We recently connected with Ryan DeLapp and have shared our conversation below.

Ryan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I would say there have been two defining moments that have led me to the career I so dearly love and cherish. First, I was a 16 y/o camp counselor at the local YMCA in Winston Salem, NC. And, during a morning drop off, I observed a kid and his mother engaged in a heated argument that resulted in the mother storming off and the kid in tears. I approached the kid, sat with him, and then he asked me what would end up being a career defining question, “Why doesn’t my mother love me, man?” I so desperately wanted to have the right and most comforting response. But at 16 y/o, I was at a loss for words. I simply sat and offered several, what I am sure were, empty platitudes. But, thereafter, I knew I wanted a career that would prepare me for these difficult discussions. A career that would allow me to become a trusted resource for youth in their most challenging moments. And, thus my sights and ambitions, at 16 y/o, became focused on becoming a child/adolescent psychologist.

Defining moment #2: As the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic were becoming more and more clear, I began to realize that the life disruptions caused by the pandemic were not the only things the youth wanted to discuss. The social re-awakening to the impacts of racism within our country had been ignited by the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor. And, due to social media frenzy that captured the play-by-play of social unrest throughout the U.S., these youth had a virtual front row seat to all that was discussed and debated. I recall many youth complaining that their virtual classrooms offered little to no space to process what they were witnessing. And, their families (due to a myriad of factors) similarly were engaging them in conversations that helped them understand the impacts of witnessing such racism. These youth wanted, or dare I say needed, a place to emote, grieve, and heal. This observation led me to create the Racial, Ethnic, And Cultural Healing (REACH) Program – a program that was first launched to serve youth receiving care in an urban outpatient psychiatric clinic in the Bronx, NY in the early days of the pandemic and has since evolved to offer resources to youth and young adults in NY, DC, VA, and MD who are interested in learning to heal from and navigate the impacts of racism-related stress on their daily lives.

Ryan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Before I knew of psychology, I had my family. I witnessed my mother serve countless individuals with developmental disabilities in her various roles as a social worker. And, I witnessed my father’s entrepreneurial pursuits and vocational creativity, as he vowed to think beyond conventional ways of earning a living. I am also a by-product of my grandparents who each worked tirelessly to provide a stable life for their children while also remaining devoted to serving their broader communities. I truly cannot separate my professional goals and achievements from the influences of my family.

However, my first interest in the study of psychology didn’t begin until I worked as a summer camp counselor at my local YMCA. From there, I attended the UNC-Chapel Hill where I majored in Psychology and minored in African American Studies. During college, I simultaneously learned about the fight for civil rights in my African American Studies courses while learning of the ongoing impact of mental health disparities on communities of color in my Psychology major. Together, this learning motivated me to look for ways to use clinical psychology to reduce health disparities and to create greater access to mental health services that are uniquely designed for the needs of communities of color.

Fortunately, I was then able to receive an opportunity to pursue these career ambitions by starting my master’s and doctoral studies at the University of Louisville. There, I had the great fortune of studying with 2 renowned Black psychologists, Drs. Kevin Chapman and Monnica Williams, who both taught me unique approaches to addressing the mental health disparities impacting the Black community. During this time, I learned how to carefully assess the short- and long-term impacts of racism-related stress while also studying how to empower persons of color to cope with such stress. And, beyond this research interest, I started learning how to become a trusted resource to youth and young adults as a therapist. Specifically, my graduate studies introduced me to and trained me to practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – one of the most well-researched and effective psychotherapies for anxiety and mood difficulties. And, since my graduation in 2017, I have had the great fortune of serving youth and young adults in a variety of clinical settings, such as college counseling centers, hospital clinics, and in my private practice. I have also received opportunities to go into community spaces, such as churches and schools, to educate youth about their mental health and to equip youth of color with tools to navigate the impacts of racism on their daily lives.

I love my journey! It is what has equipped me to develop and launch the Racial, Ethnic, And Cultural Healing (REACH) Program at the Ross Center – a program that is the culmination of my lived experiences as a Black man, my learned experiences from witnessing the triumphs and struggles of my community over the years, and my professional endeavors in the field of child, adolescent, and emerging adult mental health. In this program, I seek to engage participants in a challenging yet required discussion of how to pursue important life goals while navigating the obstacles created by racism. To be clear, the REACH Program does not seek to place the burden of dealing with racism solely on the shoulders of people of color. Rather, it’s about inviting youth and young adults to process what it feels like to carry this burden and to help them develop what I call “Empowered Coping.” Specifically, such coping equips youth and young adults with skills to heal from emotional pain, protect their sense of self-love, and expand their sense of agency and control when faced with racism-related stress. It is truly a joy to witness a young person strengthening their sense of pride, self-acceptance, and empowerment after engaging in this program.

I am proud to share that the REACH Program offers both individual and group therapy resources to residents of New York, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. We also offer trainings for mental health professionals, teachers, parents, and other youth leaders/mentors on how to support youth of color as they learn to navigate experiences with racism-related stress. Honestly, the REACH Program, along with my soon-to-be-published REACH workbook (anticipated release date is late 2024), are my proudest accomplishments of my career thus far. These accomplishments are truly the dreams of my 16 y/o self coming true!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

We live in a results and outcome driven society. I take no issue with this. I believe it is important to know that the product you have and services you offer yield positive results. However, when building and growing programs, such as the REACH Program, the desired results and outcomes do not come overnight. As someone who aspires to be a respected innovator in the mental health field, I am learning to embrace the growth process while trying not to attach the entire identity of my program (and myself as an innovator) to the day-to-day ebbs and flows of progress. Rather, I am learning to stay the course by maintaining these four practices: keeping a mindset of humility, trusting in my inspirations, setting SMART goals, and keeping my social supports.

Humble Mindset: When you create something, you often have to be your biggest cheerleader, advocate, and salesperson. You have to exude confidence and present a clear path to success. This is what you have to do to galvanize the support you need to make your dreams have a chance to become a reality. However, my experience has taught me that underneath all of this confidence must be a never ending well of humility. A sober understanding of your fallibility and shortcomings. A way to acknowledge your mistakes with grace and compassion. Without such perspectives, self-doubt can grow and your inner passion for your work can slowly dwindle with each setback.

Trust Your Inspirations: I have learned that it is important to remember my “why.” Why I am creating this? Why do I want to push through this adversity or setback? Why am I passionate about this work? My answers to these questions have actually come in the forms of “who.” I think back to the teens in the Bronx who were my inspiration for creating this program in 2020. I think about the teens and young adults since then who have expressed their gratitude for knowing a therapeutic space like REACH is available. I think about the people who have learned to feel more empowered, self-assured, and have more self-love after participating in my program. These are my reasons “why” I keeping pushing forward. I have to keep these inspirations close and accessible to help me celebrate what this program has been and to help me keep the motivation to discover what this program can be.

Set SMART Goals: I am not sure who to credit for thinking of the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-limited) Goals acronym. But whoever you are – thank you! Since launching this program, I have kept a list of 3-, 6-, 12-, and 18- month goals to help me remain anchored in this journey. This has helped protect me from the impact of setbacks and any self-doubting thoughts. When my brain is tempted to fixate on the “I am not where I want to be,” my SMART Goals help me remember to be proud of the journey my program has travelled thus far while refocusing my energy on progressing to my program’s next short term milestone.

We all need cheerleading sometimes: The last and probably most important way I have learned to not get attached to outcomes and results is by the people around me. No matter how good or even revolutionary an idea may be, it cannot come to fruition without the support of at least a few. My social circle is tight and they know when I am having a tough day. They know how to remind me to stay the course. They remind me that my self-worth is not solely defined by any achievement or setback. So, I try to maintain consistent connections with them. I encourage all innovators and leaders to find a group of people who you can be vulnerable with about your successes and setbacks. Also, I have benefited from scheduling monthly or quarterly calls with my mentors who have shared in my celebrations and helped me problem solve any setbacks that come up along the way.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I don’t recall receiving any step-by-step tutorials on networking or professional relationship building, but I believe these interpersonal experiences can be the deal makers and deal breakers. Likely, my academic and professional accomplishments got me an invitation to sit at many tables, but it was the relationships that I have built that kept me at these tables and offered invitations to new tables that I didn’t even know I would be interested in. I have tried to develop a genuine respect and interest in everyone I have worked with and worked for. Anyone from my leaders and bosses to administrative and janitorial staff. Everyone deserves the same respect and can be looked to as a potential source of wisdom. I firmly believe that my professional relationships have been a great resource that has sustained me on my journey in discovering where I want my professional career to take me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosscenter.com/services/racial-ethnic-cultural-healing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-delapp-phd-27237813b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDelappPhD?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
• Other: https://www.rosscenter.com/team/delapp-ryan-phd/

Image Credits
Presentation Photo – Taken by National Registrar’s photographer at their National Practice Conference in 2022 Doctoral Graduate Photos – taken by Erik Branch REACH Logo – Created by Anna Bauer