Meet Chandler Ray, LCMHC

Healing begins with relationship.

Whether I’m sitting on the floor in the playroom with a child, helping parents better understand what’s driving their child’s behavior, or working with an adult processing trauma, the relationship comes first. Research consistently shows that feeling safe, understood, and connected is one of the strongest predictors of meaningful change.

I work with children, teens, adults, and parents navigating anxiety, trauma, attachment concerns, emotional regulation, and life’s transitions. My approach is collaborative, experiential, and grounded in the understanding that our brains, bodies, and relationships all influence how we heal.

One thing clients often appreciate is that I enjoy making complex ideas understandable. I believe symptoms make sense in the context of a person’s experiences, nervous system, and relationships. Rather than simply focusing on reducing symptoms, I help people understand why they’re experiencing what they are so they can move forward with greater confidence, flexibility, and self-understanding.

For children, that means following their lead rather than pushing for conversations they’re not ready to have. Children communicate through play, movement, creativity, and relationships long before they have words for what they’re experiencing. My role isn’t to “fix” children, it’s to create a relationship where they feel safe enough to grow while helping parents better understand what’s happening beneath the surface.

I believe it’s better to empower strong children than to fix broken adults.

For teens and adults, I integrate EMDR with attachment-focused and experiential approaches to help process trauma and experiences that continue to shape daily life. My work has also been deeply influenced by years of providing equine-assisted psychotherapy and by serving on the board of directors for a nonprofit that uses the horse-human relationship to support healing. While I don’t currently offer equine-assisted psychotherapy, that experience continues to shape how I think about connection, collaboration, nervous system regulation, and the relationship between the brain and body.

One principle from that work continues to guide me every day:

Relationship over task. Connect before correct.

If you’re looking for therapy that feels collaborative, genuine, and grounded in both research and real relationships, we’d likely be a good fit. My goal isn’t simply to help you get through today’s challenges—it’s to help you better understand yourself, strengthen your relationships, and create lasting change that extends far beyond the therapy room.