October Clinician Spotlight: Ryan DeVane (he/him)

Welcome back to our blog for our second clinician spotlight! In honor of Atlanta Pride, we are highlighting our Founder and Clinical Director, Ryan DeVane (he/him), LCSW, NBCCC-H, who founded Grounded Wellbeing with the mission to intentionally create a welcoming space that centers the healing journey of queer, trans, and gender expansive folx, ultimately leading to the betterment of our entire community. He envisioned a space where all people, regardless of identity or individual differences, can come together and experience the power of healing within community. This vision of community healing takes all of us, allies too!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hi! I’m Ryan. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life though I specialize in working with queer, trans, and gender-expansive people (11+). I really enjoy working with folks exploring identity, navigating transitions (both gender and life), experiencing anxiety/depression, and trauma recovery. As a psychodynamic therapist, I love diving into the past, exploring childhood wounds, and doing inner-child work. Through my own healing journey, I’ve learned the importance of being your own “inner parent” and loving all parts of you, even the ones that are harder to sit with. I firmly believe it’s important for me to bring my whole self to the work that I do which means leading with my queerness. I know what it’s like to be shoved into a box that wasn’t meant for me. I also know what it’s like to navigate the world as a neurodivergent human. These experiences have shaped who I am as a person and as a therapist, and they have allowed me to connect with folx on a deeper level.  

I’m very passionate about creating spaces for LGBTQ+ people to be affirmed so they can heal within community.

When did you first know that you wanted to pursue this career path/how have your interests and passions developed over time?

I realized I wanted to be a therapist in my late teenage years after having a positive experience with a therapist who really helped me at the time. Navigating adolescence as a queer and trans person was tough. I had a tough home life too which made things harder. I knew I wanted to make a difference for queer and trans teens like me and for others who had rough childhoods and difficult home lives. I’ve always been fascinated by psychology and social systems so I pursued a Bachelor’s in Sociology. Because of my sociology training I knew a Masters in Social Work with a clinical focus would be the right path for me. The core of my career has been focused on queer and trans people, youth specifically, through research, programs, and clinical work. Over time, I’ve worked in several agencies, nonprofits, and practices which have shaped my vision and passion for Grounded Wellbeing.

One of my mottos is to “be who you needed when you were younger.” In order to be who I needed when I was younger I knew I needed to create the place that I needed and know that others like me need too. I could have really benefited from a place like Grounded Wellbeing when I was a kid but when I was growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta there was nothing like this, that I knew of, that existed. I didn’t meet a trans person until I went to college and the lack of representation growing up as well as lack of language about gender made it so much harder for me to realize I was trans. I spent a lot of years feeling different, not understanding “why” and couldn’t figure out what I was doing “wrong”. I was told I was “too sensitive”, “too masculine”, “too this” and “too that” to the point that I was exhausted when all I really wanted was to just be me. To exist without question and to be accepted for who I am flaws, imperfections and all. A place where I could just show up and be accepted without question or judgment. A place to be me and to be around others like me.  These experiences as well as my clinical training and years of nonprofit management experience helped fuel my passion for creating a place like Grounded Wellbeing. A place that is a haven for others navigating trauma recovery, identity, and learning how to just “be” in a world that wasn’t created for them.

Do you have any creative outlets or interests? Tell us about them!

Music has always been a huge creative outlet for me. I played a ton of instruments when I was a kid (trombone, bassoon, piano, guitar, and drums). I’ve always used it as a way to express myself and have fun. It still holds a big place in my heart even though I don’t play as much as I used to. I also LOVE cooking and trying to make new things. One of my favorite things to do is find a new recipe and “make it my own”. Sometimes this turns out better than others but there’s learning and growing in everything!

Which of GWB’s values do you feel connected to? Why?

Gosh, this is such a hard question! I feel connected to all of our values and feel they embody the beautiful space we’ve co-created. If I had to choose just one I would say vulnerability. Vulnerability is so important to me and so important for creating deep connections with others. I spent several years guarding myself out of self-protection and struggling to let others in. I used to see vulnerability as a weakness and now I see it as a strength and superpower. I aspire to lead from this place and inspire others to do the same when it’s safe for them to do so. True vulnerability requires authenticity so these go hand in hand for me. Finding my truth and speaking it to the world has been so liberating. Representation is so important and I am grateful for the ability to be a visible trans person. I don’t take this privilege lightly and know that not everyone can be visible. I hope that others can see themselves in me, know that change is possible and that you can thrive as a trans person. I hope to inspire others to dare greatly, dream big, and live their best life (however this looks for them)!

What are some fun facts we should know about you?

For the enneagram lovers out there, I’m a 1w2. I’m also a Capricorn (no surprise!) and love astrology. My weekly routine is to listen to the Chani Week Ahead podcast every Monday morning on the way to work. I am a HUGE Swiftie and know pretty much every word to every song. My favorite season is Fall because of football (Go Dawgs!), pumpkin and apple everything, Halloween, and crunchy leaves. So many sensory delights! 

What is your go-to coffee or tea order?

This depends on the season so forgive my detailed answer. In the winter/spring, my go-to is an Americano, in Summer it’s a nitro cold brew, and in the fall it’s a Cappuccino or anything pumpkin/apple flavored. I love trying new local coffee shops. And yes, I can taste the difference in the espresso. :)

Thanks for taking the time to read this and learn more about me! If you’re interested in connecting or working with me, you can reach out to me here!