Therapist for Men, Business Professionals, and Families

Meet Ryan

Therapist for Families, Men & Professionals Navigating Stress, Leadership Pressure & Relational Strain

Serving San Clemente and surrounding areas in South Orange County, and across California via telehealth.

Ryan Denney, AMFT #155800

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

Ryan Denney AMFT #155800, relational therapist specializing in adults, couples, families, and professionals.

You’re someone others rely on.

At work. At home. In your relationships.

From the outside, you function. You show up. You handle things.
On the inside, stress may be stacking up faster than it used to. Patience runs thinner. Conflicts linger longer. The weight of responsibility feels heavier than before.

If that sounds familiar, welcome.

Therapy can be a place to slow down, take stock, and figure out what’s really been building beneath the surface.

I Work With People Carrying a Lot

Many of the people I work with are:

  • Men navigating burnout, pressure, or emotional shutdown

  • Parents trying to lead their families well while feeling depleted

  • Professionals carrying leadership stress or decision fatigue

  • Families caught in cycles of distance or conflict

  • Individuals who want practical, grounded tools, not endless theorizing

You don’t have to hit a breaking point to start therapy.

Curious if I’m a good fit? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

My Approach: Practical, Relational, Systems-Focused

I work in a steady, collaborative way that respects how you think and how you communicate.

Sessions are shaped around what helps you open up, whether that’s sitting in a therapy room, walking outdoors, or meeting at the driving range for movement-based sessions.

My work draws from:

• Systems thinking
• Humanistic therapy
• Interpersonal neurobiology
• Parts-informed work
• Existential reflection

Together, we focus on:

• noticing patterns that keep repeating
• reducing stress and emotional overload
• strengthening communication
• repairing relationships at home and at work
• finding a path forward that actually fits your life

What You Can Expect Working With Me

Therapy with me is:

• Direct but compassionate
• Practical, not performative
• Focused on real-world change
• Respectful of pace and privacy
• Oriented toward strengthening relationships and leadership

Together, we work toward clarity, one step at a time.

 

Ready to See if I’m a Good Fit?

If you’re curious about working together, I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

We can talk about what’s been weighing on you, what you’re hoping for, and whether this feels like the right next step.

Schedule your free 15-minute consultation

15 Minute Consultation

Ryan’s Approach…

Ryan’s therapeutic work is grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens across interconnected layers: our relationship with ourselves, the relationships we hold with others, and the larger systems and values that shape how we live and lead. His approach is relational, steady, and collaborative, focused on slowing things down enough to understand what’s happening beneath the surface rather than pushing for quick fixes.

He works integratively, drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS), existential therapy, interpersonal neurobiology, and humanistic approaches. Together, the work often involves noticing patterns, understanding emotional and physiological responses, and making sense of how stress, responsibility, and past experiences influence the way clients show up in their work, relationships, and inner lives.

For individual clients who feel more at ease working outside a traditional therapy room, Ryan offers movement-based, experiential options such as golf therapy. This format is designed for one-on-one work and supports reflection, regulation, and grounded conversation in a less confined setting.

In addition to individual therapy, Ryan also works with families, groups, and teams, supporting relational dynamics, communication, and shared stressors during times of pressure, transition, or change. Across all formats, therapy is designed to feel practical, reflective, and human, supporting insight and change in ways that are sustainable and applicable to daily life.

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 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

Book a 15 Minute Consultation Here
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-