My Story: From Marketing to Mental Health Counseling

From Marketing to a Career That Feels Meaningful

Before becoming a therapist, I worked in marketing. I spent years helping companies sell products, develop content, improve websites, and reach consumers.

I learned a lot during that chapter of my career, and many of those skills still serve me today. But over time, I realized that the work itself wasn't giving me the sense of meaning I wanted.

I was helping sell products I wasn't always passionate about to people who may or may not have needed them. At a certain point, I found myself thinking: How many hand soaps and candles does anyone really need?

There was nothing inherently wrong with marketing. It simply wasn't the work I wanted to spend my life doing.

I wanted a career where the work mattered to me on a personal level—where I could see the impact I was having on another person rather than measuring success primarily through clicks, conversions, sales, or revenue.

That realization eventually led me to counseling.

Following a Calling Toward Counseling

Becoming a therapist wasn't simply a career change. It felt much more like listening to something I had been ignoring for a long time.

I have always been interested in why people behave the way they do, how our experiences shape us, and what allows some people to make meaningful changes even after years of feeling stuck.

Counseling gave me the opportunity to turn that interest into work that feels genuinely purposeful.

I went on to earn my Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Before entering the counseling field, I had also earned a master's degree in Work and Organizational Psychology from a university in Spain.

My background in organizational psychology, business, and marketing also gives me a somewhat unusual perspective as a therapist. I understand firsthand what it is like to work in demanding environments, pursue ambitious goals, change careers, and question whether the path you're on is actually the one you want.

Why I Love Being a Therapist

Today, I can genuinely say that I love what I do.

One of the most rewarding parts of being a therapist is getting to witness change happen gradually.

Most people don't completely transform their lives in a single therapy session. Progress is usually much quieter than that.

It might be setting a boundary you previously avoided.

Going on the date you were anxious about.

Applying for the job.

Having a difficult conversation.

Responding differently to an intrusive thought.

Recognizing an unhealthy pattern before automatically repeating it.

Feeling slightly less overwhelmed by something that once felt impossible.

Those small changes accumulate.

My goal is to help clients become even a little better each week. Over months, those incremental improvements can add up to meaningful changes in relationships, confidence, emotional health, work, and overall quality of life.

Therapy That Is Insightful and Forward-Moving

My approach to counseling is supportive, but I don't believe therapy should consist solely of talking about the same problems week after week.

Understanding why something is happening is important. But insight becomes especially valuable when we can use it to make changes outside of the therapy room.

In our work together, we may explore patterns from your past, relationships, beliefs about yourself, anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, avoidance, or other factors contributing to what you're experiencing today.

Then we work on what comes next.

That might involve practicing a new behavior, challenging an old belief, approaching something you've been avoiding, developing healthier coping strategies, or experimenting with a different way of responding to a familiar problem.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is progress.

Who I Work With

I provide online therapy for clients in Washington State and work with men and women from a wide range of backgrounds.

While no two clients are alike, I frequently work with:

• Young professionals and established professionals

• College and graduate students

• Parents

• Tech workers

• Healthcare professionals

• High achievers

• Gifted adults

• People experiencing burnout

• People struggling with perfectionism or excessive self-pressure

• Adults navigating major life or career transitions

• People who appear successful externally but feel anxious, overwhelmed, dissatisfied, or stuck internally

Many of my clients are capable, thoughtful people who are accustomed to solving problems independently.

Sometimes that's exactly what makes asking for help difficult.

You may have accomplished a great deal while still feeling anxious, burned out, disconnected, uncertain about your relationships, or frustrated that you can't seem to "think" your way out of a particular problem.

Therapy can provide a place to understand what's keeping you stuck and begin doing something different.

Mental Health Concerns I Help With

Clients come to therapy for many different reasons. Some have a specific diagnosis, while others simply know that something in their lives isn't working the way they want it to.

Common areas I work with include:

Anxiety and chronic worry
Learning to better understand anxious thoughts, reduce avoidance, and feel more capable of handling uncertainty.

Stress and burnout
Particularly among professionals, students, healthcare workers, tech workers, and people accustomed to operating at a high level.

Trauma and PTSD
Working through painful experiences that continue to influence emotions, relationships, behaviors, or beliefs about yourself.

Depression and feeling stuck
Helping you gradually reengage with life, relationships, activities, and goals that matter to you.

Perfectionism and high achievement
Addressing the pressure to constantly perform, achieve, improve, or prove yourself.

Relationships and attachment
Understanding recurring relationship patterns and developing healthier ways of connecting with others.

Life and career transitions
Navigating major changes involving work, relationships, identity, education, relocation, or the direction of your life.

I Know What It's Like to Change Direction

Changing careers taught me something important: sometimes the path that makes sense on paper isn't necessarily the path that feels right.

You can be competent at something and still decide you don't want to spend the rest of your life doing it.

You can achieve what you thought you wanted and realize you want something different.

And you don't necessarily need to have your entire future figured out before taking the next step.

Those lessons influence the way I approach therapy today.

My job isn't to tell you what your life should look like. It's to help you better understand yourself, identify what matters to you, work through what's getting in the way, and begin moving toward the life you actually want.

Online Therapy in Washington State

My counseling practice is conducted through secure telehealth, allowing me to work with clients throughout Washington State.

Whether you're a professional dealing with burnout, a student struggling with anxiety, someone working through trauma, or simply a person who feels stuck and wants something to change, therapy can give you a structured place to begin moving forward.

I bring warmth, curiosity, encouragement, and a strong belief that people are capable of meaningful change.

And unlike my old marketing career, I never find myself wondering whether this work matters.

Seeing my clients grow reminds me every week that it does.

Ready to Start Therapy?

If you're looking for an online therapist in Washington State and want therapy that combines insight, support, and practical change, I'd be glad to work with you.

You don't need to have everything figured out before beginning therapy. You simply need somewhere to start.

Schedule a consultation or contact me to learn more about working together.

Schedule Session

For the fastest response, please use this contact form or email as I may be busy and unable to answer the phone. I'll get back to you soon.

Phone

707-727-8727

Email

ryan@brainhealtherapy.com

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