Ryan Sheridan

About Ryan

My approach

I believe effective psychiatric care goes beyond prescribing medication. My approach combines evidence-based psychiatry with psychotherapy, lifestyle medicine, and attention to sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress. Medication can be valuable, but it's rarely the whole solution. Together, we'll address symptoms and the factors contributing to them.

About me

I'm a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Proactive Psychiatry. My background spans emergency medicine, behavioral health, veterans' healthcare, and health policy. I earned my doctorate in nursing with a focus on exercise and mental health. I'm approachable, direct, and passionate about helping people make meaningful changes.

More background

I believe good psychiatric care begins with understanding the person, not just the diagnosis. I'm Ryan Sheridan, a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of Proactive Psychiatry. I specialize in ADHD and integrative psychiatry, helping individuals navigate anxiety, depression, burnout, executive dysfunction, and other mental health challenges.

Many of the people I work with are intelligent, motivated, and successful in certain areas of life, yet struggle privately with procrastination, emotional regulation, stress, relationships, or maintaining healthy routines. Others have spent years trying different medications without fully addressing the factors contributing to their symptoms. My philosophy is that mental health is shaped by much more than brain chemistry.

Sleep, physical activity, nutrition, relationships, psychological flexibility, physical health, and our sense of purpose all influence how we feel and function. Medication can be an important part of treatment, but it isn't always necessary, and it's rarely sufficient on its own. My approach combines evidence-based psychiatric treatment with practical lifestyle and behavioral interventions.

Depending on your needs, we might explore medication, psychotherapy-informed strategies, nutrition, exercise, sleep optimization, stress management, and other ways to improve mental well-being. I'm particularly interested in helping adults with ADHD understand their unique strengths and challenges. ADHD treatment isn't simply about improving concentration.

It's about developing better systems, strengthening emotional regulation, reducing overwhelm, and creating a sustainable foundation for success. Before entering psychiatry, I worked in business and real estate development. I later transitioned into healthcare, working in emergency medicine, behavioral health, and veterans' healthcare.

I earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice from Missouri State University, where my doctoral work focused on exercise and mental health. These experiences shaped my belief that effective care requires curiosity, collaboration, and an understanding of the whole person. I'm not interested in simply checking boxes or prescribing medication indefinitely without evaluating whether it's helping.

I want to understand your goals, what's working, what's getting in the way, and how we can make meaningful progress. Outside of psychiatry, I enjoy travel, fitness, skiing, hiking, cooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. I value authenticity, curiosity, personal growth, and living intentionally.

My practice is private-pay, allowing me to offer individualized care without many of the restrictions associated with insurance-based treatment. I offer virtual psychiatric care to patients in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Colorado, and Missouri. If you're looking for thoughtful, collaborative psychiatric care that goes beyond medication management, I'd welcome the opportunity to connect.

Specialties

Types of therapy

Who Ryan works with

Ages

Preteens (11-13), Teens (14-19), Adults, Elders (65+)

Communities

LGBTQ+, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Veterans, Neurodivergent

Languages

English

Education and training

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Missouri State University

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS University)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College

Bachelor's Degree in Business

University of Missouri

Certifications

Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Integrative Psychiatry Training (Practice Academy)

Additional clinical focus on adult ADHD, integrative psychiatry, lifestyle medicine, psychopharmacology, and the relationship between exercise and mental health.