Ryan McDonald — Clear Skies Counseling

Meet your clinician

Ryan McDonald

MA, LPC, LCDC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Solution-focused counseling for individuals, couples and families, informed by military service and practical experience.

Waitlist available

Ask About My Waitlist

Ryan currently has a waitlist. Contact our office about joining or finding another clinician with availability.

Contact Ryan

[email protected]

Get to know Ryan

I entered the U.S. Air Force in 2005 and spent the majority of my professional career serving our country.

Throughout my service in the military, I had the opportunity to work with remarkable individuals around the globe and have been fortunate to mentor service members and their families through a wide range of professional and personal issues.

In 2022, I received a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling & Marriage and Family Therapy from Hardin-Simmons University. Prior to graduating, I worked at the McMurry University Counseling Center, Hardin-Simmons Counseling Center, and BlueSprig Pediatrics where I worked with children with autism. Upon graduating, I started Clear Skies Counseling where I experience the daily joy of working with individuals, couples, and families.

My approach to counseling is grounded, collaborative, and practical. I work to create a space where people feel respected, understood, and not rushed. I primarily use a solution-focused approach, working together to understand what you are navigating and to help you identify clear, attainable goals. When appropriate, I integrate elements from other therapeutic modalities to best support your needs. Therapy with me focuses on building clarity, strengthening communication, and developing tools that support meaningful and sustainable change, while honoring each person’s lived experience.

My wonderful wife and I have a blended family with four incredible children. I understand the importance that relationships have in our lives as well as the inevitable challenges that accompany them.

More about Ryan

How I work

I primarily use a solution-focused approach, helping clients identify meaningful goals and build on their existing strengths. When appropriate, I integrate cognitive behavioral strategies, motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment strategies, and DBT-informed skills. In couples counseling, I also draw on Gottman-informed tools.

Areas of focus

  • Abuse & Domestic Violence
  • Addiction
  • Affair Recovery
  • Anger & Emotional Regulation
  • Anxiety
  • Behavioral Concerns
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Separation
  • Life Transitions
  • Marriage & Relationship Challenges
  • Mood Disorders
  • OCD
  • Parenting
  • Premarital Counseling
  • Relationships
  • Stress & Burnout
  • Substance Use & Recovery
  • Trauma & PTSD

Approaches to counseling

  • CBT
  • DBT-Informed Therapy
  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
  • Family Systems Therapy
  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy
  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
  • Trauma Focused

Education

  • M.S. Clinical Counseling & Marriage and Family Therapy | Hardin-Simmons University | 2022
  • M.S. Operations Management | University of Arkansas | 2012
  • B.S. Computer Engineering | Virginia Tech | 2005

Experience

  • Former U.S. Air Force C-130 pilot
  • Founder of Clear Skies Counseling
  • Experience serving military-connected individuals, veterans, first responders, couples and families

Ready to connect with Ryan?

Ask About My Waitlist Contact Our Office