When Psychology Makes the Individual the Problem

Send us Fan Mail What happens when psychology focuses on the person experiencing distress but pays less attention to the systems producing it? In the first episode of Season 4, The Gatekeepers of Sanity, Dr. Brian Ragsdale examines psychology’s tendency to locate problems within individuals while treating workplaces, institutions, culture, and systems of power as background conditions. He asks a deceptively simple question: Are we helping people become healthier, or simply helping them adapt to unhealthy environments? Transforming Minds delivers one question, one idea, and a different way of thinking about psychology and the systems shaping our lives, all in under 20 minutes, most of the time. Support Transforming Minds If this work makes you think, consider buying me a cup of coffee- buymeacoffee.com/brianragsd6.  Your support helps sustain the research, production, and independent scholarship behind Transforming Minds and keeps these conversations available to the public. Support the podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431773/supporters/new The intro music at the top of each episode is an original 3-second jazz-funk sting composed for Transforming Minds with the help of artificial intelligence. It was made exclusively for this show; it's royalty-free, and it reflects no employer or workplace, past, present, or future. Some episodes also use an AI-generated voiceover created with ElevenLabs, built from my own voice and used under my full direction. The words, ideas, and opinions are always mine. Support the show "Transforming Minds with Dr. Brian" Hosted by Dr. Brian Ragsdale, Psychologist Blending research, creativity, and education to explore how personal stories intersect with larger systems, shaping how we think, feel, and connect. Follow & Connect: Website: https://www.drbrianragsdale.net/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574994500297 Substack: Transforming Minds - https://brianlragsdale.substack.com/ Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrianragsdale/ New Episodes Every Sunday Take care of yourself and each other.