PuttingFamilyFirst

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IA Portrait of Ivan Ayala
Online therapist

Ivan Ayala

Family-focused therapist for practical change

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Credentials
LMFT, LICSW
Experience
13 years
Licensed in
Minnesota
Languages
English, Spanish
Format
Online sessions

About Ivan

Ivan Ayala is a licensed therapist who brings practical, relationship-focused care to families and parents. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with 13 years of clinical experience. He speaks English and Spanish and practices in Minnesota.

Ivan aims to make conversations clear and useful so parents can take concrete steps at home. He focuses on common family and parenting struggles such as communication problems, blended family issues, fatherhood concerns, and managing stress at home.

Background and approach

He also works with relationship challenges, addictions, grief, trauma, and issues with self-esteem and intimacy. He uses straightforward tools to help people manage anxiety, sleep problems, and life transitions. Ivan combines practical, evidence-informed techniques with a warm, relational style.

Sessions center on hearing each person’s story and building small, doable changes. He draws from cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and client-centered methods to shape a plan that fits each family’s needs. He supports decision-making around separation, codependency, and forgiveness, and offers coaching-style help for career and life changes.

Many families find the mix of talk, concrete practice, and goal-setting helpful for moving forward. Ivan works with adults and couples to rebuild connection and improve daily routines. To begin, he guides clients through a clear first step and tailors follow-up work to what actually happens at home.

His approach aims to reduce overwhelm and make progress feel manageable for busy parents and partners.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice what matters to them and take small steps toward those values, even when hard feelings show up. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, sleep problems, or low mood. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience and uses supportive listening to build self-understanding and motivation.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person or couple about goals and preferences, and then try methods that fit those goals. Over a few sessions he checks what is helping and adjusts the plan together with the client.

Online sessions use video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. That means parents and partners can fit work on relationships and parenting into busy days without extra travel. These options let people practice new skills in their actual home setting and bring real-life examples into sessions for practical problem-solving.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What issues does this therapist address?
He helps with family and parenting concerns, relationship troubles, stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, trauma, and related issues listed in his specialties.
How would you describe his therapy style?
He uses a warm, relational approach that focuses on listening and building practical steps. Sessions mix talk with actionable strategies to try between meetings.
What training and background does he have?
He has 13 years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, and families across a range of concerns.
Where is he licensed to practice?
He holds MN LMFT 2837 and MN LICSW 23335 and practices in Minnesota.
Can sessions be conducted in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Are international clients supported?
He accepts international clients and can work with people outside the U.S.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be done via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are fees and the subscription handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
13 years
Licensed
Minnesota
Languages
English, Spanish

Next step

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  • Stop at any point
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