Ryan Clifford

Services Provided: Individual, Family, and Couples Therapy

Psychology Today Profile 

Specialties: Trauma, EMDR, First Responders treatment, Relationships, Attachment/EFT, Anxiety and more in addition to general mental health counseling. 

I have over 10 years of experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Most recently I was the clinical director and owner of a practice in Reno, NV where I treated clients, supervised clinical staff, and managed the organization. Clinically, I have years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples. My current specialty is treating adults with complex PTSD and trauma using EMDR and parts work. I also have specialty training in group crisis intervention (CISM).

I have, and continue to, work with the Bureau of Land Management Nevada Fire as part of a mind and body team. The purpose of this work is to support the BLM NV Fire by making systemic culture changes to promote the physical and mental wellbeing of its employees. This work is done in the field alongside BLM staff.

I have also provided onsite counseling to Tesla employees at the Tesla Giga Factory in Sparks, NV.

I am currently working on developing a training to teach clinicians how to effectively treat complex PTSD with EMDR and parts work (trauma processing and memory integration). To learn more about EMDR I suggest checking out emdria.com or scheduling a consultation with me. I can provide EMDR treatment for trauma both in person and virtually via telehealth. EMDR is a research based and structured process that assists the brain in reprocessing traumatic experiences. Thus, relieving and eliminating the symptoms associated with trauma. Although trauma may often come from an event where one’s physical safety is compromised, most of my clients suffer from attachment trauma. In other words, most of my clients suffer from low self-esteem, feeling unlovable, relationship anxiety, self-criticism, depression, and emotional flashbacks. Their symptoms are often the result of having parent(s) who were often invalidating, emotionally abusive/dismissive, very critical, emotionally distant, or had their own mental health issues that disrupted their ability to parent with love and compassion.

What causes complex PTSD? Most of my clients that suffer from complex PTSD had constant attachment trauma in their childhood. This can be the result of constantly hearing the message from their parents that they are unwanted, unlovable, not good enough, and/or they should not feel the emotions they feel. Their attachment trauma may also co-occur with several incidents where their physical safety was in danger, but there is not always a physical trauma. Single incident traumas may result in PTSD but are able to be reprocessed much quicker than complex PTSD. In other words, complex PTSD results from chronic minor or major stresses/dangers as opposed to a single event.

For Clinicians: Ryan also provides consultation in treating trauma symptoms and complex PTSD with EMDR.