About
Creating a Space for Change
Effective therapy begins with a sense of safety. It takes immense courage to sit across from a therapist and share what feels painful or unbearable. You might wonder: Can I trust this person? Will they judge me? Do they truly understand what I’m going through?
My role is to hold a non-judgmental space where we can explore your life together. I believe you are the expert on your own experience; I am here as a collaborator to help you navigate self-discovery and growth. Together, we identify your goals and build the path to achieve them.
For example, if your goal is to communicate better with a partner, we might practice new skills one week and review how they felt in action the next. If strong emotions got in the way, we’ll work on techniques to help you manage those feelings—so you stay in the driver’s seat. Your priorities guide every session, ensuring our work always serves your growth.
About:
Rick Grant-Coons, Psy.D.
CA: PSY25285 OH: P.08444 PSYPACT: 15466
Owner/ Clinical Psychologist/ Psychotherapist/ Speaker
Rick Grant-Coons, PsyD (he/him) is a licensed clinical psychologist and psychotherapist who believes therapy has the power to move individuals from merely surviving to truly thriving. His approach is built on a foundation of empowerment, walking alongside his clients as a collaborative partner on their journey. His practice focuses on providing a safe, deeply supportive space equipped with the practical tools clients need to break free from old patterns, allowing them to cultivate a life filled with authenticity and purpose.
Clinical Approach and Interests/Specialties:
Drawing on his training in community psychology, Dr. Grant-Coons effectively supports diverse and multicultural populations of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and religious traditions. He helps individuals navigate complex relationship dynamics, generalized anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, acute life transitions, trauma, and profound grief and loss. Dr. Grant-Coons also specializes in supporting the LGBTQ+ community by providing core affirmative care that transforms internalized self-hatred and societal shame into self-compassion, authentic pride, and empowered identity integration.
His integrative clinical style is driven by three core modalities, beginning with LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy, which celebrates the inherent value of all LGBTQ+ identities and actively works to heal the psychological wounds caused by marginalization. Existential-Humanistic therapies are insight-oriented, client-centered treatments focusing on the present moment, personal agency, and the unique human experience. They emphasize a collaborative client-therapist relationship to help individuals achieve authenticity and self-awareness. This seamlessly pairs with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), allowing for the systematic integration of actionable, evidence-based skills into all facets of treatment.
Experience and Education:
Dr. Grant-Coons built a robust academic foundation in Los Angeles, California, earning a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy from Antioch University. Advancing his training, he obtained a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), where he formally specialized in multi-cultural and community psychology. This rigorous educational background equips him with advanced clinical frameworks tailored to addressing systemic disparities, identity development, and complex intersecting minority stressors.
The trajectory of Dr. Grant-Coons’ clinical career spans premier behavioral health and medical institutions. He completed internships at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), gaining specialized expertise in crisis intervention and gender-affirming care. He completed his post-doctoral training at the DBT Recovery Center in Beverly Hills, where he oversaw the evidence-based DBT Intensive Outpatient Program. He later stepped into executive clinical leadership as the Lead Clinical Supervisor for the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center, where he managed crisis counseling teams, oversaw high-acuity interventions, and trained the next generation of crisis clinicians.
Fun Facts:
Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Grant-Coons is deeply rooted in the performing arts, viewing acting and theater as essential, foundational pieces of his identity that enrich his holistic approach to human connection. In 2018, following more than a decade of exclusive focus on his psychology career, he returned to his creative roots. While living in Sacramento, he rediscovered his passion for the stage by performing in multiple local theater productions. This artistic journey continued seamlessly following his relocation to Cincinnati in 2023. Finding deep fulfillment in collaborating with exceptional artists on high-quality productions, Dr. Grant-Coons views the stage as a vital creative pursuit that sustains him and informs his empathetic, narrative-driven work as a therapist.
