Dr. Brian L. Ragsdale
Clinical Psychologist, Educator, Consultant, Writer & Artist
About Dr. Brian
Dr. Brian Ragsdale is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor, and visual artist in Dublin, New Hampshire, and a Black gay man who spent decades of his career as the only one in the room. Across that career he has practiced, taught, and published on how race and identity shape mental health care, work cited more than 1,000 times, including co-authoring the 2006 American Psychologist article on diversity in psychology training. He is an executive coach to C-suite leaders through DrBrianCoaching (drbriancoaching.com). At 67 he is in a deliberate season of reinvention: he hosts the podcast Transforming Minds with Dr. Brian Ragsdale, is launching DrBrianOnTV on TikTok and YouTube, and exhibits and sells his own paintings.
For more than 25 years, he has worked across clinical practice, higher education, behavioral-health consultation, psychological assessment, research, and professional leadership.
His clinical perspective draws from humanistic, multicultural, developmental, and social-contextual approaches to psychology.
Rather than viewing distress only as an individual problem, he considers how family relationships, racial and cultural identity, sexuality, institutions, economic conditions, technology, and social power shape psychological well-being.
Dr. Ragsdale earned his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Rhode Island. He completed his APA-accredited clinical internship at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago and received advanced training in counseling and research. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in New Hampshire and holds authorization to practice interjurisdictional telepsychology through PSYPACT.
His professional experience has included research and academic work connected with the University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, Yale University, and other institutions.
His scholarship has addressed racial identity, self-esteem, social support, adolescent mental health, health disparities, structural racism, and diversity within psychology, education, and nursing.
His research has appeared in publications including American Psychologist, Child Development, the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, and Nursing Outlook.
His work has received support from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the Chicago Community Trust.
Dr. Ragsdale has also held leadership roles within the Association of Black Psychologists, divisions across the American Psychological Association, and the Illinois Psychological Association. His professional service has focused on culture, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender diversity, legislative advocacy, and the development of a more socially responsive psychology.
As a consultant and educator, he works with mental-health professionals, healthcare organizations, universities, nonprofits, and leadership teams. His current areas of consultation include women's and men’s mental health, culturally responsive clinical practice, Black and LGBTQIA+ mental health, reproductive and family mental health, professional development, and the integration of identity and social context into behavioral healthcare.
His public scholarship extends beyond traditional academic settings. Through The Cultural Squeeze Report, the Transforming Minds podcast, public speaking, and teaching, he examines how social institutions and emerging technologies shape people's understanding of themselves and one another. His writing invites readers to consider not only what people experience psychologically, but also who defines psychological knowledge and whose experiences are overlooked.
Dr. Brian is also an abstract painter and illustrator. His visual work explores identity, memory, belonging, history, and emotional life. For him, psychology, writing, teaching, and art are not separate careers.
There are different ways of examining the same central question: How do people make meaning within the cultural and historical conditions that shape their lives?
Professional and Social Media Boundaries
I have maintained a public online presence for more than 20 years as a psychologist, educator, writer, artist, and community member. My social media accounts support public education, professional commentary, and creative work; they are not used for clinical communication.
To protect privacy, confidentiality, and professional boundaries, I do not communicate with current or former clients about clinical matters via direct messages, comments, or other social media interactions. I also cannot publicly acknowledge whether someone is or has been my client.
Current clients should use the communication channels provided through their clinical service.
Social media should not be used for urgent mental-health concerns. In the United States, call or text 988 for crisis support or call 911 during an immediate emergency.
This policy reflects my responsibilities as a licensed psychologist and is informed by the APA Ethics Code and APA guidance on social media.
My work explores how psychology, culture, technology, and creativity shape the way we live, connect, and make meaning. As a clinical psychologist, writer, artist, and educator, I am interested in helping people see the often-overlooked relationships between personal experience and the larger social forces transforming everyday life.
My Story
I've always been fascinated by the stories people tell about themselves—and the larger cultural stories that shape those lives. That curiosity has guided my work as a psychologist, educator, researcher, writer, and artist.
My career has spanned clinical psychology, higher education, health disparities research, and public scholarship. Along the way, I've come to believe that our individual lives are deeply influenced by the social, cultural, and technological forces around us. Understanding those connections has become the foundation of my work.
Today, through The Cultural Squeeze Report, the Transforming Minds podcast, public speaking, and creative practice, I explore how psychology, culture, artificial intelligence, racial identity, aging, and belonging are reshaping everyday life. Whether I'm conducting a psychological assessment, writing an essay, or creating a painting, my goal is the same: to help people better understand themselves, one another, and the changing world we share with curiosity, compassion, and critical thinking.
Research & Publications
Selected Research Funding & Grants
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Vasquez, M. J. T., Lott, B., García-Vázquez, E., Grant, S. K., Iwamasa, G. Y., Molina, L. E., Ragsdale, B. L., & Vestal-Dowdy, E. (2006). Personal reflections: Barriers and strategies in increasing diversity in psychology. American Psychologist, 61(2), 157–172. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.2.157
This collaborative article examines the barriers to increasing diversity within the psychology profession and offers recommendations for creating a more inclusive and equitable field.
Gaylord-Harden, N. K., Ragsdale, B. L., Mandara, J., Richards, M. H., & Petersen, A. C. (2007). Perceived support and internalizing symptoms in African American adolescents: Self-esteem and ethnic identity as mediators. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36(1), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9115-9
This study explored how support from family, peers, and the community contributes to the mental health of African American adolescents by strengthening self-esteem and a positive sense of ethnic identity.
Mandara, J., Gaylord-Harden, N. K., Richards, M. H., & Ragsdale, B. L. (2009). The effects of changes in racial identity and self-esteem on changes in African American adolescents' mental health. Child Development, 80(6), 1660–1675. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01360.x
This study examined how changes in racial identity and self-esteem influenced the mental health of African American adolescents over time, highlighting the importance of positive identity development.
Waite, R., Varghese, J., VanRiel, Y., Smith, T., Singletary, G., Shtayermman, O., Ragsdale, B. L., McCune, N. M., Holton, C., Ferguson, P. E., Brown, G. S., Brewington, J., Boston-Leary, K., & Beard, K. (2023). Promoting health equity with HBCUs: Breaking away from structural racism. Nursing Outlook, 71(2), Article 101913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.101913
This collaborative article examines how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can help advance health equity by addressing structural racism, strengthening the healthcare workforce, and expanding opportunities for underserved communities.
Chicago Community Trust (2005) — La Esperanza del Futuro (Hope for the Future), Child Abuse Unit for Studies, Education, and Services (CAUSES). $15,000
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), NIH (2002) — Disadvantaged Early Career Research Award. Two-year award. $35,000
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Supplement (2001) — Risky Context and Exposure to Community Violence. Research supplement awarded under Principal Investigator Maryse Richards. $143,513
Invited Lectures
& Selected Presentations
Shared Experiences: Intersectionality in Socially Responsive Practice
Invited Keynote Speaker
10th Annual Diversity Conference, Adler University, Chicago, IL (2020)
Bringing My Buddhist Learnings to Understand Interlocking Oppressions
Guest Lecture
Communication: Inspiring and Guiding Change, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC (2023)
Machinations of Whiteness: Exploring White Fragility as a Precursor to Mob Violence and Identity Development
National Council for Black Studies, 47th Annual Conference, Gainesville, FL (2023)
Persistence Probability Modeling: Centering Student Success and Equity Outcomes
American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Student Success, Henderson, NV (2023)
The Organic Life of Invisible Whiteness: Why We Don't Know Who the White People on the Bus with Rosa Parks Were—and We Probably Never Will
Australian Critical Race and Whiteness Studies Association Conference, Mandurah, Australia (2013)
Surveillance, Trauma, and Collective Black Healing
Invited Presentation
Illinois Psychological Association Annual Convention, Lisle, IL (2019)
How Do Margins Intersect? Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, and Gender
Invited Symposium
American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Toronto, Canada (2009)
Lessons Learned from 20-Plus Years as a Black Researcher
Invited Presentation
UCLA Brain Research Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and UCLA UC-HBCU Program (2020)
White Fragility: Lessons in Studying Power, Privilege, and Oppression
Invited Brown Bag Lecture
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI (2022)
Developing Cultural Competence in Medical Practice and Research
Invited Presentation
Student National Medical Association, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH (1999)
Professional Credential & Service
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of New Hampshire (2023 - present)
PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) (2023 to present)
Association of Black Psychologists – Chicago Chapter
President (2018–2020) • President-Elect (2017–2018) • Former Vice President • Executive Board Member • Membership Chair
American Psychological Association
Former Membership Chair, Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race) • Former Co-Chair, Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs, Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) • Former Associate Newsletter Editor, Division 45 • Graduate Student Representative, Division 12 (Clinical Psychology)
Illinois Psychological Association
Former Co-Chair, Legislative Committee
Professional Memberships (Active and Inactive)
American Psychological Association • Association of Black Psychologists • New Hampshire Psychological Association • American Counseling Association • Society for Research on Adolescence • Australian Critical Race and Whiteness Studies Association
Editorial & Grant Review
I have served as an ad hoc reviewer for Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Journal of Homosexuality, Sex Roles, Higher Learning Research Communications, and Understanding and Dismantling Privilege. I have also served as an ad hoc grant reviewer for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.