About Ryder
Ryder DeFranco is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) based in Washington with seven years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and major life changes. Ryder aims to create a steady, compassionate space for people who feel stuck or overwhelmed.
She brings a practical approach to sessions. Conversations are patient and direct, with attention to what’s getting in the way of day-to-day life.
How Ryder works
Ryder helps clients understand patterns, build stronger communication, and regain control over their choices. Ryder uses a mix of approaches to suit each person’s needs. She draws from client-centered methods to keep the work focused on the individual’s goals.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers tools to change unhelpful thinking and behavior. Dialectical Behavior Therapy and mindfulness skills are used when clients need stronger emotion regulation and grounding. She also addresses relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, family problems, and career transitions.
Additional focus areas include attachment and abandonment issues, body image, guilt and shame, forgiveness, and coping with loss or end-of-life matters. Ryder works collaboratively to set clear goals and practical steps. Sessions emphasize real-world strategies that can be practiced between meetings.
The aim is steady progress so clients can move into the next chapter of their lives with more confidence.
Ryder lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
What Ryder works with
The areas below are the ones Ryder selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LICSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 7 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Washington |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that fit into online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person's goals and experience. The therapist listens closely and helps guide each session around what matters most to the client, which works well for people seeking support and clarity.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and actions affect mood. It uses practical exercises to break unhelpful patterns and is useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. It includes techniques for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Ryder will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That plan can evolve as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video and phone are good for in-depth conversations, while chat or messaging can fit quick check-ins and skills practice. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to maintain momentum between sessions.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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