Ryan Sheridan, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Adult ADHD & Integrative Psychiatry Specialist
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you can
create success.
+ My mindset: improvement is possible
+ Collaboration means you + me
+ Wellness is a result of what we do
+ Empowering you = success
Who I Help
I help adults who feel stuck despite being intelligent, motivated, and capable.
Many of my patients are professionals, entrepreneurs, graduate students, executives, healthcare workers, and high achievers who struggle with ADHD, executive dysfunction, anxiety, burnout, sleep issues, or depression.
My approach combines evidence-based psychiatry with attention to the factors that influence how the brain functions in daily life: sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress, relationships, and meaning.
I founded Proactive Psychiatry because I believe mental health treatment should be proactive rather than reactive.
The goal isn’t simply symptom reduction.
The goal is helping people build lives they genuinely want to live.
My Story
I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri; Kirkwood is my home. I’m a PMHNP serving Washington, D.C., Missouri, Maryland, Colorado, and beyond. My hobbies include travel, cooking (and eating), hiking, skiing, anything outdoors, exercise (CrossFit), real estate development, and reading. I am human, just like you. I've struggled, married, divorced, come out, and lived a life of ups and downs.
Family gives purpose to my life and is my priority, for that I am very fortunate.
I received my first undergraduate degree in business from Mizzou (University of Missouri). After college I started a real estate development firm. Burn out was real for me – so I changed gears and went back to school to be a nurse. For nursing school I completed an accelerated bachelors of science in nursing at the prestigious Goldfarb School of Nursing (on the Barnes Jewish Hospital / Washington University campus in St. Louis, Missouri). I earned a doctorate of nursing (DNP) from Missouri State University, though please call me Ryan, not Dr. Sheridan. My nursing experience includes time on medical/surgical and behavioral health floors, in the emergency department, partial hospitalization programs, and contract work for the Veteran’s Association.
I quickly fell in love with psychiatry.
I also realized how poor the model of psychiatry operates - with some of the worst outcomes in all of healthcare. My doctoral research focused on the intersection of mental health and exercise.
I’ve married, divorced, loved, lost, changed careers, chased dreams, failed, made mistakes, had successes, grieved lost loved ones, come out as gay, struggled, been diagnosed (with ADHD, among other things), and grown. I share this with you to provide context. I am human – with all the emotions that come with being human. My intention in working with you is to be authentic.
Some of my guiding principles in life and practice:
+ Life is best lived with an open mind that accepts change, takes turns, grows flexibly
+ Happiness and love are not destinations
+ At most, medication is only part of the solution
+ Expectations can cause us pain
+ Define success from within
I look forward to working with you.
-Ryan
Why I Chose Psychiatry and Became a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
My path into psychiatry wasn’t a straight line.I began my career studying business at the University of Missouri before launching a real estate development company.
Like many entrepreneurs, I experienced firsthand the effects of stress, burnout, uncertainty, and the pressure of constantly performing.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to spend my life helping people rather than building projects.That decision led me back to school for nursing.
I completed an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Goldfarb School of Nursing on the Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis.
I later became board-certified as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Missouri State University.
My Clinical Philosophy
One of the reasons I was drawn to psychiatry is because mental health rarely exists in isolation.
Symptoms are real.
Diagnoses are useful.
Medication can be life-changing.
But most people are more complicated than a diagnosis.
Mental health is influenced by:
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Sleep
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Physical health
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Exercise
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Nutrition
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Stress
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Relationships
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Purpose
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Environment
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Habits
This is why Proactive Psychiatry takes an integrative approach.
I believe the best outcomes occur when we address both symptoms and contributing factors.
Medication may be part of the solution.
Rarely is it the entire solution.
My Areas of Expertise
Adult ADHD
I have ADHD. And I have a particular interest in helping adults with ADHD and executive dysfunction.
Many of my patients spent years believing they were lazy, disorganized, or undisciplined.
In reality, they were dealing with an undiagnosed neurodevelopmental condition.
Common concerns include:
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Procrastination
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Time blindness
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Overwhelm
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Poor focus
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Emotional dysregulation
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Difficulty prioritizing
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Inconsistent performance
My goal is to help patients understand how their brain works and create systems that allow them to succeed.
Integrative Psychiatry
Integrative psychiatry combines evidence-based mental health treatment with attention to lifestyle and behavioral factors that influence mental health.
Areas frequently discussed include:
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Sleep optimization
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Exercise
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Nutrition
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Recovery
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Stress management
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Behavioral change
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Long-term resilience
Anxiety, Depression & Burnout
Mental health challenges often occur at the intersection of biology, psychology, and life circumstances.
I work with adults experiencing:
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Anxiety disorders
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Depression
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Burnout
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Chronic stress
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Life transitions
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Relationship challenges
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Professional exhaustion
Why Patients Choose Proactive Psychiatry
Patients often tell me they appreciate:
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A collaborative approach
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Thoughtful evaluations
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Practical recommendations
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Integrative treatment options
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Direct communication
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An emphasis on long-term improvement rather than quick fixes
My philosophy is simple:
You can improve.
Not overnight.
Not perfectly.
But consistently.
And that’s often enough to change the trajectory of a life.
Beyond Psychiatry
Outside of clinical practice, I’m a lifelong learner, entrepreneur, real estate developer, fitness enthusiast, and outdoorsman.
I grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri and continue to value family, community, and personal growth.
Like many of my patients, I’ve experienced success, failure, loss, change, uncertainty, and reinvention.
Those experiences have shaped how I practice today.
I don’t approach patients as diagnoses.
I approach them as people.
Why My Background Shapes My Approach
Nursing: Learning to Care for the Whole Person
My healthcare career began as a nurse.
Nursing taught me that effective care isn’t just about diagnosing problems or prescribing treatments. It’s about understanding the person sitting across from you.
People don’t experience anxiety, depression, ADHD, or burnout in isolation. Their symptoms exist within the context of work, relationships, physical health, stress, finances, and life circumstances.
That perspective continues to shape how I practice today.
Emergency Medicine: Performing Under Pressure
Before specializing in psychiatry, I worked in emergency medicine.
The emergency department exposes clinicians to people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
I learned how to stay calm during uncertainty, make decisions with incomplete information, and focus on what matters most when situations become overwhelming.
Many of the professionals I work with today face similar challenges. Whether you’re a physician, attorney, entrepreneur, executive, or parent, life can feel like a constant series of competing priorities and urgent demands.
My emergency medicine experience taught me how stress affects performance and how important it is to build systems that support resilience.
Veterans Affairs: Understanding Complex Mental Health
Working within the Veterans Affairs healthcare system deepened my appreciation for the complexity of mental health.
Veterans often face challenges that extend far beyond symptoms alone. Trauma, chronic stress, physical health conditions, sleep disruption, relationships, and life transitions frequently interact in complicated ways.
This experience reinforced a lesson I still carry with me today:
Mental health treatment works best when we understand the full context of a person’s life.
Psychiatry: Finding the Right Fit
Psychiatry ultimately became the field where I felt I could make the greatest impact.
I was drawn to the fact that psychiatry sits at the intersection of biology, psychology, behavior, and human experience.
Mental health influences every aspect of life:
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Relationships
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Career performance
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Physical health
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Motivation
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Purpose
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Overall quality of life
I enjoy helping patients gain clarity about what they’re experiencing and develop practical strategies for moving forward.
United States Senate Health Policy Fellowship
In addition to clinical practice, I served as a health policy fellow in the United States Senate.
This experience gave me a unique perspective on the healthcare system from outside the exam room.
I saw firsthand how policy decisions influence patient care, access to treatment, insurance coverage, medication availability, and healthcare delivery.
It reinforced my belief that patients often need an advocate as much as they need a clinician.
Understanding both the clinical and policy sides of healthcare helps me better guide patients through a system that can often feel confusing and frustrating.
Business & Entrepreneurship
Before healthcare, I earned a degree in business and started a real estate development company.
That experience taught me lessons that continue to benefit my patients today.
Entrepreneurship requires:
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Discipline
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Adaptability
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Problem solving
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Risk tolerance
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Resilience
It also exposes people to chronic stress, uncertainty, and pressure.
Many of the professionals I work with are entrepreneurs, executives, business owners, and high achievers.
Because I’ve lived in that world myself, I understand many of the challenges they face.
I understand what it’s like to have too many responsibilities, too many competing priorities, and a brain that never seems to shut off.
Real Estate Development
Real estate development taught me to think in systems.
You rarely solve problems by focusing on one variable alone.
Projects succeed when multiple pieces work together:
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Planning
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Timing
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Resources
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Communication
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Execution
Mental health is often similar.
Medication can help.
Therapy can help.
Sleep matters.
Exercise matters.
Stress matters.
Relationships matter.
The best outcomes usually come from improving multiple areas simultaneously.
This systems-oriented approach is a major part of how I practice today.
Why I Enjoy Working With Adults With ADHD
Adult ADHD is one of the areas of psychiatry that I find most rewarding.
Many adults with ADHD are exceptionally intelligent, capable, and driven.
Yet they’ve spent years believing something is wrong with them.
They may think they’re:
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Lazy
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Undisciplined
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Unmotivated
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Disorganized
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Inconsistent
In reality, many are working significantly harder than those around them just to keep up.
I particularly enjoy helping:
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Professionals
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Entrepreneurs
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Executives
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Graduate students
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Healthcare workers
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High achievers
Many of these individuals have built successful lives despite ADHD, but success often comes at the cost of chronic stress, burnout, and exhaustion.
Receiving an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can be transformative.
One of the most rewarding parts of my work is helping patients understand that they don’t need to fight against their brains forever. Once they understand how they operate, they can begin building systems that work with them rather than against them.
The Common Thread
When I look back at my experiences in nursing, emergency medicine, psychiatry, government, business, and real estate, a common theme emerges.
I’ve always been interested in solving complex problems.
Mental health is one of the most complex and important challenges people face.
That’s why Proactive Psychiatry focuses on understanding the whole person—not just a diagnosis—and helping patients make meaningful, sustainable improvements in their lives.
Education & Credentials
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Missouri State University
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) (MSN)
Board Certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Goldfarb School of Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Business
University of Missouri
Frequently Asked Questions about
Ryan Sheridan, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Is Ryan Sheridan a psychiatrist?
Ryan Sheridan is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). Psychiatric nurse practitioners are advanced practice clinicians who diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe psychiatric medications, perform evaluations, and provide treatment.
Does Ryan Sheridan specialize in ADHD?
Yes. Adult ADHD and executive dysfunction are major areas of clinical focus at Proactive Psychiatry.
What is integrative psychiatry?
Integrative psychiatry combines evidence-based psychiatric treatment with attention to lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress management, and overall health.
Does Ryan Sheridan provide telehealth?
Yes. Telehealth services are available in states where he is licensed.