Ryan M. Sheade, LCSW

02/23/2026

If you want to see Erica's genuine smile, look no further than the first picture in this post. There is no work she loves more than this - helping little people who look like her find their voice, get the help they need, and combat shame and stigma.

02/23/2026

From “The Independent”: Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey have sent a blunt message to Immigration and Customs Enforcement with the introduction of a new bill.

The “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” - or F*** ICE Act - was introduced Thursday in the State Assembly. It aims to extend residents’ rights under state law to sue federal immigration officials for unconstitutional conduct.

02/21/2026

Probably the most vulnerable thing I've ever written. How much does belonging truly cost? Read more: https://wix.to/RBHeLZ7

02/19/2026

Yesterday my daughter received ashes at school. I received mine at work. Two different spaces. Same cross.

At some point in the day, in two separate rooms across town, someone pressed dust onto our foreheads and spoke the same words over us.

You are finite. You are human. You are loved.

We were not side by side. But we were formed by the same reminder.

As a father, I want her strong and confident. I want her bold in her convictions and steady in who she is. But I also want her grounded enough to accept what most of us resist: we cannot control everything. We will not live forever. Our worth is not tied to our performance.

Ash Wednesday tells the truth about us.

Not to diminish us. To anchor us.

Two crosses. Two locations. One shared posture of humility.

In a world obsessed with power and image, there is something quietly defiant about embracing dust. It brings everything back into focus.

And it reminds me that even when we are in different rooms, we can still be walking the same path.

02/19/2026

"When you start setting boundaries, people push back. When you stop over-functioning, others feel the gap. When you change roles in a marriage, the system shakes. When you confront trauma, your nervous system lights up before it settles. Pain doesn’t mean you’re failing. It often means you’re finally moving."

Read more: https://wix.to/wdD4xge

We live in a culture obsessed with comfort.We engineer our lives to avoid friction. We mute conflict. We scroll past discomfort. We numb out when something hurts.And yet, every meaningful transformation I’ve witnessed in twenty years of clinical work has had one common ingredient.Pain.Not drama. N...

02/15/2026

Call for Proposals is OPEN! The Third Annual Mental Health Summit at the Franciscan Renewal Center is in June and we need YOUR unique voice! Please consider submitting a proposal for a 1-hour talk about whatever it is you LOVE to talk about and/or teach in mental health!

Join us for the third annual Mental Health Summit from June 11th to June 14th at the tranquil Franciscan Renewal Center. This year's theme is Healing the World from the Inside Out: Connection, Compassion, and Unity which focuses on fostering deeper connections, nurturing compassion, and promoting un...

02/12/2026

U.S. social workers who provide couples therapy: HELP!

I’m conducting research on how social workers understand and work with relational patterns between partners - and I need 9 more interview participants.

• Licensed in the U.S.
• Provide couples therapy
• 60-90 minute confidential interview over Zoom

If you’re willing to contribute to social work research, comment or DM me.

Please share with colleagues who might be interested.

02/12/2026

What if the scoreboard isn’t the point? In “What If the Outcome Doesn’t Matter?” I explore shifting from chasing results to simply practicing becoming - in relationships, anxiety, parenting, and more. A short, thoughtful read (~3 min) that might change how you measure progress. Read it: https://wix.to/Y1RLDek

We are trained from childhood to chase outcomes.Grades. Trophies. Promotions. Applause. Followers. Revenue. Approval.We are told, subtly and not so subtly, that the scoreboard is the point.But what if it isn’t?What if the real work of a human life is not the outcome at all, but the becoming?In my ...

02/07/2026

Today I watched my daughter step onto a Cotillion photo set - lights, backdrops, poise. I wrote about that quiet moment of awe and the small, steady ways we help children learn their worth. Read my new blog: Raising a Daughter Who Knows Her Worth - a short reflection on confidence, presence, and parenting. https://wix.to/ysaAmfT

Today I watched my daughter step onto a photo shoot set for her Cotillion. Lights. Backdrops. Direction. Poise.And there she was. Calm. Confident. Completely herself.I felt that familiar mix of awe and humility that hits me at the most unexpected times as a parent. The quiet realization that somehow...

02/06/2026

Today would have been my Nana’s 97th birthday. In my new blog post “Power or Peace?” I reflect on the quiet authority of presence and whether peace ever arrives through power. A short, gentle read - 2 minutes that might slow you down. Read more: https://wix.to/uGYPbUR

Today would have been my Nana’s 97th birthday.She’s been gone since 2022, and there are days when that still feels unreal. Not because she was loud or flashy or demanded space. The opposite. She mattered because she was steady. Because her presence softened rooms. Because being near her made you...

02/03/2026

New on the blog: If You're Going to Chase Something, Chase Connection - a short, heartfelt reflection on why connection matters more than perfection or milestones. Read about lessons from our marriage retreat and why relationship presence wins every time. Read more: https://wix.to/yW6WhdZ

My wife, the amazing Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade, and I just finished the fifth year of our marriage retreat that we titled "Marriage, It's Not for the Faint of Heart" at the Franciscan Renewal Center here in Paradise Valley. Every year it solidifies for me one fundamental truth. At the end of the day, w...

01/30/2026

Why do we do what we do - and what is a life truly for? In this new short essay, I sit with the question most people never get asked and explore how meaning differs from success, productivity, or shallow happiness. Read the full reflection and see if it shifts how you think about your life. https://wix.to/qitsKli

I have spent my entire professional life sitting with people who are searching for meaning. Not success. Not productivity. Not even happiness, at least not in the shallow sense.Meaning.People come into my office with impressive resumes, full calendars, families they love, and lives that look good fr...