Brian Ward, PsyD

Prior to earning his Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Ward grew up amongst the dense cornfields of Northwest Ohio, learning to befriend the soul-stirring companionship of engaging & making music, later attending Capital University to further this companionship.

Brian was trained in an approach to therapy that clears space for each individual’s unique experience of being alive, unveiling what truly matters to a person and how it matters, whatever it may be. That is, the aim is to deeply witness how one wishes to make meaning of their life, without rules or requirements, but rather with a companion of understanding & connection. Brian’s approach to therapy believes that our suffering reveals how we feel about where we are in life, and where we want to go. He believes that listening to – or “standing still” with – our pain acts as a confessional to what matters most to us, sometimes in possibilities and hope & sometimes in loss and limitations. Brian affirms that we “hurt because we care,” and emotional pain stems from a deep passion and yearn toward crafting a purposeful life. To him, therapy begins and grows with a deeply attuned presence with whomever he is seated, a relationship founded in safety, genuineness (from both parties), and validation-without-judgment. Within this, the aim is allow one to “reclaim authorship” of one’s life.

While trained as a generalist, Brian’s experiences and interests reside in death & loss, pet grief & mourning, life transitions and major decisions, terminal illnesses & aging, midlife crises, trauma, crisis of identity, HIV/AIDS, relationships & divorce, religious/spiritual crises, depression & anxiety, self-esteem & worth, working with LGB and trans folk, significant milestones such as retirement or empty-nesting, amongst others. He has worked as a psychotherapist in a private practice in Chicago’s “Boystown,” as well as the student counseling centers of the University of Maine & Ohio Wesleyan University.

While the practice of therapy inhabits its own piece of Brian’s heart, so too do a number of other passions. Treasuring connection with animals, as a parent to several furry-children, Brian volunteers with dog care, rehabilitation, and animal rescues at the Licking County Humane Society. Brian delves the depths of Ohio’s nature, hiking with his dogs on the weekends. He also continues to create music. Overall, Brian finds himself captivated by the invisible & mysterious: experience, meaning, connection, music, existence, uncertainty, and things that go bump in the night.