Ryan Forbes
Compassionate skills-based therapy for everyday challenges
LCMHC Utah
- Experience
- 10 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Ryan
Ryan Forbes is a licensed clinical mental health counselor who brings a decade of counseling experience to his work. He practices with a collaborative, strengths-informed style that centers the client's perspective and uses evidence-based tools to address mood disorders, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and self-esteem concerns.
Background and approach
As an LCMHC he blends practical strategies with a supportive stance to help clients navigate depression, bipolar symptoms, grief, intimacy and communication challenges, ADHD-related struggles, and life transitions. Forbes grew up in Nevada in a mix of urban and rural settings and has a biracial background, with ties to Maori heritage and English roots.
That life experience informs a culturally aware, down-to-earth approach to therapy. He emphasizes clients' existing resources and frames therapy as a process of building skills, increasing insight, and restoring motivation.
Across treatment he draws from cognitive behavioral methods alongside client-centered listening, dialectical behavior skills, mindfulness practices, and solution-focused planning. He aims to empower people facing stress, parenting concerns, compassion fatigue, anger, attachment wounds, and questions about purpose or identity, helping them take practical steps toward greater well-being.
Practical therapeutic approaches for online care
Ryan integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy into his online practice. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical behavioral changes, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and mood regulation. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy, active listening, and building on a person's strengths to create a collaborative space for exploring values, relationships, and life purpose.
He also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy principles when needed, offering skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and improved interpersonal effectiveness. Together these approaches provide a mix of structured skill-building and reflective support so clients can learn concrete tools while feeling heard and respected.
Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process; the therapist works collaboratively with each person to determine which combination of methods fits their goals, needs, and preferences. Online formats allow adjustments over time, letting work shift between skill practice and deeper exploration as progress unfolds.
Online sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. These options make it easier to connect from home or on the go while maintaining continuity of care and allowing practical follow-up between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Licensed
Utah
Languages
English