Anxiety, stress & mood
- Anxiety and panic
- Depression
- Stress reduction
- Sleep problems
- Getting unstuck
- Happiness skills
Rockford, IL · In person & by Zoom
Counseling that helps you feel like yourself again.
James J. Ryan, LCSW, has helped people through anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, chronic pain and stubborn habits since 1976 — pairing talk therapy with clinical hypnosis, EMDR and other short-term methods so real change can come sooner.
James J. RyanMSW · LCSW · BCD
- In practice since 1976
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Board-Certified Diplomate
- American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
How I can help
What brings people in
Some come for one specific thing — a fear of flying, a cigarette habit, a test they can’t afford to bomb. Others are carrying something heavier. Either way, the work starts with what matters most to you.
Trauma & loss
- Trauma and PTSD
- Grief
- Critical-incident stress
- Fears and phobias
Habits & health
- Quitting smoking
- Weight release
- Chronic pain and headaches
- IBS and GI symptoms
- Surgical and dental preparation
- CPAP adjustment
Focus & performance
- Test preparation — ACT, SAT, MCAT, LSAT
- Academic and work performance
- Sports performance
- Memory and concentration
- Creativity
Relationships
- Relationship skills
- Communication
- Sexual concerns
- Infertility-related stress
Getting started
Three simple steps
A free phone call
Call (815) 847-6651. We’ll talk briefly about what you’re dealing with, answer your questions about hypnosis or counseling, and see whether it’s a good fit.
Your first session
Meet in the quiet Brynwood Drive office or over Zoom from home. You’ll set goals together and get a clear sense of the plan.
Focused, practical work
The emphasis is short-term: tools and techniques — including self-hypnosis — that you keep using long after sessions end.
About James
Experience you can lean on
James J. Ryan has provided counseling and clinical hypnosis in Rockford for five decades. He has taught at the University of Illinois and Rockford College, and served as a disaster mental health worker with the American Red Cross after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the N.I.U. shooting.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board-Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work
- Clinical member, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
- Certified in Critical Incident Stress Management
“To empower your mind to obtain the solutions you desire in a safe, comfortable and economical manner.”James J. Ryan — practice philosophy
Clinical hypnosis
It’s not what you’ve seen on stage
Clinical hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention — a lot like being absorbed in a good book. Used alongside counseling, it helps you reach changes that willpower alone hasn’t.
Losing control
You stay in control
No one can make you do anything against your will. Hypnosis actually builds your ability to manage your body’s responses.
Being “out cold”
You stay aware
You’ll feel relaxed, focused and alert, and you’ll remember the session.
Getting stuck
You always come out
It’s a state we drift in and out of every day. Nobody gets stuck in a daydream.
Colleagues’ comments
Respected by the professionals who refer to him
James J. Ryan, MSW is one of the best established behavioral clinicians in Rockford… he has a well-deserved reputation as an excellent therapist and hypnotist. He is very experienced in treating pain, especially back and abdominal pain, with hypnosis. Many have benefited from his help.
I consider him the epitome of what a therapist should be. His knowledge, skill, experience, and his compassion are unsurpassed. Jim’s ethics and professionalism are above reproach… Jim Ryan is truly a therapist’s therapist.
James Ryan is an exceptional therapist. Not only does he keep up with research and the latest and best practice methods, but he… is a very warm and kind individual. I would not hesitate to refer him.
Free phone consultation
The first step is a short conversation.
Call to talk through what’s going on and whether working together makes sense. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Call
(815) 847-6651
6072 Brynwood Dr, Suite 105 · Rockford, IL 61114
In-office or by Zoom
In-office or by Zoom