Hamilton therapist Ryan Jakovlejvic
Owner & Clinical Director

Ryan Jakovljevic

Ryan is the director of Empire Psychotherapy, founding the clinic after 8 years of work with couples. His focus is attachment based relationship work with adult individuals and couples, emphasizing the connection between attachment strategies and mental health.

Outside of his clinical work, Ryan maintains ongoing therapeutic training, conducts research on the topic of attachment strategies, and manages the development of Empire. He also co-hosts the psychology podcast “What Brings You In?”, provides consulting services for therapy clinics, and is an advocate for the integration of attachment principles into the education, healthcare, and justice systems. In 2024, Ryan founded Journey Psychedelic Institute to promote harm reduction services for people using psychedelic medicine.

Ryan is a member of the Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the International Association for the Study of Attachment, and the European Family Therapy Association.

Book Appointment with Ryan

The Basics

Session Rate

$300 + HST

Accepting

I have a limited number of openings for new clients

Clinical Focus

Attachment (relationship patterns) and how this impacts mental health issues in adulthood

Benefits

Not covered – out of pocket private payment only

Schedule

10 AM-1 PM M-F

Soonest Appointment

Call for earliest availability

Ryan Jakovljevic

// Personally

I enjoy spending time with friends and family, and being a father to my son.

I feel most alive when I’m somewhere new exploring – trekking lava fields, kayaking through bioluminescence, swimming with stingrays. Currently, I’m working on a couples retreat to combine my love of adventure travel with my passion for relationships.

I’m a first generation Canadian, and hold the world title for the worst ratio of free time to number of hobbies. Car racing is a big one for me. I enjoy racing at all levels of motorsport, from Karting to Formula 1600 to virtual simulators like iRacing.  

// Why Therapy?

When I first tried therapy, it really sucked.

 

I felt uncomfortable going and found it mostly unhelpful.  The wispy voiced “How does that make you feel?” approach just wasn’t for me. After trying several therapists I concluded that either 1) I must be really messed up, or 2) what I want is hard to find.

What did I want?

 

Someone down to earth. Less “I am honoured to share this space with you right now” and more “Hey, how was your week?”

 

Someone really familiar with my particular concerns. This was challenging, because specialists don’t exist in therapy like they do in medicine.

Problems worth solving.

 

I was so frustrated with the state of mental health care that I decided to do something about it. I went to school for psychology, and ever since, I have focused my career entirely on understanding relationships and developing more effective therapeutic treatments by studying how our family relationships and experiences contribute to the mental health issues we experience in adulthood.

 

In 2019, I founded Empire Psychotherapy to build a team of down to earth, relatable therapists with specialist level expertise. Since 2019, we have continued to grow, develop our skills, and have fun practicing therapy together.

Ongoing Education & Training

PGc in Attachment 

2024

Ryan earned his Post Graduate Certificate in Attachment Theory, Practice, and Research from Roehampton University in London, England. It is the only program offering a graduate level education in attachment, providing a comprehensive overview of the latest in Berkeley and Dynamic Maturational Model attachment theory. The program integrates this with skills for clinical practice and research.  

Advanced Supervision Skills

2023+

Advanced supervision skills to assist the clinical development of psychotherapists, available to those who have been working for at least 3 years following the completion of core supervision training. This course includes ongoing quarterly group meetings with supervisors to discuss the needs of psychotherapy as a field in Ontario. Taught by Dr. Augustine Meier.

Adult Attachment Interview

2022

Advanced skills in the administration and classification of the DMM Adult Attachment Interview assessment. This course reviews in depth the proper administration and transcription of the AAI, and classification of the AAI to determine attachment strategies for the purposes of improving clinical treatment. Taught by DMM founder, Dr. Patricia Crittenden.

ANP

2021

Attachment, neurodevelopment, and psychopathology is a foundational course connecting the effects of attachment on neurodevelopment throughout the lifespan, and exploring these in the context of psychopathology in adults. Taught by Dr. Patricia Crittenden and Dr. Andrea Landini.

Supervision Skills

2021

Core supervision skills to assist the clinical development of psychotherapists, focusing on supervision from the perspective of relational use of self and clinical case formulation. Taught by Dr. Augustine Meier.

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