Built for the work that
helps people heal & change.
Forbes Individual and Family Therapy is a depth-oriented psychotherapy practice in Newport Beach, CA — founded on the belief that real healing requires more than surface-level support.
13+
Licensed & associate clinicians
5.0
Google rating · 49 reviews
15+
Years of combined clinical experience across private practice, acute care, non-profits, and faith communities
Shannon & Bryan Forbes
Shannon and Bryan founded ForbesIFT with a clear mission: to provide excellent clinical care and excellent clinical training.
LMFT · Co-Founder & Clinical Director
Shannon Forbes
Shannon leads the clinical vision of Forbes IFT with warmth, rigor, and a deep commitment to excellence. With over a decade of experience across non-profit, acute mental health, and private practice settings, she has built a culture of care that holds high standards for both clinical skill and human connection.
As Clinical Director, Shannon oversees therapist training, team development, and the clinical standards that define what it means to practice here. She brings a rare combination of psychodynamic depth and genuine pastoral presence — the kind that makes people feel both seen and challenged to grow.
LMFT · Co-Founder & CEO
Bryan Forbes
Bryan brings a rare combination of clinical depth and pastoral grounding to his work. His background spans substance abuse treatment, acute mental health, faith communities, and private practice — all of which inform a therapy style that takes the whole person seriously, not just the presenting problem.
He specializes in men's work, couples therapy, and helping people understand why they keep arriving at the same place. His work is characterized by directness, curiosity, and a genuine belief that the examined life is worth the discomfort of actually examining it.
"We built this practice because we believe depth-oriented therapy changes people — not just their symptoms."
Shannon and Bryan co-founded Forbes IFT with a clear vision: to bring high-quality, psychodynamic psychotherapy to Orange County in a way that takes people seriously — their history, their complexity, and their capacity for genuine change. With over 15 years of combined experience across substance abuse treatment, acute mental health, non-profits, faith communities, and private practice, they built a team of clinicians who share a commitment to going deeper.
Today, Forbes IFT is a practice of 13 therapists, united by a psychodynamic orientation and a conviction that the therapeutic relationship itself is the engine of change. They're honored to serve Orange County — and every individual, couple, and family who trusts them with their healing.
Our guiding values
The standards we hold ourselves to as clinicians and as a practice.
We look beneath
the surface.
Every time.
At Forbes IFT, our philosophy is rooted in the belief that true healing requires looking beneath the surface of immediate symptoms. We specialize in psychodynamic and depth-oriented therapy — moving beyond temporary coping mechanisms to explore the unconscious patterns, early life experiences, and internalized narratives that shape your present.
We don't just aim to manage your anxiety or relationship tension. We seek to understand the why behind it — helping you uncover the root causes of the cycles that keep you feeling stuck, and the deeper truths about yourself that have yet to find expression.
By bringing these hidden dynamics into the light, we help you transition from merely reacting to your past — to actively choosing your future. This isn't a quick fix. It's the kind of work that produces change that stays.
A practice that takes its own growth
as seriously as its clients' growth.
Kevin Cram
LMFT · Director of Clinical TrainingKevin Cram serves as our Director of Clinical Training — and the role he plays in this practice reflects exactly what we believe about good therapy: that the clinician's own development is inseparable from the quality of care they provide.
Working alongside Shannon and Bryan, Kevin has built a training culture that takes psychodynamic depth seriously — not as a historical relic, but as a living framework for understanding what actually happens between two people in a room.
Psychodynamic consultation & reading groups
Every month our team engages in curated readings in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic thought — bridging foundational theory with the complexity of real clinical work. This isn't box-checking. It's how we stay sharp.
Private workshops with certified psychoanalysts
Four times a year, we bring in leading experts in depth-oriented practice for private workshops with our team. Our clinicians aren't just trained in this work — they're continuously shaped by it.
Psychodynamic supervision
Our supervisory model gives clinicians dedicated space to explore the unconscious dynamics present in the therapeutic relationship — because a therapist's most powerful tool is their own self-awareness.
Begin! We'll get your first session on the calendar — and the real work starts here.
Let's Work Together.
Reach out to us using the contact form or give us a call to set your initial 15m consult.
Reach out to us using the contact form or give us a call to set your initial 15m consult.
Within 24 hours we'll reach out for a real conversation to understand what's bringing you in and see if we're the right practice for you.
Within 24 hours we'll reach out for a real conversation to understand what's bringing you in and see if we're the right practice for you.
Begin! We'll get your first session on the calendar — and the real work starts here.
Let's get started.
Click the button below and let's discover a flourishing, more authentic you.