Dr. Mary “Em” Ryan, BACP

Dr. Mary "Em" Ryan helps people who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure how to move forward. She meets clients with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, and issues around identity and addiction. She speaks English, Spanish and French and works with people in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Her style is calm and straightforward. She aims to make sessions a place where thoughts and feelings can be named without judgment. She encourages practical steps alongside reflection, so people can notice small changes that matter.

Ryan has worked in counselling and therapy for 23 years. Her approach draws on several methods, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy. She adapts these approaches to each person rather than following one set method.

Typical work covers everyday pressures like sleep problems, parenting strain, career worries and compassion fatigue. She also helps people facing trauma, abuse, abandonment and complex family issues, and supports those coping with ageing, hospice and end-of-life matters.

Sessions are collaborative and goal-focused. She offers coaching-style steps when people want practical skills, and space for deeper emotional work when needed. To begin, prospective clients choose the Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire before scheduling.

How core therapies translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is often used for anxiety, stress and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing patterns of thinking and behaviour that keep problems going, which can help with depression, sleep problems and coping skills. Emotionally-Focused Therapy centres on recognising and naming feelings so people can make clearer choices in relationships and self-understanding.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to choose which methods fit best based on goals and preferences. That collaboration may lead to practical skill-building, deeper emotional work, or a mix of both depending on what each person needs.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time or allowing sessions during a lunch break. Please confirm what session formats are currently offered before booking so you know how meetings are arranged. Many people find remote sessions useful for regular check-ins, learning new tools and keeping momentum between appointments.