, partners, and children understand one another more fully, repair relational ruptures, and create healthier patterns of interaction. His approach draws from systems thinking — recognizing that changes in one relationship ripple across the whole family — and creates a supportive space for families to build trust and connection.

  • Silhouette of a woman walking on rocks during a sunset, with mountains in the background and a colorful sky.

    Individuals

    Ryan works with individuals across all ages and stages of life, offering support for personal growth, transitions, and challenges. Whether it’s navigating stress, identity shifts, or relational struggles, he provides a space for reflection and resilience. His goal is to help clients gain clarity, discover new perspectives, and build the tools needed to move forward with confidence.

Ryan’s Approach

Ryan’s therapeutic work is grounded in the belief that healing happens across three interconnected layers: the me (your relationship with yourself), the we (your relationships with others), and the thee (your connection to something greater—meaning, purpose, or spirituality).

Each of the approaches Ryan uses—IFS, Existential Therapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Humanistic therapy—offers a unique doorway into understanding and strengthening these parts of your story. Whether you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or searching for clarity, his integrative approach is designed to help you reconnect with your inner sense of self, show up more authentically in your relationships, and navigate life’s deeper questions with curiosity and courage.

Two hands holding puzzle pieces about to connect outdoors with blurred green trees in the background.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • IFS helps you explore the different “parts” of yourself—like the inner critic, the avoider, or the overachiever. It assumes all parts have good intentions, even if their actions cause pain.

  • IFS gives people a way to connect with themselves without shame. Instead of fighting your patterns, you learn to listen to them and lead with your core Self.

  • IFS can help you build compassion toward yourself, increase emotional clarity, and shift stuck internal patterns.

  • No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz

A person standing on a rocky mountaintop, overlooking a sea of clouds with a clear blue sky above.

Humanistic (Client-Centered) Therapy

  • A therapy approach based on the belief that people thrive in an environment of empathy, authenticity, and unconditional regard.

  • Therapy shouldn’t be about fixing you. It should be about giving you space to be seen, known, and supported as you find your own voice and direction.

  • You gain more self-trust, clarity, and confidence in who you are—without needing to perform or please.

  • On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers

A person stands at the shoreline at night, with the Milky Way galaxy visible overhead and reflected in the water, creating a mirrored effect.

Existential Therapy

  • Existential therapy focuses on the big questions—meaning, identity, freedom, and what it means to live authentically.

  • When life falls apart or stops making sense, we don’t just need coping skills—we need space to wrestle with the deeper stuff. This approach creates room for that.

  • It helps you reflect on your values, make intentional choices, and reconnect with your sense of purpose.

  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Cracked and fractured ice surface with blue and black tones and white ice debris.

Interpersonal Neurobiology

  • A brain-based framework that explores how our minds are shaped by relationships—and how we can use that awareness to change how we relate to ourselves and others.

  • Understanding how your nervous system and relationships influence each other is incredibly empowering. It takes the shame out of emotional patterns and reactions.

  • It can improve emotional regulation, relational communication, and your ability to feel connected and safe in your body and relationships.

  • Mindsight by Dr. Dan Siegel

Ryan Denney, AMFT #155800, supervised by Rachel Daggett, LMFT #107858, helping those who struggle with existential crisis, C-Suite professionals, and life transitions in San Clemente, South Orange County, California.
Living room with a light gray sofa, decorative pillows, a checkered throw blanket, a wooden wall shelf with plants and candles, and a picture of the beach.
Living room with tan leather sofa, green accent wall, and two round wooden side tables with houseplants. There are hanging pendant lights, a round wooden coffee table with a potted plant, a light-colored patterned area rug, and white curtains on a window.
A cozy room corner with a beige upholstered armchair, a small wooden side table, a large beach landscape photograph on the wall, and a black standing desk with pink notebooks on it. A brown leather bag hangs on the wall, and there is a wooden cabinet with plants and books nearby.

Contact Ryan

Interested in working together? Fill out some info, and I will be in touch shortly!

The Flourish at the Bloom Room in downtown San Clemente, Southern California where individuals, couples, and families engage in therapy with highly qualified marriage and family therapists.

“When I can muster enough humility to say, “Maybe I have this wrong,’ back off from my fixed positions, take a fresh look, and walk around the question again, I might contribute to the renewal of self and some small part of the world.”

-Parker Palmer-