Executive Coaching

I'm Dr. Brian Ragsdale, a licensed clinical psychologist and a coach to physicians, nurses, and executives. This is a short introduction because if we're going to work together, you should know who's sitting across from you.​​​​

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Maybe you're listening because the role got bigger than the support around it.

A promotion changed every relationship in the building. Your team looks to you for a steadiness you don't always feel. Or there's a decision you can't take to anyone inside your organization. That's usually the moment my clients find me.

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My road here has run through almost every room in this profession: project director on a $1.9 million National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) study; 3,000 students taught over 25 years; sixteen years at Walden University, from faculty to associate dean, supervising graduate assistants, faculty, and staff of my own; and I was developed as a leader myself, completing McKinsey & Company's Black Management Accelerator. I've held the chair my clients sit in. 

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And in every room, I noticed the same thing: the people carrying the most are the last to get support. My scholarship has centered on health equity for three decades, and it has taught me to see people as whole leaders and that their teams don't all think, process, or thrive the same way, including neurodivergent leaders and colleagues. Good coaching starts by seeing clearly.

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At heart, I'm a teacher. Years ago, a student wrote to me: “I can tell you truly love what you do.” I've never forgotten it, because it's the whole method. People do their bravest thinking where they feel seen, understood, cared for, and respected. That's the coaching room I offer: confidential, forward-looking, and honest, where someone whose job is everyone else finally gets a room of their own.

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One boundary, plainly: I'm a psychologist, but coaching is not therapy, and I keep it in its own lane. We work on your goals and your growth — and if something clinical ever needs attention, I'll tell you and help you find the right door for it.

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Credentials at a glance

​• Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Rhode Island; licensed psychologist, New Hampshire #1688; PSYPACT authority to practice across participating states.

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• Associate Dean and senior faculty, Walden University (2007–2023) — supervised 18 graduate assistants, PhD faculty, and staff of my own; adjunct professor, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).

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• Project Director (Year 2), NIMH R01 MH57938, "Risky Contexts and Exposure to Violence in Urban Youth" (PI's: Richards, Larson; $1.9M award), Loyola University Chicago; Director of Research, C.A.U.S.E.S.; research team member at the University of Chicago and Yale University.

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• Taught and developed courses at Northwestern University; 3,000+ students taught overall; 36 dissertation committees (13 chaired). Scholarship centers on health equity, multicultural, and neurodivergent experience. Coach at Maven Clinic since 2024; founder of VSRG L3C.

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Start with a free 30-minute conversation, no charge and no obligation. We'll talk about what you're carrying, what you're aiming at, and whether coaching is the right support for it.

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And if you're not ready yet, stay and read.