Get to Know Ryan Balent (He|Him)
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Intern
Ryan Balent, he/him, is a counselor in training (CT) located at the UC CAPS Calhoun location. He is currently enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s program at Northern Kentucky University and plans to complete his degree in 2025 to be licensed to practice in Ohio.
When not at work or in class, Ryan is typically playing basketball, spending time with friends, listening to music, or watching sports. He is open to any and all kinds of television show recommendations and genres of music, but some of his favorites include The Walking Dead, New Girl, Zach Bryan, and Zac Brown Band. When Ryan needs to take time for himself, he likes to engage in deep breathing exercises or put on his noise cancelling headphones and listen to music.
Something I like about myself: I have always appreciated my sense of humor and ability to laugh despite difficult experiences.
Coping skills I recommend to clients that I actually use myself: I have always been a fan of deep breathing exercises as well as artistic expression. I enjoy drawing, however I don’t get as much time to do it now as I would like, but I find that pairing it with breathing allows me to focus in the present moment and relieve anxiety.
App recommendation: I really enjoy the Calm app. It has a lot of different features that allow people to explore different coping skills to help with anxiety and sleeping troubles. There are many free options available through the app as well as a paid subscription that offers extra content.
Why did I become a counselor?
I became a counselor to hopefully provide the same therapeutic impact and healing that was offered to me early in my life. I believe that I would not be the person I am today without it and I would love to help others heal or discover themselves in whatever way they need to!
My favorite movie about mental health and why:This was a tough choice, but I think I’d have to say Good Will Hunting. The acting in the movie is amazing, and it touches on so many topics of mental health and reasons why someone might be struggling in their daily lives. Plus, the ending is both amazing and hopeful, two things that are not always the case with movies that address mental health.
What I do to take care of myself after a challenging day/time/situation:Music and sports have always been my two biggest outlets. Depending on my mood or the energy that I have left following the event, I will either pop on some noise cancelling headphones to recharge or I will go to the gym and play basketball for a few hours.