Ryan Garza, LCSW

Ryan Garza is a licensed clinical social worker with 17 years of experience. He brings a calm, practical style to sessions and aims to help people feel more in control when life feels overwhelming.

He favors a client-centered approach, which means sessions focus on each person’s needs and goals. Ryan draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to help people change unhelpful thinking and learn concrete skills for managing emotions.

In therapy he keeps things straightforward and respectful. He uses plain language, listens closely, and offers tools you can try between sessions. He may use mindfulness exercises, motivational interviewing techniques, and short-term, solution-focused strategies when appropriate.

Ryan has worked with people facing depression, anxiety, stress, trauma and abuse, grief, addiction, and relationship challenges. He also supports issues like codependency, caregiver stress, fatherhood concerns, and struggles with guilt or shame.

Sessions are adapted to the person’s goals through shared planning. Ryan aims to help clients build coping skills, address past hurts, and find clearer direction for the future. The emphasis is on practical steps and steady progress rather than quick fixes.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on your goals and priorities. The therapist listens without judgment and helps shape a plan based on what matters most to you. This approach fits many concerns from relationship strain to life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches practical exercises for changing unhelpful thinking and building new habits, which can be practiced between sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, adds skill training for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal skills, which is useful for stress, anger, and mood difficulties.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with you about your situation and goals, then suggest techniques to try. Together you can adjust methods over time to find what helps most.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video works well for in-depth conversations and skill practice. Phone can be a simpler option when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging let you check in between sessions or use shorter, focused exchanges during a busy day. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel schedules.