Ryker Hampton,
MFT Student Intern

Ryker Hampton is a Student Intern in the Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s program at Abilene Christian University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education from Concordia University Texas and has worked extensively in the world of foster care and adoption. His passion is working with couples to reconnect and making therapy comfortable for individuals who haven't tried therapy before.

Ryker excels in building real connection in therapy. He wants to empower men who haven't talked about or acknowledged that they do indeed have emotions. Sometimes the hardest step is admitting the need for help and reaching out for it. He strives to make that first step feel less intimidating by creating a space where clients can be honest, comfortable, and themselves. He loves working with couples who want to reconnect, individuals who aren't sure on how to move forward, and families where chaos has become a little too chaotic.

When working with couples, Ryker draws from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) to help partners recognize unhealthy patterns, understand what is happening beneath their conflicts, and develop healthier ways of connecting. His experience working in foster care and adoption has also given him a particular interest in supporting families navigating transitions, attachment, and the complexities that can come with building or rebuilding family relationships.

In his personal life, Ryker is a certified nerd who enjoys playing video games, playing D&D, reading fantasy and sci-fi books, and telling anyone who will listen how Viggo Mortensen broke his toes when he kicked the helmet in The Lord of the Rings. He fears the outdoors and would likely melt if he was ever exposed to direct sunlight.

As a supervised student intern, Ryker provides low-fee therapy sessions for individuals at $50 and couples or families at $60. He believes everyone deserves a space where they can be honest about their struggles without fear of judgment.